{"id":38716,"date":"2022-02-24T09:11:43","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T14:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=38716"},"modified":"2022-02-24T09:11:47","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T14:11:47","slug":"on-stage-warm-up-from-the-cold-with-hot-jazz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=38716","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Warm up from the cold with hot jazz"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Matt Cappy<\/p><\/div>\n

A great way to combat a chilly evening is hot jazz \u2013 a live performance of hot jazz.<\/p>\n

This weekend, the temperature may dip into the twenties outside, but an antidote can be found inside a venue in Kennett Square on Friday night.<\/p>\n

On February 25, Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting a return performance by one of the top young trumpeters in the jazz scene \u2013 Matt Cappy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a Livestream show at the Flash in February 2021 during the pandemic,\u201d said Cappy, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Collingswood, New Jersey. \u201cNow, I\u2019m looking forward to playing for a live audience.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cappy has toured and\/or performed with a wide array of top-flight musicians including Jill Scott, Maxwell, The Roots, Kirk Franklin, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Bilal, Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Leela James, Jeff Bradshaw, Gerald Levert, Fred Hammond, Mary Mary, Yolanda Adams, The O\u2019Jays, The Moody Blues, Gerald Veasley, Marah, Slo-Mo and John Train.<\/p>\n

His first real breakthrough came when performing with Jill Scott\u2019s band but there was a lot of music in his life long before that happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom was musical,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cShe played the clarinet. My grandfather was a Methodist minister, and my grandmother played the piano in church.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he was young, his parents moved from New York to Berlin, New Jersey. In high school, Cappy played in the highly regarded Overbrook High music program in Pine Hill, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverbrook was a great music school,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cThey had state competitions in New Jersey for music bands \u2013 sort of like they do for marching bands. We placed first in the state twice when I was in school.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his senior year, Cappy received the New Jersey Governor\u2019s Award for the Arts. Next on tap was studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI majored in trumpet performance at the University of the Arts and then got a master\u2019s degree in education there in 1997,\u201d said Cappy.<\/p>\n

He began playing clubs around the Philly area and that set the stage for the jump to the next level.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in 1999, I was sitting in at a club in Philly \u2013 Wilhelmina\u2019s\u00a0on South 11th Street,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cSome of the guys from Jill Scott\u2019s band were in the club. When they heard me play, they asked me to join the band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott is a singer, songwriter, model, poet and actress who is a native of North Philadelphia and a graduate of Girls\u2019 High and Temple University. Her 2000 debut album,\u00a0\u201cWho Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1,\u201d went platinum, and the follow-ups\u00a0\u2013 \u201cBeautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2\u201d\u00a0(2004) and\u00a0\u201cThe Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3\u201d\u00a0(2007) — both achieved gold status.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Jill Scott hit, \u2018Neo Soul\u2019 didn\u2019t exist,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cThen, \u2018A Long Walk\u2019 took off in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA Long Walk,\u201d which was on Scott\u2019s debut album, was a Top 10 R&B hit in the U.S. and a Top 50 chart single in the U.K. in 2001.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight after that, she opened for Sting on his U.S. tour,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cThat got a lot of press.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cappy was off to a good start.<\/p>\n

Over the last 20 years, his talent has taken him around the world, into network TV studios, concert halls and clubs, performing and recording with musical giants like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Earth, Wind and Fire.<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not on the road, Cappy stays busy with gigs and recording sessions in New York City and Philadelphia, particularly in the \u201cNeo-Soul\u201d R&B scene centered out of Larry Gold\u2019s The Studio. His reputation as a soulful trumpet player has led to touring, performing and cutting tracks with Grammy-winning acts such as Scott, the Roots and gospel superstar Kirk Franklin.<\/p>\n

Cappy also has an impressive resume of studio work. Some of his other recording credits include work with jazz\/R&B greats such as Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Arturo Sandoval, Wallace Roney, and Stanley Clarke and Earth, Wind & Fire.<\/p>\n

