{"id":30429,"date":"2018-12-06T14:26:30","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T19:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30429"},"modified":"2018-12-06T14:26:37","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T19:26:37","slug":"on-stage-navarro-finds-new-voice-as-part-of-threefer-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30429","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Navarro finds new voice as part of Threefer Madness"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dan Navarro<\/p><\/div>\n

Dan Navarro became familiar to a lot of listeners not so much as a solo artist but more as one-half of the popular duo Lowen & Navarro.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lowen & Navarro was a songwriting team composed of David Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro, who met in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s.<\/span><\/p>\n

They wrote the song \u201cWe Belong,\u201d which became a major hit for Pat Benatar in 1984.\u00a0 They became active as a performing group in 1987. In 1990, they began to release a number of records of their own, including \u201cLearning to Fall\u201d and \u201cPurpose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In March 2004, Lowen was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease. Because of compromises to his playing and singing, Lowen ceased touring.<\/span><\/p>\n

The duo played its last shows in June 2009. Lowen died of complications of ALS on March 23, 2012 at the age of 60.<\/span><\/p>\n

Navarro then spent years touring on his own. But now, he is on the road performing together with other musicians again in a project called Threefer Madness \u2013 aa project that also features Bruce Sudano and Chas Sandford.<\/span><\/p>\n

On December 7, Threefer Madness will visit Chester County for a show at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little while ago, I got together with Bruce and we clicked as guys,\u201d said Navarro, during a phone interview Tuesday evening. \u201cWe talked about doing something together musically. Chas lives in Nashville and Bruce and he met down there. I go back about 30 years with Chas as casual friends. I came up with Chas in the 80s singer-songwriter scene and then lost touch with him for a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After a career spanning decades and a dozen albums with Lowen & Navarro, Navarro is releasing his first true studio-recorded solo album this spring \u2013 \u201cShed My Skin.\u201d Recorded and produced by Steve Postell, the album features Navarro (vocals, guitar, percussion) along with Postell (guitars), Jon Ossman (upright bass),\u00a0Brendan Buckley (drums),\u00a0Peter Adams\u00a0(piano),\u00a0Phil Parlapiano (accordion),\u00a0David Glaser (mandolin),\u00a0and Debra Dobkin (percussion).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was determined to write everything alone,\u201d said Navarro. \u201cIt took some adjusting after writing for 20 years in a partnership. I went in with the 12 songs we used. The 12 songs include eight originals, a few obscure covers and a standard thrown in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Navarro\u2019s career started as a songwriter \u2014 most often with\u00a0Lowen \u2014 for artists as diverse as\u00a0Pat Benatar, The Bangles,\u00a0Jackson Browne,\u00a0Dave Edmunds,\u00a0The Temptations,\u00a0Dionne Warwick,\u00a0The Triplets, Marco Borsato, and Rusty Weir.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in L.A. since high school,\u201d said Navarro. \u201cI grew up in Calexico (CA) and went to UCLA to study music. I moved to L.A. in 1969. I\u2019m 66 and I\u2019m still living here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about this run, it\u2019s not a comeback tour. It\u2019s what I do \u2013 and I keep doing it. I still have the energy to tour and do the drive. It\u2019s just me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbout 90 per cent of my shows are just me. It maximizes the finances. And, it\u2019s easier to move around. I\u2019m playing folk clubs, so I can get away with solo shows. And, I never need to rehearse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Navarro has transitioned smoothly into a busy solo career over the past decade, touring nationally almost constantly.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

He has a parallel career as a voice actor and singer in\u00a0films such as \u201cPirates of the Caribbean 5,\u201d\u00a0\u201cThe Book Of Life,\u201d \u201cRio,\u201d \u201cHappy Feet,\u201d and \u201cThe Lorax\u201d and TV work on variety of shows including \u201cFamily Guy\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cAmerican Dad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing solo work for 10 years now and I\u2019ve got it down,\u201d said Navarro. \u201cI do close to 100 dates a year. I don\u2019t see any need to retire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do have to find new things to say. Our generation has to find a way to stay relevant. To do that, you have to say something worth hearing. I\u2019m not trying to be hip \u2013 but, I want to remain relevant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bruce Sudano<\/p><\/div>\n

