{"id":25735,"date":"2017-09-07T14:17:36","date_gmt":"2017-09-07T18:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=25735"},"modified":"2017-09-07T14:17:42","modified_gmt":"2017-09-07T18:17:42","slug":"on-stage-batten-makes-rare-area-appearance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=25735","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Batten makes rare area appearance"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jennifer Batten<\/p><\/div>\n

To land the gig as lead guitarist for Michael Jackson\u2019s world tours during the height of his world-wide popularity, you had to be an amazing musician \u2013 a musician who could handle the complexities of the pop legend\u2019s arrangements.<\/p>\n

To be able to tour and record with Jeff Beck, one of rock\u2019s all-time great guitarists, you had to be a guitarist extraordinaire \u2013 a player who could stand up and hold his\/her own performing with an imitable axeman.<\/p>\n

To be a guitarist able to fill both roles, you had to be Jennifer Batten.<\/p>\n

From 1987-1997, Batten played in all three of Michael Jackson<\/a>\u2019s world tours. From 1999-2001, she toured and recorded with Jeff Beck<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On September 8, Batten will make a rare area appearance when she brings her one-woman show to Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u201cI just flew in from Portland (Oregon),\u201d said Batten during a phone interview from her Philadelphia hotel room Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been living in Portland for 15 years. I lived in L.A. for 20 years. I final escaped and never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batten, who is from New York City originally, released her debut solo album \u201cAbove Below and Beyond<\/a>\u201d in 1992. The album was produced by former Stevie Wonder<\/a> guitarist\u00a0Michael Sembello<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Her sophomore album \u201cJennifer Batten\u2019s Tribal Rage: Momentum<\/a>\u201d came out in 1997. Batten\u2019s third and most-recent LP \u201cWhatever<\/a>\u201d was released in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been a really long time since my last album,\u201d said Batten. \u201cI just gave up on the idea of making an album \u2013 especially since people can steal your music on the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batten has never needed an album to survive and succeed in the music world. She has done session work with an amazing variety of top musicians including Sara Hickman, Carmine Appice, Michael Sembello, Bulldozer and The Immigrants.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do a lot of sessions and some live gigs with different musicians,\u201d said Batten. \u201cI also play frequently with this band from Poland.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it happens, I got called in to play guitar on an album by Marc Scherer. I recorded four songs and wrote one. Marc was working with Jim Peterik.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recording was done at Jim\u2019s studio in Chicago. It\u2019s an amazing studio. It\u2019s like a museum. Jim must have at least 100 vintage guitars \u2013 and they\u2019re all on display.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peterik has a special link with Philadelphia. He co-wrote \u201cEye of the Tiger,\u201d the theme from the motion picture \u201cRocky III.\u201d Every day, hundreds of visitors to the city run up steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art listening to the song as they emulate Rocky\u2019s training regimen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that first session, I got called back to work on the album more. It evolved in a Scherer\/Batten album coming out in September called \u2018Battle Zone.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s classic rock \u2013 80s stuff like Foreigner. It\u2019s really different than anything I\u2019ve been involved in \u2013 a big sound with a lot of hooks. I\u2019m doing solos. I got into at the 11th<\/sup> hour so the basic tracks were already done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI change my live set all the time and usually it\u2019s 70 per cent originals. I\u2019ve been doing solo shows for 10 years and it started with originals. I will do a Michael Jackson medley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with Michael and with Jeff were very different experiences. Michael\u2019s shows were like huge theatrical productions with complex arrangements that were set.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you play with Jeff, he wants you to improvise. He wants you to do something different every night to fire him up. He\u2019s always trying new stuff. There\u2019s nobody like him. He just keeps getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Jennifer Batten \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Wtgep4rChFc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Scherer\/Batten — https:\/\/youtu.be\/FtOOzBFRJOk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash, which has Young Guitar All Stars opening, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

D Corridori Band<\/p><\/div>\n

Other upcoming shows at Kennett Flash are D Corridori Band CD Release Party on September 8 and \u201cInhabit: A Permaculture Perspective\u201d \u2013a free film screening on September 13.<\/p>\n