He has recorded on multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning albums, including Fred Hammond\u2019s \u201cFree to Worship,\u201d and Kirk Franklin\u2019s \u201cThe Fight of My Life,\u201d which both won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album in 2008 and 2009, respectively. He also recorded on the John Legend and The Roots album\u00a0\u201cWake Up!\u201d\u00a0(Grammy Award for Best R&B Album 2011) and Alejandro Sanz\u2019s \u201cSirope\u201d (Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album 2015).<\/p>\n

\u201cI played on the song \u2018Butterflies\u2019 from Michael Jackson\u2019s \u2018Invincible\u2019 album in 2001,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cThe song was written by Jackson, Andre Harri and Marsha Ambrosius. Four years ago, Marsha sang on a track on my first album.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cappy\u2019s debut album was \u201cChurch and State,\u201d which was released in June 2017 on Ropeadope Records. It was an impressive debut.<\/p>\n

Cappy\u2019s strengths include more than just providing melodies. He is a musician with the ability to make his instrument work as a vocal part of the song \u2013 similar to British guitar legend Jeff Beck, who can make a guitar sing like no other.<\/p>\n

Ironically, both Cappy and Beck have recorded versions of the operatic classic \u201cNessun Dorma,\u201d an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini\u2019s \u201cTurandot.\u201d In both recordings, listeners can hear the instruments \u201cvocalizing\u201d Puccini\u2019s lyrics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to sing through my trumpet,\u201d said Cappy \u2013 stating the obvious.<\/p>\n

Cappy\u2019s second album \u201cTales of the Tape\u201d was released in June 2021. The name of the album is an ode to Cappy\u2019s first trumpet mentor, the late great Joe Fallon of Philadelphia’s Port Richmond section.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album, which has 10 songs, was recorded at Studio One at Drexel University and Gradwell House Recording in Haddon Heights, New Jersey,\u201d said Cappy. \u201cIt made the \u2018add new jazz\u2019 list on Spotify when it was released.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cappy\u2019s current band features Dan Rouse on keyboards, Andrew Marsh on drums, Tone Whitfield on bass and Zach Lopresti on guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be playing two sets at the Flash and my band is cooking with gas,\u201d said Cappy.<\/p>\n

Video link for Matt Cappy — https:\/\/youtu.be\/WPBrf6nAuvA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash on February 25 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.<\/p>\n

Another show this weekend at Kennett Flash will be Lili An\u0303el w\/ Dale Melton, Jeff Blount & Jonathan Whitney on February 27.<\/p>\n

The English rhyme\u00a0\u201cSomething old, something new, something borrowed, something blue\u201d dates back to at least 19th-century Lancastershire. It refers to things a bride should wear on her wedding day.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix<\/p><\/div>\n

The same rhyme could be used to describe the musical offerings at Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) provided by Erin Coburn of February 25 and Professor Louie & The Crowmatix on February 26.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething old\u201d is for Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix, a band that has been shaking things up for 22 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething new\u201d is for Erin Coburn, who hasn\u2019t even been alive for 22 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething borrowed\u201d is for classic songs that have been covered by both acts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething blue\u201d is for the blues \u2013 a staple of both acts\u2019 repertoires.<\/p>\n

Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix\u00a0began as the studio backing band for Aaron \u201cProfessor Louie\u201d Hurwitz\u2019s musical productions for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees,\u00a0The Band. Rick Danko christened him\u00a0\u201cProfessor Louie\u201d because of his work and friendship with The Band.<\/p>\n

Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix are touring in support of their new album \u201cStrike Up The Band,\u201d which was released on January 7, 2022. The album has nine songs written by Professor Louieand one co-written with Miss Marie and John Platania — songs that reflect a unique vision of relationships and thoughts about this tumultuous world and the times we live in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new CD is hitting the charts,\u201d said Hurwitz, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Woodstock, New York. \u201cIt\u2019s our 16th studio album in 22 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an all-original album \u2013 not a covers album or a concept album. L love playing new stuff because it\u2019s fresh for the band \u2013 and fans get to hear new stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such was not the case with the band\u2019s previous album release.<\/p>\n

When Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix released their previous album, the timing of the music was impeccable — Professor Louie is a master in the recording studio \u2013 but the timing of the LP\u2019s release was not so good.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiles of Blues,\u201d\u00a0the 15th release from Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix, dropped in August 2019. Plans were for the Woodstock, NY-based band to tour extensively across the United States and Canada in support of the new disc. Then, COVID-19 came along and disrupted everybody\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Miles of Blues\u2019 was our last blues record and it did well,\u201d said Hurwitz. \u201cBefore the calamity hit, we had scheduled six-to-seven months of shows. We were going to be driving across the country to South Dakota and then to western Canada for the Salmon River Blues Festival in British Columbia. We have a lot of fans in that part of North America.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, we just played the East Coast and New England for most of last year. We tried to stay three-to-four hours from home. We went down to South Carolina and North Carolina. We\u2019re just trying to keep the band going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Louie has been more than successful at keeping the band going. The blues-based group is now entering its third decade.<\/p>\n

Professor Louie\u00a0has emerged over his five decades in the music industry as the torch bearer of the true spirit of American Roots music. Seasoned live performer, prolific recording artist and versatile multi-instrumentalist (Hammond B3 organ, piano\/keyboards, accordion, vocals), Professor Louie also is an award-winning recording producer and engineer, capturing the talents of some of the world\u2019s premier musicians including\u00a0The Band.<\/p>\n

This Grammy-Nominated band usually plays 150 shows a year in the US and worldwide. They have performed at the Thunder Bay, London & Windsor Festivals in Canada, The Tondor Festival, Falcon Ridge Festival, The Sellersville Theater, BB Kings in NYC, The House of Blues in LA and The Bearsville Theater in Woodstock.<\/p>\n

Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix\u00a0have a repertoire that is steeped in rock-and-roll, blues, gospel and American roots music. They have\u00a0a huge discography that features 15 studio albums\u00a0on The Woodstock Records label.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s lineup features Professor Louie\u00a0(Keys, Accordion, Vocals), John Platania\u00a0(Guitar, Vocals), Gary Burke\u00a0(Drums), Miss Marie\u00a0(Vocals, Percussionist, Keys) and Frank Campbell\u00a0(Bass, Vocals).<\/p>\n

Professor Louie\u00a0collaborated with The Band\u00a0for more than 16 years and produced the group\u2019s three comeback albums in the 90’s \u2013 \u201cJericho.\u201d \u201cHigh on The Hog\u201d and \u201cJubilation.\u201d Louie has produced and performed with such artists as Graham Parker, Commander Cody, Guy Davis, Buckwheat Zydeco, and New Riders of The Purple Sage.<\/p>\n

Platania\u00a0is a session musician, guitarist and record producer known for his work with Van Morrison for more than 30 years. He also has performed and recorded with Chip Taylor, Randy Neuman, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Merchant, Don Mc Lean, and Judy Collins. Burke\u00a0is a drummer and percussionist with The Radio City Music Hall Orchestra He has performed with\u00a0Bob Dylan’s\u00a0The Rolling Thunder Review and recorded and toured extensively with\u00a0Joe Jackson.<\/p>\n

Miss Marie\u00a0has performed and recorded with Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and The Commander Cody Band and was an integral part of\u00a0Mercury Rev\u2019s\u00a0gold album \u201cDeserters Song.\u201d Campbell\u00a0(Bass-Vocals) was Levon Helm\u2019s\u00a0Music Director with the Woodstock All-Stars. He also has performed and recorded with\u00a0Steve Forbert.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current lineup has been the same for the last 16 years,\u201d said Louie. \u201cWe\u2019ve had the nucleus of the same five for quite a while. We\u2019re also a good recording band. So, people use us a lot when they record. They hire us to be their studio musicians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix\u00a0have established a truly international reputation.<\/p>\n