By the mid-1960s, Sudano was playing bass guitar in his first band Silent Souls. He spent much of his time rehearsing and was soon playing live shows at popular New York nightclubs. While playing at the The Cheetah, Sudano met Tommy James of Tommy James and the Shondells and became his prot\u00e9g\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI came from a musical family,\u201d said Sudano, during a phone interview. \u201cMy father sang, and my uncles would come over with guitars and accordions. My grandfather brought me back an accordion from his visit to Italy when I was four.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was eight, my father was taking me to the Brooklyn Fox to see the Murray The K shows with all kinds of bands. I always wanted to be a songwriter like Goffin and King or Mann and Weil.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my early teens, I put a band together and started playing clubs. I had a band through high school and college that played in clubs in the city (New York City). I was playing at The Cheetah and that\u2019s where Tommy James saw the band. We got to be friends. I\u2019d go to his apartment and we\u2019d write songs together including the hit \u2018Ball of Fire.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1968, Sudano became the keyboard player in the pop band Alive N Kickin\u2019, which he co-founded with Pepe Cardona.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tommy James along with Bob King wrote a song for the band called \u201cTighter, Tighter\u201d. James also produced the track and sang backing vocals. The song was released on Roulette Records in 1970 and went to Number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was playing a Hammond B3 with Alive N Kickin\u2019,\u201d said Sudano. \u201cAt some point in the early 70s, I left Alive N Kickin\u2019. I hit a rough spot, spiraled down and moved back to my parents\u2019 place in Brooklyn. I taught myself to play guitar and write songs. I went to L.A. with a bunch of songs and that\u2019s when Brooklyn Dreams happened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sudano formed the band Brooklyn Dreams and signed a recording deal with Millennium Records. The trio scored a hit with the single \u201cMusic, Harmony and Rhythm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In March 1977, Sudano met Donna Summer. The Brooklyn Dreams and Summer immediately began writing songs together and within a few months Sudano and Summer were dating. In 1979, Brooklyn Dreams and Summer wrote the title track \u201cBad Girls\u201d for the best selling album of Summers\u2019 career.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBrooklyn Dreams broke up in 1980 after four albums,\u201d said Sudano. \u201cThat same year, Donna and I got married. I toured with her as a backup singer for a long time. I was also writing songs for her and for films. It wasn\u2019t until 2007 that I made my first solo album. It wasn\u2019t until Donna passed away that I committed to be a solo act.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sudano has released four solo albums \u2014 the most recent of which is \u201cThe Burbank Sessions\u201d in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still inspired \u2014 still being challenged,\u201d said Sudano. \u201cI feel very vital and in the moment. I carry history but it\u2019s about being new in addition to being old. As long as you can make music that can move the listener, that\u2019s the trick.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWag More, Bark Less\u201d is the most recent album by Sandford. For the veteran artist\/songwriter\/producer\/engineer\/guitarist, it took more than 20 years for his sophomore album (\u201cWag More, Bark Less\u201d) to follow his debut \u201cParallax View.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

That album included songs that were soon covered by John Waite, Sammy Hagar, Rick Springfield and Sheila B. Devotion. When three of the songs he was writing for a planned second album turned into a #1 hit for Waite (\u201cMissing You\u201d) and Top 5 singles for both Stevie Nicks (\u201cTalk to Me\u201d) and Chicago (\u201cWhat Kind of Man Would I Be\u201d), Sandford found himself one of the most in-demand producer\/songwriters in the business.<\/span><\/p>\n

His songs have been recorded by a list that includes Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Melanie, Roger Daltrey, Millie Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Alison Krauss and David Wilcox. Sandford has also produced a wide range of artists, including Chicago, Stevie Nicks, Roger Daltrey, Rod Stewart, Berlin, Gene Loves Jezebel, House of Schock and Don Johnson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Chas Sandford<\/p><\/div>\n

