{"id":39516,"date":"2022-07-07T10:25:07","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T14:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=39516"},"modified":"2022-07-07T10:25:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T14:25:12","slug":"on-stage-willie-nile-still-rockin-after-four-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=39516","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Willie Nile still rockin’ after four decades"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Willie Nile<\/p><\/div>\n

Just over a year ago, Willie\u00a0Nile\u00a0— much to his delight — started playing live shows for live audiences again after a year-and-a-half of pandemic restrictions.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Nile came to the area for a concert in May at the Ardmore Music Hall and then returned in November for a show at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne,\u00a0www.118northwayne.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

This weekend, he is leaving Manhattan for another show in this area \u2013 a date on July 9 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Things in the world of rock music have a way of coming full circle.<\/p>\n

In 1980, Nile was doing support gigs for his debut album, \u201cWillie Nile.\u201d That same year, The Who were touring the world in support of their most recent album, \u201cWho Are You.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the personal request of The Who\u2019s guitarist Pete Townshend, Nile was invited to be the opening for the \u201cSecond North American Leg\u201d of the British band\u2019s world tour. <\/p>\n

On May 28 this year, The Who were performing at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York as part of \u201cThe Who Hits Back\u201d tour. Once again, they enlisted Nile\u2019s services as the opening act for a concert featuring the two older and (maybe) wiser legendary acts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a great night,\u201d said Nile, during a phone interview Monday afternoon while visiting his 104-year-old dad in Buffalo, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Who sounded great. Pete\u2019s guitar work was great, and Roger\u2019s vocals were powerful. They still put on a great show.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show in May was also a \u201cfull circle\u201d event for The Who.<\/p>\n

The show marked The Who\u2019s return to the Woodstock site nearly 53 years after they performed at the famous gathering in Bethel, Sullivan County. That night, they started the show in darkness, played a few numbers and then played \u201cTommy\u201d in its entirety as the sun rose behind the stage. It was and still is one of their most iconic concerts.<\/p>\n

Nile, who turned 74 last month, is still rocking hard and still playing a lot of live shows \u2013 including a date at City Winery in Philadelphia on November 11.<\/p>\n

Nile has also done a couple shows with his old friend Bruce Springsteen as well as a couple Bob Dylan Celebration shows — Bob\u2019s birthday celebrations at City Winery in New York City and the Dylan Festival in Warwick, NY. The Dylan shows were a natural fit for Nile who released an album of Dylan songs \u2013 \u201cPositively Bob\u201d in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done the Dylan Festival in Warwick two times,\u201d said Nile. \u201cI played Dylan songs and some of my own. When Dylan turned 75, I got a phone call from City Winery in New York. They asked me to close the show with four songs. I played \u2018Hard Rain Gonna Fall,\u2019 \u2018Love Minus Zero,\u2019 \u2018Rainy Day Woman,\u2019 and \u2018You Ain\u2019t Goin\u2019 Nowhere.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young and first went to New York to play, I never thought about doing cover songs. With my Dylan album, I decided to do songs and put them out there. I made the album in two days. All the vocals were live. I recorded the album at His House Studio which is owned by Spin Doctors\u2019 drummer Aaron Comess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nile is a rocker who loves to perform live.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing a lot since March 2021,\u201d said\u00a0Nile.\u00a0\u201cWe started playing in April in New York and did a Midwest tour in the middle of October.\u00a0People are coming out. Not as much as normal but we\u2019re still playing to good audiences.<\/p>\n

Nile\u00a0has tapped\u00a0into his own lockdown experience as a source of inspiration for the set of haunting new songs that comprise his emotion-charged latest album, \u201cThe Day the Earth Stood Still.\u201d The album was inspired by the sight of\u00a0Nile\u2019s beloved hometown temporarily turned into a desolate ghost town, thanks to COVID-19 safety precautions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor more than a year, New York\u00a0was\u00a0like a ghost town,\u201d said\u00a0Nile, \u201cI have a storage space near the Holland Tunnel, and normally on a Friday night at rush hour, it can take an hour to move five blocks.\u00a0One night\u00a0at 6 p.m., I was on Varick Street. I looked in both directions and there wasn\u2019t a car in sight. I could have laid down in the middle of the street without anyone noticing. It was like a science fiction movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nile\u2019s debut album, \u201cWillie\u00a0Nile,\u201d was released by Arista Records in early 1980 to critical praise. Now, more than 40 years later,\u00a0Nile\u00a0is still going strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018The Day the Earth Stood Still\u2019 in January 2021,\u201d said Nile. \u201cWe all wore\u00a0masks the whole time and did our best to keep things safe.\u00a0In the studio, if someone was singing in a room, we couldn\u2019t go in until an hour after they finished singing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole band, except me, had actually caught COVID on our last gig before the pandemic hit — February 29, 2020 at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Everyone recovered and, for some reason, I never got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Co-produced by\u00a0Nile\u00a0and Grammy-winner and longtime collaborator\u00a0Stewart Lerman\u00a0(Elvis Costello\/Patti Smith\/Norah Jones), the album features such timely compositions as \u201cSanctuary,\u201d \u201cExpect Change\u201d \u201cWay of the Heart,\u201d \u201cOff My Medication\u201d and \u201cWhere There\u2019s a Willie There\u2019s a Way,\u201d \u201cBlood on Your Hands,\u201d and \u201cThe Justice Bell\u201d (which was inspired by\u00a0Nile\u2019s encounter with civil\u00a0rights icon and U.S. Congressman John Lewis).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album in New Jersey at the same studio we\u2019ve used several times in the past — Hobo Sound in Weehawken,\u201d said\u00a0Nile, who plays acoustic and electric guitars and piano.\u00a0We cut it in January. We spent three days doing the basic tracks and a few days doing overdubbing. \u2018The Day the Earth Stood Still\u2019 is not a concept album, but it is clearly inspired by New York in the pandemic\u00a0shutdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Willie Nile — https:\/\/youtu.be\/LCM1QyWM-3M<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Rogers & Butler<\/p><\/div>\n