In 2007, they recorded their song \u201cMelody of Peace\u201d with the Czech Symphony in Prague that was released on the 2007 ERM Media CD \u201cHolidays of The New Era Vol.2\u201d. Professor Louie’s documentary \u201cWoodstock – Siberia Blues Express\u201d was\u00a0filmed in Russia and featured in the Woodstock Film Festival in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a good following in Russia,\u201d said Louie. \u201cWe\u2019ve toured there seven times. We\u2019ve played a lot of shows in Novosibirsk and other Siberian cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Russia and Ukraine appear to be good countries to omit from any upcoming international tour itineraries.<\/p>\n

Video link for Professor Louie & The\u00a0Crowmatix\u00a0— https:\/\/youtu.be\/nqkwgv3jzNY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s on February 26 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance (online) and $36 at the door.<\/p>\n

\"\"

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

Erin Coburn released her first album \u201cChaos Before Conformity\u201d in 2015 \u2013 when she was just 14 years old. She put out her sophomore album, \u201cQueen of Nothing\u201d in 2017 and followed with \u201cOut from Under\u201d in 2019. If she adhered to this timetable, she would have released her fourth LP in 2021 \u2013 but COVID-19 changed everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pandemic threw a wrench in things,\u201d said Coburn, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from her home in Middletown, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati).<\/p>\n

\u201cTouring wasn\u2019t happening. My former band wasn\u2019t making money from music, so they got out and found something different.<\/p>\n

\u201cI currently have a four-piece band \u2013 Kainan Shank on bass, Joseph Ivan on keyboards, Brandon Pettiford on drums and me on guitar and vocals. The bass player has been with me for six months and the keyboard player for eight months. Brandon and I have played together for four years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past few years, her fanbase has grown both nationally and worldwide \u2013 mainly via the internet. Most of her live shows have been performed in the Midwest and the Mid-South.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have played California and Portland, Oregon,\u201d said Coburn. \u201cI\u2019ve also done shows in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas \u2013 and New York once. I really haven\u2019t played in the Northeast at all \u2013 except for a show at Jamey\u2019s last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, the only other show in the Northeast on Coburn\u2019s 2022 schedule will be a return engagement at Jamey\u2019s on October 22.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing guitar since I was seven,\u201d said Coburn. \u201cI had it as a hobby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went through three guitar teachers. I was stubborn. I wanted to write songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I got a guitar teacher who understood me \u2013 John Redell. He took me to some of his gigs in the Cincinnati area and let me sit in with him. I was 11 at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that, I assembled my own band. I was also in a classic rock band and a bluegrass band. I started booking gigs for my band when I was 12. I had my first paying gig when I was 12 at an old bar and grill in Florence, Kentucky. I can\u2019t remember its name and it\u2019s not there anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded \u2018Chaos Before Conformity\u2019 when I was 13 at a recording studio in Bright, Indiana, and released it when I was 14. It was mainly blues and a little rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, blues is not a chord progression or a particular topic but just a feeling \u2013 raw feeling and emotion. I was able to portray what I was feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wide range of artists and genres have inspired Coburn throughout her musical journey — from BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the Rolling Stones to Alice In Chains, Arctic Monkeys, and Nothing But Thieves. She brings the sounds of modern rock front and center, but never forgets her heavily blues and classic rock influenced past \u2013 acts such as Royal Blood, Black Keys, Gary Clark, Jr and White Stripes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fourth album is in the works,\u201d said Coburn. \u201cThe new stuff is rock. It has a blues feeling but it sounds more rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have 24 tracks done \u2013 all digital recording. I play bass and guitar so it\u2019s just Brandon on drums and me on the album. I\u2019m hoping to release it by the end of the summer or release it all as singles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also an audio engineer. I moved to Cleveland for a while and worked at a studio called Lava Room. Now, I\u2019m back home and have my own studio here in Middletown \u2013 the Coop Studio. It\u2019s a home studio right now but I\u2019m building a full commercial studio here in the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coburn, who was nominated for the 2017 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards in the Best Blues artist category, and the 2018 Josie Awards for \u201cYoung Adult Artist of the Year\u201d award for independent artists, explained the studio\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up with chickens,\u201d said Coburn. \u201cWe had a lot of chickens at home. When I was young, I always had a chicken or a guitar in my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately for her fans, it\u2019s mostly guitar in hand now. With her latest single releases, \u201cFlip\u201d (May 2021) and \u201cThe MiSFIT\u201d (July 2020), she has shown a natural progression to a more mature sound with edgier lyrics, searing guitar solos, and a dash of humor.<\/p>\n