Sandford now lives outside Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee and is still in demand as a writer, producer and session musician.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese Threefer Madmess shows will be fun,\u201d said Navarro. \u201cWe never played together before. We never rehearsed. We\u2019ll be playing in the round \u2013 by the seat of our pants but not sloppy. The show will feature the energy of songwriters with stories to tell. Between the three of us, we have a lot of bases covered.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Dan Navarro \u2013 <\/span>https:\/\/youtu.be\/H_uZGnqFlUc<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Bruce Sudano \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/GQCM9aqagss<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Chas sandford — https:\/\/youtu.be\/est-ImQiAKw<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Threefer Madness show with Dan Navarro, Bruce Sudano and Chas Sandford on December 7 at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a><\/span>) will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another show at Kennett Flash this weekend will be <\/span>Jackie \u201cThe Joke Man\u201d Martling <\/a><\/span>\u00a0on December 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a three-year wait, area fans of Amber Run will have the opportunity to hear the British trio perform live when the band headlines a show at The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150<\/a>, <\/span>www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a><\/span>) on December 6.<\/span><\/cite><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amber Run<\/p><\/div>\n

The indie rock band from Nottingham, England features <\/span>Joshua Keogh on vocals and guitar, Tom Sperring on bass guitar and Henry Wyeth on keyboards. Former members are Felix Arthur and Will Jones.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here in Brighton (England) rehearsing for the tour,\u201d said Keogh, during a trans-Atlantic phone interview last week.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe fly out on Sunday, have a rehearsal in New York and then start the tour in Philadelphia. This will be our first time to play in the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band has been together for about five years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoing a tour of the states has been a long time coming. We\u2019ve toured Europe several times over. It\u2019s expensive to tour the states. It\u2019s a big country. We wanted to make sure that when we did get a tour of North America that we\u2019d do it properly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Keogh, Sperring and Jones were originally friends in grammar school in Buckinghamshire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTom and I went to school together when we were young,\u201d said Keogh. \u201cThen, we went to the University of Nottingham together \u2013 and left after two years. Initially, the band was a passion project between friends. We met Henry at the university. He lives with us now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe played our first show at a bodega in Nottingham. After that, we got picked up to play the Reading Festival and the Leeds Festival. Those huge festivals were our third and fourth shows. We released our first record a year later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Amber Run\u2019s performance at the prestigious Reading Festival attracted a number of A&R men to the show. After a few weeks of negotiating, the band signed to RCA Records. The trio released three EPs on RCA in 2014 \u2013 \u201cNoah,\u201d \u201cSpark,\u201d and \u201cPilot.\u201d The band\u2019s debut album \u2013 \u201c5am\u201d \u2013 came out on RCA in April 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we put out those records on RCA, there were some promises thrown around of a stateside tour,\u201d said Keogh. \u201cIt\u2019s just happening four years later than we thought it would. We just kept going from \u20185am.\u2019 \u2018I Found,\u2019 a single from 2014, just went gold in the states.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI Found\u201d has accounted for more than 75 million of Amber Run\u2019s 130 million total streams on Spotify while \u201c5am\u201d just cleared 20 million streams. \u00a0The band now is touring in support of its latest EP \u2013 The Assembly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe EP came out seven or eight months ago,\u201d said Keogh. \u201cWe want to put an end to that cycle. Our earlier music was too self-conscious. This week, we\u2019re releasing a new single called \u2018Carousel.\u2019 It\u2019s the first thing from our new record. It\u2019s slightly harder \u2013 and it\u2019s got more motive. We have a vision of what we want.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we play live in the U.K., we need to give people new stuff. In the states, we have people who have bene listening to us for five years and never saw us yet. We want to give them a taste of everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Amber Run \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/NyY7wnGIlTQ?list=UUPLAYER_amberrunvevo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at The Foundry, which has Ellevator as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at The Foundry are Ashley McBride on December 7, Lawrence on December 8, and Code Red on December 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Polo & Pan<\/p><\/div>\n