The opening act Saturday at the Sellersville Theater will be the duo of veteran songwriters \u2013 Rogers & Butler.<\/p>\n

Ed Rogers, a British native, has released more than 10 albums \u2013 including two with his group Bedsit Poets, a Folk\/Brit-inspired trio whose name was given to them by The Zombies\u2019 Colin Blunstone.<\/p>\n

Steve Butler is a founding member of Smash Palace, a band from South Jersey that formed in 1985 and signed with Epic Records. Record company troubles resulted in the group becoming inactive within two years. In 1999, Butler and Greg DiDonato, another member from the formative days brought the band back to life.<\/p>\n

Since then, Smash Palace has released 13 albums while going through a number of personnel changes. The current line-up features Stephen Butler, David Uosikkinen, Wally Smith, Cliff Hillis and Greg Maragos.<\/p>\n

Rogers\u00a0released his seventh solo album,\u00a0\u201cTV Generation\u201d (Zip\u00a0Records) in 2017. In the gritty tradition of\u00a0Nick Cave, Kevin Ayers\u00a0and\u00a0Ray Davies,\u00a0\u201cTV Generation\u201d\u00a0pairs Rogers\u2019 authentic and reflective lyricism with his powerful melodic voice creating an album that is grounded in Britpop and Britfolk. \u00a0He was joined in the studio by several talented musicians including the album’s producer\u00a0Don Piper, James Mastro,\u00a0Sal Maida,\u00a0Dennis Diken,\u00a0Geoff Blythe, Marty Willson-Piper, and \u00a0Jane Scarpantoni.<\/p>\n

Born in Birmingham, England where he spent the first 12 years of his life, Rogers moved to New York City just as the British Invasion began in the States. He started his career behind the drum kit, which he played in several garage bands. When a subway accident in October 1985 left him without his right arm and right leg below the knee, he turned to songwriting. As he developed his writing talents, Edward found he enjoyed singing and writing more rewarding than playing drums.<\/p>\n

Rogers released his eighth solo album,\u00a0\u201cCatch A Cloud\u201d in June 2021.\u00a0\u201cCatch A Cloud\u201d\u00a0is a soul-searching, stripped-down personal statement, a trippy swirl of music and ideas, observations of what was going on around him at the time, which influenced both the music and the lyrics of the songs.<\/p>\n

The two music vets decided to collaborate about six years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wrote our first song together back around 2016 at the Cutting Room in New York City,\u201d said Butler, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his studio in Rancocas Valley, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that Ed, being English born, is more an Anglophile. I\u2019m more West Coast with influences like the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rogers said, \u201cSteve is a classically trained guitarist. He told me that I reminded him of Duncan Browne. We\u2019re both lovers of 60s and 70s British rock. We\u2019re inspired to write as close as we can to the Ray Davies neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

After releasing a well-received, four-song EP,\u00a0\u201cDiana Dors,\u201d\u00a0Rogers & Butler\u00a0released its first full-length album,\u00a0\u201cPoets &\u00a0Sinners,\u201d\u00a0on Zip Records. \u201cCatch A Cloud\u201d\u00a0was originally scheduled for release in 2020, but Rogers decided to put the album on hold in order to release \u201cPoets & Sinners,\u201d the debut from Rogers & Butler in anticipation of tour dates with The Zombies in Europe.\u00a0The CD\u00a0was released in June 2020, but for obvious reasons, all live dates were postponed.<\/p>\n

Smash Palace released its 13th album, \u201c21,\u201d with 10 rock n roll songs designed to be the soundtrack for the summer of 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Smash Palace, we did an album last year,\u201d said Butler. \u201cBut for now, my full energy is on Rogers & Butler. Ed and I have been writing a lot. We\u2019re very prolific. We just crank out the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rogers & Butler\u2019 new album, \u201cBrighter Day,\u201d was released June 24 on TLAK Music and came in at #29 on the NACC Radio 200 Adds Chart. The album also picked up official adds from some great stations including KTCU, WTCC, KSYM, WCNI, WFWM, KGAR, and WODU along with New Jersey stations WGLS and WLFR.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrighter Day\u201d\u00a0draws primarily upon the timeless sounds of sixties and seventies pop with echoes of the\u00a0Kinks,\u00a0Mott the Hoople\u00a0and early\u00a0Tom Petty\u00a0merged with more subtle references to\u00a0folk,\u00a0country\u00a0and\u00a0English music hall. While dark emotional concerns emerge via\u00a0Lou Reed style observations and laments alongside\u00a0Dylan\u2019s \u201cBlood on the Tracks,\u201d\u00a0the overriding vibe is one of near boundless optimism and a fashioning of romance and beauty from even the most prosaic elements of life.<\/p>\n

Highlights include the\u00a0Big Star\u00a0meets\u00a0Ray Davis\u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s get Up!,\u201d message of opener \u201cBrighter Day’\u201d contrasting with the melancholic,\u00a0Colin Blunstone-besotted, elegant piano and strings heartbreak ballad \u201cLast Reply.\u201d \u201cThe Sun Won’t Shine’ contains glimmers of\u00a0\u201cAll Things Must Pass\u201d\u00a0era\u00a0George Harrison, while the nostalgically tinged tin-and-tambourine, acoustic thump and tumble of \u201cOh Romeo\u201d keeps good company with\u00a0Ronnie Lane\u2019s Slim Chance\u00a0through close harmony and wry lyrical sympathy. The\u00a0Duncan Browne\u00a0stylings of \u201cCabaret\u201d takes listeners into a baroquely pensive club world, and the album takes its leave with the climactic \u201cA Brand New Day Tomorrow,\u201d which has a heavy Flamin\u2019\u00a0Groovies vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album in New York City \u2013 at Greenpoint Recording in Brooklyn,\u201d said Rogers. \u201cOur producer Don Piper put it all together. We pitched 10 labels, got three offers and signed with TLAK. They are great to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, \u2018TLAK,\u2019 which is an acronym for \u201cThink Like A Key,\u201d means \u201cpressure\u201d in the Czech language.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we made the album, we kept all the options on the table,\u201d said Butler. \u201cWe had a solid unit in the studio and made the album in two days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sent the material to the players and then got together for two rehearsals \u2013 three hours each. We got in the studio and did all the songs in two or three takes. Then, Don (Piper) put his magic on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s fans will hear a lot of new material this weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing mostly new songs in our live set,\u201d said Rogers. \u201cThis is a good thing. We\u2019re used to opening for bigger bands so we know how to play short compact sets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Rogers & Butler — https:\/\/youtu.be\/inKowrQOX6g<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The attractive twin-bill at Sellersville Theater on July 9 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25.<\/p>\n