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

The show at Jamey\u2019s on February 25 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance (online) and $36 at the door.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Philly Gumbo<\/p><\/div>\n

Philly Gumbo has long been associated with New Orleans. The music of the Crescent City has been an integral part of the Philadelphia-based band\u2019s sound for four decades.<\/p>\n

When people think of New Orleans, they think of Mardi Gras and the wild celebrations along the city\u2019s Bourbon Street.<\/p>\n

Mardi Gras refers to events of the\u00a0Carnival\u00a0celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the\u00a0Epiphany\u00a0(Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before\u00a0Ash Wednesday, which is known as\u00a0Shrove Tuesday.\u00a0Mardi Gras\u00a0is\u00a0French\u00a0for \u201cFat Tuesday,\u201d reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual\u00a0Lenten sacrifices\u00a0and\u00a0fasting\u00a0of the\u00a0Lenten\u00a0season.<\/p>\n

Mardi Gras in New Orleans includes days of partying in the streets and bars, marching bands, parades, beads and the decadent King\u2019s Cake.<\/p>\n

Philly Gumbo always celebrates Mardi Gras in style.<\/p>\n

According to Randall Grass, one of the band\u2019s co-founders, \u201cNot everyone can make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras but not to worry — if you\u2019re in the Philadelphia area, Mardi Gras will come to you. You can celebrate New Orleans-style courtesy of Philly Gumbo, the band who pioneered Philadelphia area Mardi Gras celebrations more than three decades ago. The band will bring its unique mix of New Orleans R & B, Mardi Gras anthems, blues, funk and reggae to 118 North in Wayne on Thursday March 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cAside from the authentic NOLA party music, free Mardi Gras beads and New Orleans-themed drink specials will enhance the Mardi Gras mood. Revelers can expect to dance and sing along to such Mardi Gras anthems as \u201cIko Iko,\u201d \u201cBig Chief\u201d, \u201cBrother John\u201d, \u201cHey Pocky Way\u201d, \u201cMardi Gras Mambo\u201d and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhilly Gumbo began bringing authentic New Orleans music to area audiences in the 1980\u2019s. Indeed, the mix of music the band delivered was similar to what one would have heard at a Neville Brothers show at Tipitina\u2019s in uptown New Orleans around the same time. That\u2019s no accident as Philly Gumbo was greatly inspired by the Neville\u2019s precursor band, the fabled funk band The Meters. Early on, the band held Mardi-Gras-themed shows annually in the Mardi Gras season and an offshoot of the band, The Wild Bohemians, initiated a South Street parade tradition that has continued to this day. But the spirit of Mardi Gras is a year-round thing for Philly Gumbo — it\u2019s all about getting people up on their feet, swaying and dancing in one happy partying crowd. Costumes encouraged but not required.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show at 118 North will start on March 3 at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Referencing the date of the show (March 3 when Mardi Grass 2022 is on March 1), Grass said, \u201cMarch 3rd (yes we know it is
\ntwo days AFTER Fat Tuesday but the club wanted to do it on that date and, of course, we know that Mardi Gras is a season, not just one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The longevity of Philly\u00a0Gumbo, Philadelphia\u2019s longest-running band, is legendary.<\/p>\n

Early in 2020, Philly\u00a0Gumbo\u00a0kicked off what was to be the band\u2019s 40th\u00a0year as a performing band with a sold-out show at World Caf\u00e9 Live. Then COVID hit and live music shut down almost completely.<\/p>\n

The \u201ccore four\u201d of Randall Grass, Tim Hayes, Pete Eshelman, and Bert Harris have been together throughout the four decades with India Rex joining in 2010 and saxophonist Richard Orr, who used to sit in back in the day, joining in 2014.<\/p>\n