Another area show on December 6<\/span> featuring an act from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean will take place at <\/span>Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100<\/a>,<\/span>www.utphilly.com<\/a><\/span>) when the venue hosts the Philadelphia debut of Polo & Pan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Polo & Pan is an electro-pop duo from Paris, France featuring <\/span>Paul Armand-Delille (Polo) and Alexandre Grynszpan (Pan).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our second time to come to America,\u201d said Armand-Delille, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from a tour stop in Brooklyn, New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe came over six months ago for a mini-tour on smaller stages. This is our second tour of the United States and Canada with shows in D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and New York. We go to Canada to Toronto and Vancouver. Then, we finish with shows in Seattle and Los Angeles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working together for about five years. We met at a club in Paris. We both resided there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Armand-Delille and Grynszpan first met in 2012 when they were both residents DJs at the popular Parisian club Le Baron.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together and made music a couple times,\u201d said Armand-Delille. \u201cWe had fun. We have two different complementary takes on the music we like. We enjoyed playing with each other as DJs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Armand-Delille draws a lot of his musical influence from his travels and the world music to which he was exposed. Grynszpan\u2019s roots are psychedelic music from the 60s and 70s, electronica and modern pop music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur songs are like paintings,\u201d said Armand-Delille. \u201cWe write about places and things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Polo & Pan are now introducing their debut album, \u201cCaravelle,\u201d to North American audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn the album, we wrote together hand-in-hand,\u201d said Armand-Delille. \u201cIt\u2019s a different process when we\u2019re traveling. On laptops we come up with our own ideas. We\u2019re always producing new tracks when we\u2019re traveling \u2013 especially in planes and trains when there is no internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe travel real light. We just have a mini-controller and we rent standard keyboards and turntables here in the states. We run Ableton along with Pioneer DJ gear. We also design signature instruments such as hang drums and bells and then make them digital.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Paris, we have our own studio and Hamburger Records is our own label. We do most of our mixing at Studio Saint-Germain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Polo & Pan have released two versions of \u201cCaravelle\u201d \u2013 the original in 2017 and the \u201cDeluxe\u201d version in 2018. They also have released several EPs and a lot of singles and remixes. On this tour, they\u2019ll treat fans to a little bit of everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe do some pop songs,\u201d said Armand-Delille. \u201cSome of our songs are cinematic and some are clubby. We also have quite a few exclusive edits that we\u2019re using only for this tour.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Polo & Pan \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/f5IruTV-LGQ<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Union Transfer, which has Risky Disco as the opener, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Union Transfer are York Street Hustle on December 7 and Every Time I Die on December 11.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another area show on December 6 will feature an act from another country \u2013 but not from across the Atlantic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>On Thursday night, the Tower Theater (69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 215-922-1011<\/a>, <\/span>www.thetowerphilly.com<\/a><\/span>) will host Trailer Park Boys and their touring holiday show \u2013 \u201cTrailer Park Boys \u2013 A Sunnyvale Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The full official title of the touring production is \u201cTrailer Park Boys \u2013 A Sunnyvale Christmas featuring Ricky, Julian, Bubbles and Randy\u201d and it features four of the main characters from the popular TV show which is based in Nova Scotia, Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a brand-new show this year,\u201d said Ricky, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Rochester, New York. \u201cWe\u2019ve done different holiday shows in the past but this one is all new.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty much a show with a set script but we do have some improvisation. And, we also have a lot of audience participation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s supposed to be an intimate evening with the Trailer Park Boys quickly goes off the rails when, after escaping arrest for ‘a simple misunderstanding’, the boys realize they have limited time to party before the cops inevitably track them down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under pressure to pack as much partying as possible into the evening, audiences can expect the boys to be at their drunkest, highest and greasiest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a full story,\u201d said Ricky. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to teach the true meaning of Christmas to the audience \u2013 to show that it\u2019s about friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile Ricky is trying to figure out the real meaning, Bubbles and Junior are trying to help him figure it out. It\u2019s just one evening in the boys\u2019 lives. We wrote it about a month ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing Trailer Park Boys on your televisions is easy. Seeing them perform live is a different thing altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis tour is only out for two weeks,\u201d said Ricky. \u201cWe work year-round but we only tour about four weeks a year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together for 18 years. It all started with just us getting together with a video camera doing shows.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since beginning to air on the Canadian television channel Showcase in 2001, \u201cTrailer Park Boys\u201d went on to help establish the mockumentary style comedy that became popular as the decade progressed. The original show was canceled in 2007 but has been revived in recent years thanks to Netflix and fans of the shows wanting to see their favorite dope-smoking, liquor-drinking trailer park residents and their consistently failing life choices.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am surprised it\u2019s still going,\u201d said Ricky. \u201cBut the fans want us to keep it going \u2013 and our fan base continues to grow. We\u2019ve been with Netflix for six years and that\u2019s helped the show get an even bigger audience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Trailer Park Boys — https:\/\/youtu.be\/1JDhgR-Lu9k<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Tower Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Tower Theater are Maxwell on December 8 and Ghost on December 11.<\/span><\/p>\n