There are many reasons to make the trip to Sellersville this weekend.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Eilen Jewell<\/p><\/div>\n

Because of the pandemic, it\u2019s been several years since Eilen Jewell played shows in this area. Fortunately for her fans, she is coming back this weekend \u2013 for a pair of concerts.<\/p>\n

Jewell will perform on July 8 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) and then will travel one hour south for a show on July 9 at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Jewell\u2019s most recent album is called \u201cGypsy\u201d and it fits.<\/p>\n

Jewell grew up in Idaho and remained there until it was time to leave for college. Since then, she has lived in the Southwest in Santa Fe, New Mexico and on the East Coast in Boston. Jewell has also travelled all across America in her 14 years as a performing musician.<\/p>\n

Her gypsy days were curtailed by the pandemic \u2013 but now she is back in action.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy new album is coming along really great,\u201d said Jewell, during a phone interview Tuesday night backstage at the Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan as she was waiting for the opening act to finish.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just recorded it about two weeks ago. I\u2019m going to move into pre-production after we get back from the road. Hopefully, we\u2019ll release it early next year \u2013 January or February.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at Audio Lab Studio in Boise. That\u2019s where I\u2019ve done my last few records including \u2018Sundown Over Ghost Town\u2019 and \u2018Gypsy.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we finish this tour, I\u2019m going to fly to Nashville to do some work on the album starting August 1. I\u2019m going there to work with Will Kimbrough. He\u2019s going to be producing the record and doing some post-production work with musicians from Nashville.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t played much with other musicians. Most of the time, it\u2019s been insular. So, this will be a new experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Jewell began piano lessons at the age of seven and picked up the guitar when she was 14. She also fell under the powerful spell of\u00a0Bessie Smith\u00a0and\u00a0Billie Holiday while, at the same time, discovering other artists like\u00a0Bob Dylan\u00a0and\u00a0Howlin\u2019 Wolf.<\/p>\n

While attending St. John\u2019s College in Santa Fe, she began playing the local farmers\u2019 markets and bars. She moved to Los Angeles, then relocated all the way across the country in early 2003 to western Massachusetts, and later in the year she moved to Boston, where she threw herself into the vigorous local music scene.<\/p>\n

Jewell recorded a live demo album in 2005 called\u00a0\u201cNowhere in No Time\u201d\u00a0and put out the self-released studio project\u00a0\u201cBoundary Country\u201d\u00a0a year later. The positive response to\u00a0Boundary Country\u00a0led to Jewell signing with Signature Sounds.<\/p>\n

Since then, she has released \u201cSea of Tears,\u201d \u201cLetters from Sinners & Strangers,\u201d \u201cQueen of the Minor Key,\u201d \u201cSundown Over Ghost Town,\u201d and \u201cGypsy.\u201d Other releases have been \u201cDown Hearted Blues,\u201d an album of vintage blues covers; a live double-album \u201cLive at the Narrows,\u201d; and \u201cButcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe moved back to Boise in 2012,\u201d said Jewell. \u201cWe were back in Idaho for two years and then had our daughter, Mavis. My ex-husband Jason Beek is our drummer. Now, Mavis is eight and she\u2019s on the road with us for this tour. She really likes travelling \u2013 just like her parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jewell is touring with a band that also features Jerry Miller (not Moby Grape guitarist Jerry Miller) on guitar, Matt Murphy on bass, \u201cShakey Dave\u201d Manion on pedal steel and Steve Fulton on guitar. Fulton, who is co-owner of Audiolab, was the engineer on \u201cGypsy\u201d and will be the opening act at both of Jewell\u2019s area shows.<\/p>\n

Jewell\u2019s first album of original material since 2015, \u201cGypsy\u201d expanded brief moments of joy into lifetimes and distilled epic sentiments and persistent doubts into succinct songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be doing some stuff from \u2018Gypsy\u2019 on this tour and three new songs,\u201d said Jewell. \u201cWe\u2019re doing stuff from all my albums \u2013 three from each. It\u2019s kind of a mix of all my stuff. I have so many albums now \u2013 seven plus a live album and a Loretta Lynn tribute. It\u2019s a mix. It\u2019s Americana and Americana is a mix.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the songs on \u2018Gypsy\u2019 were in the works for many years \u2013 even 10 years for some of them. I\u2019d write a little and then come back. It was the same with the new album which was written during the pandemic. The idea for almost all the songs happened during the pandemic. I wrote a lot but not a lot were songs. I sort of sketch things and come up with ideas for songs<\/p>\n

Video link for Eilen Jewell \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/beN3Isqxgyk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville will start at 8 p.m. on July 8. Tickets start at $22.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Acoustic Alchemy on July 7, Asia on July 10, Esm\u00e9 Patterson\u00a0on July 12 and Mr. Sun on July 13.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash on July 9 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.<\/p>\n

Another upcoming show at Kennett Flash is Garden Station on July 8.<\/p>\n

Fans of blues music have a lot to get excited about over the next few days including visits by two artists from the prestigious blues label \u2013 Alligator Records.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Selwyn Birchwood<\/p><\/div>\n