Philly\u00a0Gumbo\u00a0has pioneered New Orleans music \u2013 and a new tradition of Mardi Gras celebrations \u2013 in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was doing a reggae show on WXPN in 1980,\u201d said Grass, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from his home in Mount Airy. \u201cMy friend Walt Taylor was doing Top Ranking, a reggae magazine. One day, we sat around my place and did a song together and it was great. So, we formed a duo with him singing and me on piano. We started with a duo gig at Taker\u2019s Caf\u00e9 in Germantown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I was in Third Street Jazz and saw a flyer from a drummer looking for a gig playing reggae, blues and New Orleans. It was a perfect match. That drummer was Tim Hayes and soon we were a trio. Then we heard about guitarist Pete Eshelman who had been playing with the reggae group Roots Vibration. We had rotating bass players at the beginning and then Bert Harris settled in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guitarist, vocalist and harmonica player Richard Johnson rounded out the \u201cclassic\u201d line-up of the 1980\u2019s which established a decade-long Saturday night residency at fabled bohemian club Bacchanal on South Street while regularly playing legendary rock club J.C. Dobbs at the other end of South Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin the first year, we found our niche,\u201d said Grass. \u201cIt was musically great — reggae, New Orleans, blues, Memphis style music. It was a dream band for us. We love those genres, and we found a group that could play all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started, we were playing every Saturday night at Bacchanal on South Street. We did that for more than 10 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released a 12-inch single in 1984 \u2013 an original reggae tune \u2018Holy War\u2019 on one side and an obscure New Orleans tune, \u2018Mardi Gras\u2019, on the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played at clubs all around Philly \u2013 JC Dobbs, Chestnut Cabaret, Equator, Khyber Pass. And we also used to play a lot at Joe\u2019s Lounge in West Chester.\u201d<\/p>\n

None of those clubs exist anymore and Philly\u00a0Gumbo\u00a0has outlived them all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also played a lot in New York at clubs like SOBs and Tramps. We played in Washington, D.C. at Kilimanjaro Club and Musikfest in Bethlehem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philly\u00a0Gumbo\u00a0made appearances at major festivals such as The Atlantic City Summer Music Festival, Jam On The River, The West Oak Lane Jazz Festival and more followed as the band\u2019s reputation grew.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played a lot of festivals including Jambalaya Jam on Penn\u2019s Landing and Media\u2019s State Street Blues Stroll,\u201d said Grass. \u201cAs years went by, we got very selective. Before the pandemic, we were playing about one show a month.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout 10 years ago, we released the CD, \u2018Come and Get It,\u2019 featuring our current vocalist, India Rex.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Philly\u00a0Gumbo\u00a0\u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/jWQwVOSHdM0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Philly Gumbo show on March 3 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at 118 North are Yarn on February 24, Hollis Brown on February 25, and Minas on February 27.<\/p>\n

This will be a busy weekend at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, uptownwestchester.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Actually, the weekend will start early at the venue. On February 24, Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center will host a show featuring Dueling Pianos.<\/p>\n

The Friday and Saturday night concerts will be devoted to cover bands. On February 25, the stage will belong to 33 1\/3 Live\u2019s Killer Queen Experience. The show on February 26 is billed as \u201cBEATLES, ZEPPELIN, DOORS by Magical Mystery Doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The weekend will close out on a softer note with a concert on Sunday evening with the Chester County Youth Orchestra\u2019s \u201cFifth Annual Mid-Winter Pops! Concert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful: The Carol King Musical,\u201d which is running through February 27 at the Kimmel Cultural Campus Academy of Music (Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia,www.kimmelculturalcampus.org<\/a>), tells the inspiring true story of King\u2019s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.<\/p>\n

It has a book by and Tony\u00ae Award-nominee and Academy\u00ae Award-nominated writer Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni, choreography by Josh Prince, and took home two 2014 Tony\u00ae Awards and a 2015 Grammy\u00ae Award.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful: The Carole King Musical\u201d is a jukebox musical. Here are some songs that you almost certainly know \u2014 \u201cSome Kind of Wonderful,\u201d \u201cWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow?\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s Too Late,\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ve Got a Friend,\u201d and \u201cI Feel the Earth Move.\u201d<\/p>\n