On December 7, the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650<\/a>,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) is presenting a show by Rufus Wainwright. Fans heading to the show would be smart to get their early enough to catch the opening act.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rachel Eckroth<\/p><\/div>\n

The opening act is Rachel Eckroth, an accomplished jazz pianist who has branched into the rock world. She will do the opening set and then return to the stage after intermission as one of Wainwright\u2019s band members.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eckroth, who is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, has a new album and a new husband \u2013 and they\u2019re related. Her husband, who is her first husband, is Tim Lefebvre. He produced Eckroth\u2019s new album, \u201cWhen It Falls,\u201d which is here third solo album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got married a week ago,\u201d said Eckroth, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from a tour stop in Boston, Massachusetts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started working on \u2018When It Falls\u2019 a couple years ago. It took a couple years to make and it just came out in October. Basically, it was made in L.A. \u2013 at a studio in Burbank. We also did some stuff at our home studio in Calabasas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Featuring guitarists Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II, drummers Matt Chamberlain, Gary Novak and Sterling Campbell, and bassist\/producer\/husband Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie\/Tedeschi Trucks Band), the album explores sonic areas far removed from the singer\u2019s early work.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Eckroth, \u201cThe album I did before this was very jazzed out. Tim helped get me into more sonic textures and using pedals and more outside gear besides keyboards.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As a high school student, Eckroth was already performing in the Phoenix jazz scene. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a BA in Jazz Performance. Then, Eckroth moved to New York City and studied under jazz pianist Stanley Cowell at Rutgers University and got her MFA in Jazz Piano.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was in New York until the end of 2015,\u201d said Eckroth. \u201cMy dad got cancer so I moved back west. January 2016 was when all the songs started. Some songs took longer than others. Every song has its own story how it was made.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my second album with written lyrics. With my dad passing, that was a big thing. I wrote about that and also songs that were love stories, songs about going back and songs about my husband.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTim worked with David Bowie on the \u2018Blackstar\u2019 album. The day \u2018Blackstar\u2019 came out was the day my father died. Then, Bowie died two days later. All that had an effect on my songwriting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eckroth successfully made the crossover from jazz instrumentalist to rock singer-songwriter \u2013 and made it look easy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 15, I was dead set on being a jazz piano player,\u201d said Eckroth. \u201cIn my 20s, I stopped singing and focused on piano. My previous solo album \u2018Let Go\u2019 was very jazz -influenced.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I met Tim, I decided to move away from the jazz sound. When Tim and I made my new album, he had spent a year working with Bowie on \u2018Blackstar,\u2019 so he was in rock mode.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Rachel Eckroth \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/IfnIcHDGTR0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Keswick Theater, which has Rufus Wainwright as the headliner, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $39.50-$59.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Keswick are Wow in the World on December 8 at 11 a.m. and Up Close and Personal on December 8 at 8 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually, if someone is talking about a singer named Odetta, they\u2019re talking about the folk music legend Odetta Holmes, who was known by just her first name. Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil and human rights activist, often referred to as \u201cThe Voice of the Civil Rights Movement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Odetta Hartman<\/p><\/div>\n