Selwyn Birchwood will have a Chester County date on July 7 at The Sound Bank (119 South Main Street, Phoenixville, www.soundbankphx.com<\/a>). A few days later, the talented guitarist will be in Lancaster as one of the featured acts at the Lancaster Roots and Blues 2022 (lancasterrootsandblues.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Birchwood will perform at 5:30 p.m. on July 9 at Marriott Hotel and Lancaster Convention Center – Main Stage Freedom Hall (25 South Queen Street, Lancaster). At 7:30 p.m., he will be followed by another Alligator Records artists \u2013 Toronzo Cannon.<\/p>\n

With his fiery guitar and lap steel playing, his trailblazing, instantly memorable songs and gritty, unvarnished vocals, Birchwood is among the most extraordinary young stars in the blues. His deep familiarity with blues tradition allows him to bust the genre wide open, adding new sounds, colors and textures, all delivered with a revival tent preacher\u2019s fervor and a natural storyteller\u2019s charisma.<\/p>\n

His latest album is \u201cLiving In A Burning House,\u201d which was released last year on Alligator Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album won two Blues Music Awards,\u201d said Birchwood, during a phone interview last week from his home in Tampa, Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got the award for \u2018Contemporary Blues Album\u2019 and for \u2018Song of the Year\u2019 and my band member Reggi Oliver got one for \u2018Best Horn Player.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished making the album in December 2019. It was set to be released in May 2020. Obviously, 2020 had different plans. It finally came out in January 2021. I was ecstatic with the reception it got.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like all musicians, Birchwood had to adapt to life during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a culture shock to be home,\u201d said Birchwood, who lives in Tampa, Florida. \u201cIn ordinary times, I\u2019m never home. I\u2019m really glad to be on the road again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released the new album in 2021. Even with so much uncertainty, we decided to put it out. We did two shows in January 2021 when the album came out \u2013 shows with social distancing. We didn\u2019t do any concerts outside the state until mid-2021.\u00a0Now, we\u2019ve got overseas stuff including festivals in Europe and blues cruises.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy to be back movin\u2019 and shakin\u2019. We\u2019re doing shorter toiurs because of the landsapes of venues. There is still some uncertyainty. It\u2019s a different landscape since 2020. But people seem ready to come listening. Because of COVID, we still have a lot of cities that haven\u2019t heard the new album live.\u201d<\/p>\n

For\u00a0\u201cLiving In A Burning House,\u201d Birchwood wrote and arranged 13 new songs, and brought in famed Grammy Award-winning musician\/producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) to produce. From the rocking opener\u00a0\u201cI\u2019d Climb Mountains\u201d\u00a0to the sweet soul of\u00a0\u201cShe\u2019s A Dime\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cOne More Time\u201d to the hair-raising\u00a0\u201cRevelation,\u201d \u201cLiving In A Burning House\u201d\u00a0features some of the most vividly striking writing on today\u2019s blues scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, I\u2019m really trying to straddle the line between contemporary and traditional,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to find my own stuff. I think people would be hard-pressed to name another band like us. When I\u2019m asked to describe my music, I use four words \u2013 electric swamp funk blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut,\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Call No Ambulance,\u201d Birchwood has made a meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages.<\/p>\n

That album received the Blues Music Award and\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0Critics\u2019 Award for \u201cBest Debut Album of 2014,\u201d and Birchwood won the 2015\u00a0\u201cBlues Blast\u00a0Rising Star Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood\u2019s follow-up was \u201cPick Your Poison\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n

Birchwood wrote and produced all 13 songs on his latest album \u201cPick Your Poison,\u201d which was released in 2017 on Alligator Records. The album is a testament to Birchwood\u2019s overflowing talents as a blues master \u2013 despite his young age of 36.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 album was nominated for two Blues Music Awards,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cWe started making \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 in May of 2106.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a real challenge for us to get in the studio because our tour schedule was so crazy. I had to do it two or three days at a time. I didn\u2019t finish it until December. We did it at Phat Planet Studio in Orlando. It\u2019s a great studio with a lot of great gear.<\/p>\n

Birchwood is one of the top acts to emerge in the world of blues music in recent years. In 2013, he won the world-renowned International Blues Challenge \u2014 beating out 125 other musicians from the U.S. and abroad.<\/p>\n

He also took home the Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award. After that, it didn\u2019t take long for Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer to offer Birchwood a contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cBruce heard me play at IBC (International Blues Challenge) in Memphis,\u201d said Birchwood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave him some of my tracks to listen to. I was just hoping to get his opinion on them. Instead, he asked me to make an album for his record label.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood was born in 1985 in Orlando, Florida. He first grabbed a guitar at age 13 and soon became proficient at mimicking what he heard on the radio. But the popular grunge rock, hip-hop and metal of the 1990s didn\u2019t move him, and he quickly grew bored.<\/p>\n

Then he heard Jimi Hendrix. By the time he was 17, Birchwood was deep into the blues \u2014 listening to Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Lightnin\u2019 Hopkins and especially Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, I decided I wanted to play an instrument and landed on guitar,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI was bored with just hearing the stuff on the radio in the late 90s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time, I was blown away. It was like a spaceship landed. Then, I started listening to Hendrix\u2019 roots \u2014 Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuddy Guy was one of my favorites. He was coming on tour to the House of Blues in Orlando when I was 17 and living there. I went to his show and was completely floored. I said — what I\u2019m feeling coming off this stage is what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Selwyn\u00a0Birchwood — https:\/\/youtu.be\/NcxdptrFQCc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not long after he released his Alligator Records debut, \u201cThe Chicago Way<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0Toronzo\u00a0Cannon established his reputation as one the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades.<\/p>\n