On September 7, the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will present a show featuring New Orleans-based future-funk outfit\u00a0Naughty Professor.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Naughty Professor<\/p><\/div>\n

Naughty Professor, which was formed in New Orleans in 2011, features Bill Daniel (guitar), Noah Young (bass), Sam Shahin (drums), Nick Ellman (alto and baritone saxophone), Ian Bowman (tenor saxophone) and John Culbreth (trumpet).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we played the Ardmore Music Hall last year, we had Chali 2na performing vocals with us,\u201d said Naughty Professor\u2019s Sam Shanin, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in the Crescent City.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a chance to watch us play and we got a chance to see what he could do with a live band. We were thinking of making an album with guest. We wanted to show the breadth of what we could do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided to send him some demos. Then, he came down and did some songs with us in the studio. We did some of his songs and we did some collaborations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since that time, Naughty Professor has released a new album and gone on several tours with just its core unit. The album is titled \u201cIdentity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mixed by Grammy-Award winning producer Qmillion, Naughty Professor raised the stakes on \u201cIdentity.\u201d Previous releases showcased the group\u2019s knack for self-contained instrumentals. The new disc has more collaborations.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharli 2na was just one of many guest artists we had on \u2018Identity,\u2019\u201d said Shahin. \u201cWe had a lot of great players including David Shaw of the Revivalists, Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon and Cole DeGenova. We\u2019ll have Cole playing with us on this tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naughty Professor was nominated for\u00a0\u201cBest Funk Band\u201d and \u201cBest Funk Album\u201d by Offbeat Magazine in 2016, and nominated
\n\u201cBest Funk Band\u201d by Gambit Magazine\u2019s Big Easy Award in 2015. Over the last few years, Naughty Professor has become one of NOLA\u2019s top new bands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band members met in a practice room at Loyola University in 2010,\u201d said Shahin. \u201cI replaced the original drummer in 2012 and we\u2019ve had the current line-up for the last four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a party-driven, meat-and-potatoes funk sound \u2013 from a denser jazzy side to the toe-tapping pop side of things\u2026.and maybe some avant-garde. We\u2019re trying to bridge the gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would never say we\u2019re a New Orleans-style band or that we have a neo-classic New Orleans sound. New Orleans is not a sound we\u2019re specifically trying to re-create. But, all those things go into a larger source that we pull from for inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naughty Professor has found its path and is happily following it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a pleasure having a variety of shows with different guests,\u201d said Shaun. \u201cIt\u2019s been a fun experiment. But, we still keep the core of who we are. Even when we have a guest at a show, we play a lot of songs with just the six of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Naughty Professor \u2013https:\/\/youtu.be\/RByfhpxnU0s<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at Ardmore, which also features Kung Fu, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Ardmore Music Hall are Jeff Mattson & Friends Ft. Rob Barraco (DSO), Skip Vangelas (DSO), Lisa Mackey (DSO) & Tom Barraco on September 8; Conspirator with special guests the Turkuaz Horns: Chris Brouwers & Josh Schwartz, The Indobox, Agent Zero, Tweener Sets by Ben Silver on September 9; and The Mike Stern Band featuring Mike Stern, Dennis Chambers, Randy Brecker, and Tom Kennedy on September 11.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Erin McKeown<\/p><\/div>\n

Erin McKeown has had a strong following in the Philadelphia area for years. The singer\/songwriter\/activist returns to the area on September 8 to open the fall season at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

McKeown has seen her recording career come full circle \u2013 and then some.<\/p>\n

She released her debut album \u201cMonday Morning Cold\u201d in 1999 on her own label — TVP Records. After releasing another album on TVP in 2000, McKeown recorded albums for Nettwerk Records, Righteous Babe, and Signature Sounds.<\/p>\n