Now, there is another popular singer on the scene named Odetta \u2013 Odetta Hartman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hartman is currently touring in support of her new album \u201cOld Rockhounds Never Die\u201d \u2013 a tour that brings her to the area for a show on December 7 at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684<\/a>, <\/span>www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Raised by pioneering parents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Hartman\u2019s childhood featured exposure to community activism,\u00a0renegade film screenings, poetry readings and trips to CBGB\u2019s. Musically, she listened to punk and rock as well as what her parents were listening to — her\u00a0dad\u2019s extensive collection of soul and Afrobeat records and her Appalachian\u00a0mother\u2019s classic country selections.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was named for the singer Odetta,\u201d said Hartman. \u201cI was also named for Odette, the white swan on \u2018Swan Lake,\u2019 which was one of my mother\u2019s favorite ballets.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up on the Lower East Side in the time when it was the end of the hippies and the beginning of punk. I also have an older brother and a younger sister who are both musicians.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was born in 1989. Growing up on Avenue A was quite a trip in the 90s. We lived in a basement under a synagogue. My parents were always playing music around the house. There was old folk music and my mom was into Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. My brother got us into hip hop culture. I also listened to a lot of classical music as well as bands like the White Stripes and the Hives. I like Mozart, but I grew up with Patti Smith, Hugh Masakela and the Temptations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It seemed inevitable that Hartman would start making music of her own.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI began writing songs in early high school,\u201d said Hartman. \u201cWhen I was in college at Bard College, I was in a fold band called the Sparrows. That was great and we made an album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I graduate, I drove around the country with a friend \u2013 Gryphon Rue, who was a musician and a magician. I was in L.A. for a little while and then moved to San Francisco. That\u2019s when I started to play banjo and made my first solo EP \u2013 \u2018Tally Marks.\u2019 That was in 2012. My next EP was \u2018Bark\u2019 in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had a big band with strings and double bass. Then, I met producer Jack Inslee. He brought a digital perspewctive. Jack showed me how easy it is to make a multi-track. He challenged me to play all my parts. He said \u2013 with Ableton, we can clone you. As a result, on my last album \u2018222,\u2019 everything was me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018222\u2019 album and \u2018Old Rockhounds Never Die\u2019 are related. \u2018Rockhounds\u2019 is a little more self-assured because we were inventinbg a klanguage on \u2018222.\u2019 The songs on the new album are bigger and bolder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019m excited to get back on the road. I\u2019m touring the Northeast. I\u2019ll do a few more shows in the states after the Christmas break and then I\u2019m doing a six-week tour of Europe. After that, I\u2019ll be heading to California for some shows in mid-March.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the shows I\u2019m doing now, I don\u2019t have a band. Alex Friedman, an old friend from college, is playing drums for me \u2013 and triggering samples. It\u2019s a fun show.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Odetta Hartman \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2k_Q3hATUSU<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which also features The Ballroom Thieves, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue in Fishtown are Justus Proffit & Jay Som on December 6, The End of America & Friends – Holiday Show on December 8, and The Spirit of The Beehive<\/span>on<\/a><\/span> December 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Holy Knives<\/p><\/div>\n

The Holy Knives are a relatively new band, but they already have found one of the secrets to making great records \u2013 recording their music at Sonic Ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band, which is performing on December 7 at Ortlieb\u2019s<\/cite> (847 North Third Street, Philadelphia, 267- 324-3342<\/a>), recorded its debut EP \u2013 \u201cRitual Bloom\u201d \u2013 and its recently-released debut album \u2013 \u201cYear of the Black Dog\u201d \u2013 at Sonic Ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sonic Ranch, in the border town of Tornillo, Texas, is the world’s largest residential recording studio complex. There are five world-class studios designed on a 1,700-acre pecan orchard which borders the Rio Grande and Mexico. Located 30 miles east of El Paso, Texas, the complex has five houses on the property where artists stay while recording.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Holy Knives is the sonic vision of brothers Kyle and Kody Valentine, a band that infuses the sultry sounds of rock and roll with a tinge of desert psychedelia. Born and raised in New Orleans and now residing in San Antonio, The Holy Knives released their debut EP in May and followed with their first album in October. Both discs were recorded at Sonic Ranch with Latin Grammy-nominated producer Manuel Calderon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Holy Knives officially came together in December 2017,\u201d said Kody Valentine, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. \u201cWhen we made the EP, it was just my brother, me and our producer Manuel Calderon. He goes by the name Commanche Sound and is a member of the band the Chamanas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSonic Ranch was a great studio to use because our music has the feel of the southwest — and a psychedlic vibe. The sound we want to pursue is desert dream rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously, we were in a band called the Levees. That was a preamble to what the Holy Knives became. At first, we didn\u2019t know what we wanted to do. We just knew that we wanted to change our sound.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Holy Knives took their name from\u00a0a combination of two of their favorite works of art, the film\u00a0\u201cThe Holy Mountain\u201d by\u00a0Alejandro Jodorowsky and the poetry book \u201cThe\u00a0Singing Knives\u201d\u00a0by Frank Stanford. Both of these works, while of\u00a0different\u00a0mediums, conjure a flood of beautiful, thought-provoking\u00a0imagery, as well as share a fearlessness and a quest for truth through\u00a0the\u00a0irrational that The Holy Knives strives to capture in their music.<\/span><\/p>\n