Cannon has etched that reputation in stone with his second Alligator album, \u201cThe Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp,\u201d which was released on September 20, 2019. The songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist establishes a standard by fusing his original, keenly-detailed tales of everyday life with his muscular guitar playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chicago Way\u201d was a hard act to follow. The album was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2017 as \u201cAlbum of the Year.\u201d Cannon and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer won the 2016 Living Blues Award for \u201cProducer of The Year — New Recording\u201d for \u201cThe Chicago Way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBruce produced the new album too,\u201d said Cannon, during a recent phone interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a little more influence on the production this time. I was more comfortable in the studio \u2013 and I had a lot more ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many of today\u2019s newer musicians, Cannon also has a \u201cday job.\u201d His primary source\u00a0 of income is as a bus driver for\u00a0Chicago Transit Authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe things I see while driving my bus are inspiration for songs,\u201d said Cannon. \u201cThe whole CD was written on the bus. I get a lot of ideas when I’m driving. I\u2019ve looked back and seen people shooting up heroin in the back of the bus. I\u2019ve had grandmothers fighting on my bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Real-life situations are great topics for songwriters. Cannon has had the benefit of sitting in a front row seat for years and having the ability of transforming what he sees into stellar blues tracks.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe being from Chicago and seeing what I see every day exposes me to a lot of tax brackets,\u201d said Cannon. \u201cI talk to people. I don\u2019t know who you are, but you tell me. The other day, I had to coax a guy off my bus in a tough section and then a few minutes later, I\u2019m driving on the \u2018Magnificent Mile,\u2019 which is one of the richest areas in Chicago. My bus goes through a LOT of tax brackets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost every day, Cannon is in a great \u2013 and constantly moving \u2013 position to be an observer of life in a big American city.<\/p>\n

According to Cannon, \u201cIt\u2019s not about the solos. It\u2019s about the songs. People get used to everyday life, so it\u2019s easy to miss the things around them. I write about those things. I know the problems of Chicago — the hardship — because we\u2019re always a scapegoat. But I choose to love and respect the city because of the Chicago blues giants that came here from down South. I\u2019m proud to be standing on the shoulders of every great Chicago blues musician who came before me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cannon grew up on the South Side of Chicago near the Robert Taylor Homes and Theresa\u2019s Lounge where he heard blues artists including Buddy Guy and Junior Wells.<\/p>\n

Throughout the history of Chicago blues, the intensely competitive local club scene has served as a proving ground, where only the best musicians rise to the top.<\/p>\n

Iconic blues artists from Muddy Waters to Howlin\u2019 Wolf to Koko Taylor to Hound Dog Taylor to Luther Allison all paid their dues in the Chicago blues bars before making their mark on the world.<\/p>\n

The same holds true today, as newcomers look to living legends like Buddy Guy, Eddy Clearwater and Lil\u2019 Ed Williams for inspiration in taking their music from Chicago to fans across the globe.<\/p>\n

Now, Cannon is ready to write his own story as he claims his place as one of the city\u2019s most popular and innovative blues musicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came in the side door of blues,\u201d said Cannon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up around it. When I started playing guitar, I wanted to play reggae. All the clubs around Chicago were blues clubs. I grew up in the neighborhood of Theresa\u2019s Lounge and never even knew how famous it was until I got older.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember hearing all these great blues guys like Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. Now, I\u2019m a blues musician. I have had some full-circle moments. I play blues for this age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Toronzo\u00a0Cannon — https:\/\/youtu.be\/PbOypjrzS7c<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another headline act at the festival in Lancaster will be local saxophone standout Vanessa Collier. She will play at the Main Stage Freedom Hall on July 10 at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

Collier is a highly acclaimed blues\/jazz sax player who spends a lot of time touring nationally.<\/p>\n

Collier released her latest album \u201cHeart On The Line\u201d on August 21, 2020 \u2013 an album that has received rave reviews from music critics and fans alike.\u00a0Still in her mid-20s,\u00a0Collier\u00a0has toured all over the world numerous times and has released three solo albums. With searing saxophone solos, soulful vocals, and witty lyrics, her songwriting features a blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul.<\/p>\n

Collier\u2019s impressive vocals and stinging saxophone work saw her light up stages as part of Joe Louis Walker\u2019s band in 2012 and 2013.<\/p>\n

In 2014, her debut album \u201cHeart Soul & Saxophone\u201d won her accolades as a \u201cBest of 2014 Blues Breaker.\u201d In March 2017, she released her sophomore album \u201cMeeting My Shadow.\u201d Collier\u2019s third album \u201cHoney Up\u201d was released on July 6, 2018.<\/p>\n

Collier\u00a0is primarily a sax player, singer and songwriter but is also well-versed in playing clavinet, flute, electric organ, and percussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was little, I really wanted to play piano,\u201d said Collier. \u201cI don\u2019t know why. I started taking piano lessons but didn\u2019t like the teacher, so I quit after six months. I saw someone playing sax on television and fell in love with it. We rented a sax for me when I was in fourth grade. That was in school. Then, I studied with a private instructor for a few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I took lessons with Chris Vadala, who played sax with Chuck Mangione. I studied with him for seven years \u2013 classical, jazz and funk. He started me doubling on flute and clarinet. I still play those instruments. Mainly, I play sax \u2014 tenor, some soprano and some baritone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collier\u2019s previous album \u201cHoney Up\u201d was released almost two years and was nominated for Blues Music Award (BMA) Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat album did well right from the start,\u201d said Collier. \u201cIt was a Top 5 Billboard Blues Album and was well-received by radio deejays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collier\u00a0was nominated in 2017 for a Blues Music Award in the \u201cInstrumental \u2014 Horn Player of the Year\u201d category. She also won first place in the \u201cLyrics Only\u201d category of the 2017 USA Songwriting Competition. In 2018, Collier\u00a0was nominated in two categories at the Blues Music Awards \u2013 \u201cContemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year\u201d and \u201cInstrumental \u2014 Horn Player of the Year.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2019, she was again nominated in same two categories at the Blues Music Awards \u2013 \u201cContemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year\u201d and \u201cInstrumental \u2013 Horn.\u201d She claimed first place in the \u201cInstrumental \u2013 Horn\u201d category.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoney Up,\u201d which had a three-month residency on Billboard\u2019s \u201cTop Blues Albums Chart,\u201d provides a good look at Collier\u2019s influences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith jazz, the first person I was turned on to was Cannonball Adderley,\u201d said Collier. \u201cOther major influences were John Coltrane, Junior Walker, and Maceo Parker. Vocally, I started with Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and that morphed into Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collier\u00a0also is a music teacher and has been involved in various \u201cBlues in Schools\u201d programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Clarksville, Maryland and then graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston,\u201d said Collier, who earned a dual degree in performance and music production, and engineering. \u201cRight now, I\u2019m basically just playing and teaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like teaching sax \u2013 soprano, tenor, alto and baritone. I feel like I have a lot to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Vanessa\u00a0Collier —\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/iHsau_hj4FE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Following Collier at the Main Stage Freedom Hall on July 10 will be Ana Popovic at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, blues musicians and blues music in general have been linked to various rivers \u2014 especially the Mississippi River (Delta blues), the Chicago River (Chicago blues) and, from the late 1960s on, the Thames River (British blues).<\/p>\n