In 2011, she returned to TVP for an \u201canti-holiday\u201d album. Since then, she has added four more releases to her TVP catalog \u2013 \u201cManifestra\u201d (2013), \u201cSmall Deviant Things, vol. 2 + 3\u201d (2013), \u201cAccording to Us\u201d (2016) and the \u201cMirrors Break Back\u201d EP, which was released on March 31, 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made the EP really quickly,\u201d said McKeown, during a phone interview Wednesday morning as she and her band travelled from Pittsburgh to a tour stop in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote it and recorded it in three months. I\u2019m in a songwriters group. Once a week, we get a writing project and have a week to send a song back. We use words in order that are submitted to us. I wrote the last EP with them. I wrote nine and chose the six best for the EP. The song \u2018Pretty Little Cemetery\u2019 was written with words from this project. I like limitations. I function better with limitations. They help me creatively.\u201d<\/p>\n

The darker themes and sharper-edged R&B sound of \u201cMirrors Break Back\u201d are no accident. These six songs were conceived as a meditation on self-hate and a direct response to McKeown\u2019s 2016 ode to self-confidence and identity, \u201cAccording to Us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Synths, programmed beats, and multi-tracked doo-wop background vocals add new shades of expression for McKeown as she wrestles with her worst impulses and negative thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018According to Us\u2019 was a really positive record about finding out who you are,\u201d said McKeown. \u201cWhen Trump got elected, I felt all these dark impulses. I needed to explore all my dark influences and deal with them. I think we all know things we hate about ourselves \u2013 and it\u2019s good to open that door.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to McKeown, \u201cI struggle with insecurities like anyone else. With the darker turn of politics, I decided to explore the less positive voices that exist in my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have to first acknowledge and understand how we diminish ourselves with our own thoughts before we can more effectively fight the powers that are actively trying to break us from the outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I am my own worst enemy, and I\u2019ve got to work through that so I have the foundation to help others. Even though these songs each begin in shadow, they pull towards light. It\u2019s true that mirrors break back, but not for long.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKeown is a musician, writer, and producer known internationally for her prolific disregard of stylistic boundaries. Her brash and clever electric guitar playing is something to see. Her singing voice is truly unique \u2013 clear, cool, and collected. Over the course of more than a dozen studio albums and thousands of live performances, she has developed and refined a distinct and challenging mix of American musical styles.<\/p>\n

An active voice on social justice issues and culture, McKeown was a 2011-12 Fellow at Harvard\u2019s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. Recently, she\u2019s also added radio to her resume- blogging and hosting for WNYC New York Public Radio. A former board member of the Future of Music Coalition, McKeown also works closely with Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) on immigration issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spent a lot of time writing an original musical,\u201d said McKeown. \u201cWriting a musical takes over your whole life. I\u2019ve probably already written over three albums worth of music. It was staged in fall 2016 at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about a mother and daughter who take a road trip across the country and it\u2019s set in the Obama years. I\u2019m doing the music and the lyrics and Quiara Alegria Hudes is doing book and lyrics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe learned a lot from the run in California. Now, it\u2019s being brought to New York. It\u2019s always been our goal to get it to New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

Immigration is a focus of the play — a daughter who is allowed to stay, a mother who may be forced to leave, and the unexpected cadre of American originals they meet on the way to the mother’s citizenship hearing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that our immigration system isn\u2019t working,\u201d said McKeown. \u201cIt\u2019s in the news now because of the Dreamers but it\u2019s something that is going to remain newsworthy. We need to continue honest, humane and real conversations about the people who are affected by this.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her show at Burlap and Beam, McKeown will be backed by the Cabin Project, an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The Cabin Project will also be the opening act.<\/p>\n

Video link for Erin McKeown \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/jx5qSJOWdyg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Burlap and Bean, which has The Cabin Project as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Dig<\/p><\/div>\n

On September 9, The Dig will return to Philly for a show at The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Dig is a New York City-based rock band featuring Emile Mosseri (bass\/vocals), David Baldwin (guitar\/vocals), Erick Eiser (keyboards\/guitar), and Mark Demiglio (drums).<\/p>\n

The band released its debut album \u201cElectric Toys\u201d in 2010, followed by \u201cMidnight Flowers\u201d in 2012, and two EPs \u2013 \u2018Tired Hearts\u201d and \u201cYou & I\u201d in 2013.<\/p>\n