Drawing musical inspiration from acts such as Timber Timbre, Arctic\u00a0Monkeys, Beach House, and Portishead, The Holy\u00a0Knives\u2019 could be imagined\u00a0performing at the Bang Bang Bar from\u00a0Twin Peaks\u00a0or playing in a\u00a0True\u00a0Detective\u00a0episode. Their\u00a0belief is that music is a sacred weapon\u00a0you can use to ward off the march of reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYear of the Black Dog\u201d\u00a0was recorded with Calderon, who helped shape their desert dreamscapes –\u00a0a mood-driven album with a western\u00a0heart. The atmosphere creates a surreal backdrop to Kody\u2019s\u00a0self-exploratory lyrics. When this album was being\u00a0written, there was no\u00a0thematic center for its ideas. Instead, it could be thought of as something\u00a0more like a\u00a0journal, a deep dive into themselves — a collection of cathartic\u00a0confessionals that serves as\u00a0their first self-portrait.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe music really started to change when we met Manuel,\u201d said Valentine. \u201cHe wrote a lot of the drum parts and the bass parts. We also did a lot of pre-production for the album with him at Sonic Ranch in one of the smaller houses. We came up with the foundation there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKyle and I will write tons of ideas \u2013 guitar and vocals \u2013 and bring them to Manuel in very raw form. Then, we\u2019ll start adding more and building up the songs. We wrote close to 100 songs for the album, produced about 30 and then finally picked the 10 songs for the album.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Valentine brothers, \u201cThis collection of songs has been an undercurrent in both the writing of our EP and our album. Each of these pieces holds a unique place in our ears\u2019 hearts, and all of them in their own way had a place in shaping the emotions and soundscapes of the music we have been fortunate to create this year. Some of these songs accompanied us on the road, while others kept us inspired during our writing time. We hope that you can hear how these songs have played a part in making our music what it is, as well as discover something new to inspire you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the Holy Knives are introducing the album to live audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe play seven tracks from the album in our show on this tour,\u201d said Valentine. \u201cWe also play one song from the EP \u2013 \u2018Every Day.\u2019 The set list is a good representation of where we are right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Holy Knives \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/T4KwSWI0r4s<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Ortlieb\u2019s<\/cite>, which also features Dirty Dollhouse \/ Rachel Andie and the V Element, will start at<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Ortlieb\u2019s are Cult Leader, Primitive Weapons and God Mother on December 6, Ali Awan, Jimmy Scantron and Kirby & the VibeTribe on December 8, and Grace Vonderkuhn, Holy Roller, These Wild Plains, and Dominy on December 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043<\/a>, <\/span>www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a><\/span>) will host Porter & Sayles on December 7.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a><\/span>) will host Bernard Sarkissian and Tamara Sheen on December 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a><\/span>) will present Max Weinberg\u2019s Jukebox<\/span><\/p>\n

with special guest Hey Joe on December 6, DJ Logic & Friends on December 7, Patterson Hood with special guest Chris Kasper on December 8, and Powerglove with special guests Lor and Gnarbot on December 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808<\/a>,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) is hosting Cheryl Wheeler & Patty Larkin on December 7, The Ventures on December 8, The Cowsills Family Christmas on December 9, The Davisson Brother Band on December 9, and John Flynn on December 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House <\/span>(818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577<\/a>, <\/span>www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a><\/span>) will present \u201cA Charlie Brown Christmas\u201d on December 8, \u00a0\u201cCarols in Color\u201d on December 9, and the Brach Boys\u2019 \u201cReason for the Season Christmas Tour\u201d on December 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481<\/a>, sonapub.com<\/a>) will have Doug Paisley with special guest Rosali on December 6, Ellis Paul with special guest Lili Anel on December 7, and Wesley Stace with special guest Taylor Barton & GE Smith on December 8.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Entertainment Editor, The Times Dan Navarro became familiar to a lot of listeners not so much as a solo artist but more as one-half of the popular duo Lowen & Navarro. Lowen & Navarro was a songwriting team composed of David Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro, who met in Los Angeles, California, in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[10809,7474,10807,10136,6518,10813,10810,10812,10814,10808,10811],"class_list":["post-30429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-amber-run","tag-bruce-sudano","tag-chas-sandford","tag-dan-navarro","tag-featured","tag-odetta-hartman","tag-polo-pan","tag-rachel-eckroth","tag-the-holy-knives","tag-threefer-madness","tag-trailer-park-boys"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30429","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=30429"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30430,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30429\/revisions\/30430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}