All these classic hits were written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.<\/p>\n

Do you know what bond links these familiar songs \u2014 \u201cOn Broadway,\u201d \u201cMake Your Own Kind of Music,\u201d \u201cWalking in the Rain,\u201d \u201cWe Gotta Get Out of This Place\u201d and \u201cYou\u2019ve Lost That Lovin\u2019 Feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

All these classic hits were written by Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.<\/p>\n

These 10 songs and a whole lot of other all-time great pop songs are featured in the lively musical \u201cBeautiful: The Carole King Musical.\u201d.<\/p>\n

The original production of \u201cBeautiful\u201d had its world premiere at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco in October 2013. It made its Broadway debut at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in January 2014.<\/p>\n

In the national tour, Kennedy Caughell plays King, James D. Gish plays Goffin, Kathryn Boswell plays Weil and James Michael Lambert plays Mann.<\/p>\n

Audiences love Carole King\u2019s music and love to hear it played live. On top of that, they get to hear the story of the pre-\u201cTapestry\u201d Carole King. They learn a lot about a songwriter\u2019s life in that era \u2014 going to an office building like the Brill Building every day to write songs. This show is based at 1650 Broadway.<\/p>\n

On his website, rock music legend Al Kooper wrote, \u201cThe greatest writers of the early-\u201960s \u2014 Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Howie Greenfield and Neil Sedaka, Jack Keller and Helen Miller \u2014 were all signed to the same publishing company. It was called Aldon Music and it was named after its two partners Al Nevins and Don Kirshner.<\/p>\n

\u201cSongs like \u201cWill You Love Me Tomorrow,\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ve Lost That Lovin\u2019 Feelin,\u201d and \u201cUp On The Roof\u201d poured out of this genius monopoly like water from the tap. The Brill Building\u2019s finest moments were in the \u201940s and late \u201950s at best. The Brill Building was a throwback to the past and the original Tin Pan Alley.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rents were high, and so the embryonic music business minions of the early \u201960s flocked to 51st and Broadway to the renovated building with the reasonable, competitive rents known as 1650 Broadway. That\u2019s all it was called. It wasn\u2019t \u201cThe ______ Building.\u201d And while it was only 1650 Broadway, the brilliance of pop and soul music birthed there hides in revisionist anonymity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cBeautiful: The Carole King Musical\u201d \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/dNlPWEA9Wes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful: The Carol King Musical\u201d runs from February 22-27. Ticket prices start at $20.<\/p>\n

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is heading into the final weekend of its first production run of 2022 — the hit musical \u201cMama Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMamma Mia!\u201d\u00a0is based on the songs of\u00a0ABBA. Following the premiere of the musical in London in 1999,\u00a0\u201cABBA Gold\u201d\u00a0topped the charts in the United Kingdom again. This musical was the brainchild of producer\u00a0Judy Craymer.<\/p>\n

In 1997, Craymer commissioned\u00a0Catherine Johnson\u00a0to write the book for the musical. The play is about a woman who does not know which of three men is the father of her daughter, now a young woman on the eve of her wedding on a Greek island.<\/p>\n

The production at the Candlelight, which is directed and choreographed by Dann Dunn, features as Tina Delano as Sophie (the daughter) and Kaylan Wetzel as Donna (the mother) along with Candlelight veterans such as Anthony Connell as Pepper and Lindsay Mauck as Rosie.<\/p>\n

\u201cMamma Mia!\u201d is running at the Candlelight Theatre now through February 27. It will be followed by \u201cBig Fish\u201d from March 19-April 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times A great way to combat a chilly evening is hot jazz \u2013 a live performance of hot jazz. This weekend, the temperature may dip into the twenties outside, but an antidote can be found inside a venue in Kennett Square on Friday night. On February 25, Kennett Flash […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[13435,6518,10063,10844,12847],"class_list":["post-38716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-erin-coburn","tag-featured","tag-matt-cappy","tag-philly-gumbo","tag-professor-louie-the-crowmatix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38716","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=38716"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38717,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38716\/revisions\/38717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}