Deb Callahan seen in performance at WXPN’s All About The Music Fest in Camden, NJ in 2011.
KENNETT SQUARE — For its second weekend of “Act II” of The Flash, the venerable downtown venue will host the blues and soul stylings of Philadlephia’s Deb Callahan – one of the region’s top vocalists for more than a decade.
Although Callahan grew up in the Boston area, she has been a mainstay on the mid-Atlantic music scene since the late 90’s. During this time she has gained a reputation for writing creative blues, soul and roots influenced original music and using her powerful, expressive voice and engaging stage presence to deliver an exciting live show.
Her 2002 debut CD “If the Blues Had Wings” was featured as the hot debut in the October/November 2004 issue of Blues Revue Magazine.
Blues Revue referred to her as the next Bonnie Raitt and raved “Philly’s Deb Callahan has the pipes, the songs and the raw talent to graduate to the next level.” Her fourth and most recent CD, titled “Tell It Like It Is” was released in October 2010 which debuted at #19 on the Living Blues Radio Chart and received regular airplay on the XM/Sirius Bluesville radio channel as well as blues and Triple A radio stations around the country.
The songs are blues based with gospel, soul, rock and jazz influences and deal with a range of topics and issues such as experiencing love and joy, finding spirituality, giving voice to the experience of homeless children without family support and how hard it can be to make life changes.
Doing social work in the heart of Philadelphia would be a good place to learn about life’s hard knocks and this urban school ground taught singer/songwriter Deb Callahan well. Her rich, honest and soulful tunes resonate with listeners and run the gamut from soulful ballads, to upbeat, dance oriented grooves. Her road tested band includes Allen James, Garry Lee and Tom Walling. Deb is working on her 5th CD which she is hoping to release sometime in 2013.
In a recent review of “Tell It Like It Is,” Living Blues Magazine says “Callahan’s voice has the spiked fervor of contemporary Susan Tedeschi, but it’s richer and smoother. Stylistically she’s picked up a lot from one of her earlier influences, Nina Simone – Simone’s squirming rhythms and hypnotic vocals reverberate in Callahan’s music.” “Deb Callahan is a shouter, a crooner, a soul-belter and above all a gifted lyrical interpreter. She could sing the phone book and make it sound good.” Living Blues Magazine Feb 2011.
Blues Revue Magazine says of Grace & Grit “Deb Callahan possesses an instinctive feel for the blues. As a songwriter, Callahan’s gift lies in bringing fresh perspectives to classic lyrical themes. Vocally she understand her strengths a pure, resonant tone and expressive phrasing and employs them to great effect. She also stands as a first rate song interpreter.” Blues Revue Magazine Jan/Feb 2008
Jazzreview.com says ” Her powerful, soul-tinged bluesy vocals showcase both an abundance of grace along with more than just a smidgen of grit. On the grace/grit scale, she weighs in heavily alongside the finest female blues belters ever. In fact, the potent force of her vocals should secure her presence on the national blues scene for years.”Jazzreview.com Dec 2008
She has shared the stage with Buddy Guy, Billy Preston, James Cotton, Shemekia Copeland, Hubert Sumlin, Debbie Davies, Savoy Brown, Big Jack Johnson, Sean Costello, The Holmes Brothers, Phil Guy, Deanna Bogart, Ann Rabson, Nick Curran, Southside Johnny, Floyd Lee, NRBQ, Joe Bonamassa, Guitar Shorty, Little Ed and The Imperials, Bob Margolin, Paul Cebar, Tommy Castro, Anthony Gomes, Johhny Lee Hooker Junior, Sister Monica Parker, Marcia Ball, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Duke Robillard, Eric Lindell and many more.
Click here for tickets to Friday night’s show at The Flash.