Spady\u2019s hometowns have been along the Pasaic River in Paterson and the Susquehanna in Scranton.<\/p>\n

Ana\u00a0Popovic, who has built an international reputation as a stellar blues guitarist, hails from a totally different river area. She was born and raised in Beograd (Belgrade), the Serbian capital that is located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers.<\/p>\n

After leaving Serbia,\u00a0Popovic\u00a0settled alongside another river \u2014 The Amstel in Amsterdam. Her next relocation brought her to the banks of the Mississippi River in Memphis. Her most recent album is \u201cLive for Live,\u201d which was just released as a DVD and a CD.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album is called \u2018Live for Live\u2019 because we live for playing live,\u201d said\u00a0Popovic, during a phone interview from her home in Manhattan Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hadn\u2019t played a live show for a year. We recorded the album in December in the south of France. We had a six piece band and six cameras. It was great.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe music had a lot of power and a lot of guitars. We really had the music cooking. It was the right time to record. And it was showcase of great players.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a European band and that keyboard player has been with me for 15 years and the horn player for eight. I also have a band for American shows with different members. But I do use the same rhythm section on both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Popovic\u2019s two most recent albums prior to \u201cLive for Live\u201d were \u201cTrilogy\u201d\u00a0(2016) and \u201cLike It on Top\u201d\u00a0(2018).<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Trilogy\u2019 was a three CD set,\u201d said\u00a0Popovic. \u201c\u2018Volume Three\u2019 was jazz. \u2018Volume Two\u2019 was rock and blues. \u2018Volume One\u2019 was funk and soul. Every record is different. Every record brings out a new sound. My audience is used to that. That\u2019s what they\u2019ve come to expect from me since the beginning of my career \u2013 funk, blues, good shuffles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inspiration for \u2018Trilogy\u2019 came when my fans would tell me about compilations they made of my songs from different albums. I was able to feature musicians whose strength was in each genre.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrilogy\u201d was produced by Grammy Award winner Warren Riker (Lauryn Hill, Carlos Santana), Grammy Award winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi) and Delfeayo Marsalis, one of the top trombonists, composers and producers in jazz today.<\/p>\n

Some of the standout musicians who made guest appearances on the ambitious project were Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Bernard Purdie (The Purdie Shuffle), Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), rapper Al Capone and many others.<\/p>\n

Serbia was part of Yugoslavia when\u00a0Popovic\u00a0was growing up and Communist-controlled Eastern Europe was hardly a place where blues music flourished. But,\u00a0Popovic\u00a0didn\u2019t have to go far to hear blues music \u2014 it was all around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up with blues music,\u2019 said\u00a0Popovic. \u201cI had listened to blues music since I was little in my house because my dad was a blues musician. He\u2019d hold jam sessions in our house every week.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, he was playing blues records all the time \u2014 albums by artists such as Robert Johnson, Son House, Elmore James, Albert Collins and Bukka White. We also listened to jazz and funk albums too. When I heard Ronnie Earl and T-Bone Walker, I liked the jazz element too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was 15 when I started playing guitar, but I had been involved with the blues for a long time before that. When my dad had his jam sessions, I would be in there singing along with the band. I formed my first band and started performing on my own when I was 18.<\/p>\n

\u201cI studied graphic design in Beograd and then started studying jazz at the Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam in 1999. I decided to study jazz so I could create my own style that combined blues and jazz. I wanted to go out and play with people other than those who were totally into blues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to just stay in the same place musically. I wanted to get out and not be afraid to swim in a new style. I love to play a variety of styles with respect to each other \u2014 rock, jazz, funk and blues. I like to look at the guitar as a sound instrument more than just a solo instrument. I like to be different in every song. I love writing about the things that I see and the things that I feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now,\u00a0Popovic\u00a0has a new album in the works.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the whole pandemic, we were just making music and that kept us going,\u201d said\u00a0Popovic. \u201cIt was one big pre-production. We\u2019ve got so many songs. Now, we just have to get in the studio and make the finished product.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Ana\u00a0Popovic\u00a0—\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/V7C4A5ruqjA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other top acts performing at this weekend\u2019s festival in Lancaster are Tommy Castro, Bonerama, Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers, Albert Castiglia, Lonnie Shields, Jimmy Vivino, Sweet Leda, Adam Kowalczk, Live at the Fillmore, and Swamp Dixon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Albert Castiglia will perform on July 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge (219 North Duke Street, Lancaster).<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s new album, \u201cI Got Love,\u201d\u00a0was produced by Zito\u00a0and features Justine Tompkins (bass and vocals), Ephraim Lowell (drums and vocals), Lewis Stephens (Hammond B3 organ and piano) and\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0(guitar and vocals).<\/p>\n