The Dig\u2019s new album \u201cBloodshot Tokyo\u201d was released on February 3 on Roll Call Records and the foursome has been on tour to support the disc for most of this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re based in New York City and we all live in Brooklyn \u2013 in Bushwick and East Williamsburg,\u201d said Baldwin, during a phone interview last week from his New York home.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmile and I started playing in cover bands together when we were 10. Erick joined our band when we were 15. But, we started the band for real in 2008 in the city and it evolved from there. \u2018Electric Toys\u2019 was our first album.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an evolutionary start but we don\u2019t play any of those songs in our live shows any more. We still play four or five songs from \u2018Midnight Flowers.\u2019 In our shows on this tour, we\u2019re playing all the songs from \u2018Bloodshot Tokyo\u2019 except the opening intro.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the beginning, The Dig have been a classic band\u2019s band, and a true collaboration \u2014 three longtime friends, three songwriters, two singers in a true dual front man setup.<\/p>\n

\u201cSongwriting \u2013 for us, it\u2019s the most important thing,\u201d said Baldwin. \u201cOur biggest mindset is how we can get better at songwriting. We started the writing process for \u2018Bloodshot Tokyo\u2019 in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had been balancing a lot of our time between self-managing, booking tours and writing. We put touring on hold in 2014 and 2015 and wrote as many songs as we could \u2013 songs that had a cohesive vibe and a more fun element \u2013 songs that were more danceable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it in pieces and finished it last spring. We did drums at a studio in Connecticut and the overdubs at Outlier Inn in upstate New York. We did the bulk of the recording at Proper Pop in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had about 150 or so songs and ended up recording 20 of them. Whittling it down from 20 to the 11 that we used on the album was hard \u2013 especially because it\u2019s a very democratic process.<\/p>\n

\u201cSongwriting for us is very collaborative \u2013 any combination of two, three or four people working on a song. We\u2019ve gotten more and more used to each other as time goes on. When you\u2019re writing something by yourself, you still have the other guys in your brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBloodshot Tokyo\u201d is by far the liveliest album the band has made.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took our time and made sure everything was done right,\u201d said Baldwin. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ll ever take that long again. But, it worked well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is more of an element of fun to it \u2013 a little more danceability. It\u2019s more sonically adventurous \u2013 more samples and more experimentation. It feels a little bit more unique to us as a band. There\u2019s not as much moodiness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs are tighter compositionally. The changes we see in our audience reaction at these shows reflects the change in the music. There is more dancing going on \u2013 more dancing and less shoegazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Dig \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Zvl4CEANbQk<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Foundry, which also features Dan Croll, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at The Foundry are Casey Donahew on September 10, Public Service Broadcasting on September 12 and Brockhampton on September 13.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/em><\/a>) will host<\/p>\n

Tall Trees 2017 Music Fest \u201cPreview” night on September 8, and The Death of Saul, Bent Benjamins and Wake Up John on September 9.<\/p>\n

The Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/a>) will host a \u201cTheatre Organ Concert\u201d with Lew Williams on September 10.<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will have Gamma Wolf on September 8, and Dave Karaban & Ralph Pagano on September 9.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/em><\/a>) will have Iain Matthews (of Fairport Convention & Southern Comfort) and Michael Braunfeld on September 7; The Black Lillies and Jason McGovern on September 8; Janet Gardner (of Vixen) and Mantis on \u00a0September 9; and Albert Castiglia & Joanna Connor on September 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times To land the gig as lead guitarist for Michael Jackson\u2019s world tours during the height of his world-wide popularity, you had to be an amazing musician \u2013 a musician who could handle the complexities of the pop legend\u2019s arrangements. To be able to tour and record with Jeff […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[9427,6867,6518,9426,8063,8599],"class_list":["post-25735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-d-corridori-band","tag-erin-mckeown","tag-featured","tag-jennifer-batten","tag-naughty-professor","tag-the-dig"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25735"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25736,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25735\/revisions\/25736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}