It showcases 11 intense, blues-drenched tracks and is a personal and powerful statement from\u00a0Castiglia.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Castiglia, \u201cThe album is a musical essay documenting the last two years of my life — two years of many highs and lows. It\u2019s about falling, failing, adapting, reinventing, surviving and becoming triumphant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe blues and blues-infused music is rooted in truth. This album is my truth. To ignore the events of the past two years (the COVID era) and write about anything else would not be my truth. I went through it all – loss, depression, illness, fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I couldn\u2019t have been the only one that went through it. This collection of songs is for those who felt like I did. It\u2019s for those who went down fighting and those who keep on fighting. For many of us in my profession and in the gig economy, this was our great depression. Some of us are doing well and some of us are still trying to find solid ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI Got Love\u201d officially dropped on March 25.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded \u2018I Got Love\u2019 at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia, who lives in Fort Lauderdale Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful studio in the middle of a bayou. It has a mix of digital and analog equipment including a 48-track Neve board. We recorded it back in November and it just came out this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only get to play seven or eight songs in my set. I\u2019ll try to do at least two or three new ones. I also have to play older ones because people want to hear my \u2018standards.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s two previous albums were \u201cMasterpiece\u201d in 2019 and \u201cWild and Free\u201d in 2020.\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0was the 2020 BMA winner for Blues Rock Album of the Year with \u201cMasterpiece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen \u2018Masterpiece\u2019 came out, we toured pretty heavily that year,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cWe did a winter tour in early 2020. We were in Switzerland and there were rumblings of a pandemic in the states.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got home and did shows in Atlanta and Tallahassee. We were on our way up to Delaware for a show in St. George\u2019s when the owner called and said \u2013 hold on. He called again and said that the state had shut down. So, we turned around and headed home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put out \u2018Wild and Free\u2019 in 2020. COVID was part of the inspiration. There were no real rules where we lived \u2013 in Florida. We just had to adapt to what was happening. I did gigs and then got heat from the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor musicians, the pandemic was a time of depression. We lost all those gigs and had to find a way to make up for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur drummer is a handyman, so he found work. So did our bass player, who is an office worker. I improvised — teaching lessons by Zoom and doing virtual shows. It was a tough couple years but we found a way to get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u00a0was born on August 12, 1969 when the planets were getting in cosmic alignment to welcome the hundreds of thousands of music fans who had already begun their journey to New York State to attend \u201cWoodstock Music & Art Fair: An Aquarian Exposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lot of blues acts performed live during those three historic days including the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Johnny Winter, Keef Hartley Band, and Canned Heat along with blues-influenced rock bands such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mountain, Ten Years After and Blood, Sweat & Tears.<\/p>\n

Castiglia, who is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, got involved in the blues two decades after Woodstock.<\/p>\n

\u201cEric Clapton got me into the blues in the beginning,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cI listened to a lot of blues on record. I was fascinated but these were blues songs that were covers. I wanted to find the versions that were the originals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I bought Muddy Waters\u2019 \u2018Hard Again.\u2019 That was the record that really changed it. I was hearing Muddy for the first time on cassette. To me, the songs are what matter \u2014 even without production. Music is still really powerful. It\u2019s all about the song and the message.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s because of the old stuff that I\u2019m doing this now. The great thing about the blues is that you never stop learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u00a0joined the Miami Blues Authority in 1990 and was named the \u201cBest Blues Guitarist in Miami\u201d by the Miami New Times in 1997. Discovered singing by Junior Wells in 1996,\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0joined his touring band and worked as Wells\u2019 lead guitarist until the blues legend\u2019s death in 1998.<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s first solo album, \u201cBurn,\u201d was self-released in 2004 and followed in 2006 by \u201cThe Bittersweet Sessions,\u201d which was also self-released. He then released four albums on BluesLeaf Records \u2014 \u201cA Stone\u2019s Throw,\u201d These Are the Days,\u201d \u201cKeepin On,\u201d and \u201cLiving the Dream.\u201d Next was a series of four LPs on Ruf Records \u2013 \u201cSolid Ground,\u201d \u201cBlues Caravan 2014,\u201d \u201cBig Dog,\u201d and \u201cUp All Night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s 11th album was \u201cMasterpiece,\u201d which was released by Gulf Coast Records on May 24, 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in Mike\u2019s studio in Nederland, Texas,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cIt was very special to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike played bass and drums and I played guitar and sang. It was mostly analog. A lot was done live with Mike on drums and me. I think it has a live feeling. The only thing we overdubbed was the bass.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was inspired by events of the previous year. I got connected with a daughter I never knew I had \u2013 a daughter and two grandkids.\u201d<\/p>\n

When\u00a0Castiglia\u2019s daughter found him, she provided him with an instant family.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Castiglia, \u201cPrior to my daughter finding me, my entire adult life felt incomplete. I never knew why I felt that way. I could never put my finger on it. Then when I discovered my daughter, my heart was suddenly overflowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter finding me and opening up my world to an additional family, including two grandchildren, brought out the deepest material I\u2019ve ever created.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family relationships have always fueled blues lyrics and\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0is keeping the tradition alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job as a musician is to keep the groove alive and relevant,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cThat\u2019s why I do it. That\u2019s why my contemporaries do it. I do it because I love it. It\u2019s the reason I live and I exist. It\u2019s the reason that I play this music for a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Albert\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0—\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/dV58R7b3WSA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More blues music can be found on July 8 at the\u00a0World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400,\u00a0www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) with a twin-bill featuring the Dukes of Destiny and The Two Johns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Two Johns\u201d is a duo featuring John\u00a0Colgan-Davis\u00a0and Johnny Never.<\/p>\n

East Coast bluesman Johnny Never has a mission to deliver pure, unadulterated vintage blues to those who already love the blues as well as those who have never heard it. Whether solo or with accompaniment, Never has energized audiences in Northern Maryland, Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey from small bars and restaurants to music halls such as the MAC Concert Series, The Mainstay, the Kennett Flash and Jamie’s House of Music.<\/p>\n

Never, who has also performed in variety of music festivals, delivers his take on the blues as a solo performer as well as with a duo and a trio.<\/p>\n

Often referred to by blues enthusiasts as \u201cthe real deal,\u201d Never pays homage to, but does not mimic, the vast array of original bluesmen that gave birth to the genre more than a century ago. He is known for his covers of artists like Son House, Robert Johnson, and Charlie Patton.<\/p>\n

His original compositions possess the qualities of the genuine article, delivered through deft finger-style guitar work and a voice that reeks of authenticity.<\/p>\n

These qualities have earned him recognition by blues and folk music societies from Memphis to Philadelphia. In 2014, Johnny was a quarterfinalist in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.<\/p>\n

Johnny Never \u2013 a.k.a. John Dorchester — is a multi-discipline artist\/creator who grew up in West Chester and attended West Chester Henderson before graduating from Westtown School.<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis, harmonica and vocals, started playing the harmonica in local blues and folk clubs back in the late 1960s while he was still a high school student. He played and recorded with Philadelphia singer-guitarist Jesse Graves and played with Bonnie Raitt when she lived in Philadelphia in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n

Through Raitt, he had the opportunity to meet and play with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Arthur Crudup, Buddy Guy, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, and others. He has also jammed with James Cotton, John Hammond, Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, Bill Dicey, and Louisiana Red.<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u00a0has toured nationally and has recorded two CDs — \u201cCold and Lonesome on a Train\u201d and \u201cHeroes and Hard Times.\u201d A founding member of The Dukes of\u00a0Destiny, John also taught social studies at Friends Select School in Philadelphia for 29 years and has written articles and supplements for The Philadelphia Inquirer on Blacks in the American West, Black Literature, the History of Black Philadelphia, and other topics.<\/p>\n

For a long time, the two Philly area blues aces were aware of each other and their talents. A few years ago, their paths came together.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout four years ago, Johnny and I were at the same gig and started talking,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started hanging out together. Then, I sat in with him at a mini-festival bit I can\u2019t remember where. It was somewhere out in the country. He also had a bass player with him \u2013 Dave Young who since has moved to Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a phone interview, Never said, \u201cJohn is a great harmonica player. I\u2019ve been playing blues for decades and had a parting of ways with my previous harmonica player. I called John up to see what would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u00a0said, \u201cFor the past few years, we\u2019ve been playing as The Two Johns. Our first real show was at Hummingbird on Mars in Wilmington.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love playing acoustic again. There are things you can do as an acoustic harp player that you can\u2019t do with a loud band.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny is a very good picker and a great slide player. He\u2019s also a great Piedmont Blues player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u00a0and the harmonica have a long history together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started acoustic harmonica when I was in high school at Philadelphia\u2019s Central High School,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cCentral High had a folk music club, and we had a budget big enough to being Skip James and Son House to play at our school.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith The Two Johns, we play a couple songs I played in high school \u2013 including Son House\u2019s \u2018Death Letter Blues.\u2019 We play a lot of Piedmont Blues, ragtime and some 1920s jazz \u2018Ain\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019,\u2019 a Fats Waller\u00a0song. We do things I haven\u2019t found a way to do with the Dukes of Destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Never said, \u201cMusic is about feel. When you play with somebody, you need to make sure you can connect with the feel. John\u2019s playing works very well with old blues \u2013\u00a0especially Piedmont style. I play guitar almost exclusively acoustic. Early blues didn\u2019t have electric guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got attracted to early acoustic blues as a young person. It was a slow evolution. As a teenager, I heard recordings by Charley Patton and Son\u00a0House. It hit me \u2013 and really stuck with me. When I was in my late 30s and early 40s, I really started working at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an adolescent, Never had a keen interest in landscape painting and filmmaking — studying painting with Nantucket artist, Warren Krebs, and filmmaking with Earl Fowler, whose famous brother, Jim, made nature films for Mutual of Omaha\u2019s \u201cWild Kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a bunch of different jobs,\u201d said Never\/Dorchester. \u201cI started as an AFA painter and then got into commercial filmmaking from 1993-2014. Now, I\u2019m back to being a fine artist working in oils\u201d<\/p>\n

He is also back to being a fine musician who has teamed with\u00a0Colgan-Davis\u00a0to keep early acoustic blues alive.<\/p>\n

Video link for The Two Johns —\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/ny2EmfXYMR0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u00a0now has a dual role with the Dukes of Destiny.\u00a0When prior vocalist Arlyn Wolters left the band recently, the Dukes\u2019 music was altered slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that Arlyn is gone, I\u2019m doing the majority of the singing,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cI was singing before Arlyn so now it\u2019s back to the roots. Also, our guitarist Ian Lander is singing more now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lander was the band\u2019s previous major change back in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cIan replaced\u00a0our old guitarist AC Steel,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cHe is quite a good guitarist \u2013 and quite a good singer.\u00a0He\u2019s a bit of a younger guy who has played around Philly with his own band. AC Steel\u00a0left the Dukes because he\u00a0also has his own band The Galvanizers and he wanted\u00a0to concentrate on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new guy has added more depth and versatility to the Dukes of Destiny\u2019s sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cIan is into blues and rock \u2013 and a lot of different things,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cHe has a different style than AC Steel. It\u2019s been fun working with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also added some new material \u2013 soul songs like Marvin Gaye\u2014not just straight blues. We\u2019ve also added some swing songs. We like to get people moving.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur repertoire has changed. I get to do songs that we haven\u2019t done in a while like Slim Harpo\u2019s \u2018Got Love If You Want It.\u2019 I get to sing slow blues.\u00a0I love to sing those songs again \u2013 songs like Junior Wells\u2019 \u2018Messin\u2019 with the Kid,\u2019 and \u2018Muddy Waters\u2019 \u2018She Moves Me.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI also get to sing two Howlin\u2019 Wolf songs \u2013 \u2018Evil\u2019 and \u2018Smokestack Lightnin\u2019. We\u2019re also doing some originals like \u2018Black Man Blush.\u2019 I love singing slow blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to performing at most of the clubs in the Tri-State area, the Dukes of Destiny have\u00a0performed at the Pocono Blues Festival, the Waterfront Jam at Philadelphia\u2019s Penn\u2019s Landing, the State Street Blues Stroll in Media, the Bucks County R\u2019n\u2019B Picnic, the New Jersey Folk Festival and the Longwood Gardens Summer Concert Series.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past few years, we\u2019ve had great years,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis\u00a0back in 2019. \u201cWe played places we had never played before \u2013 like the Philadelphia Folk Festival. We also played places we really love like the Kennett Flash and the West Grove Friends Meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played the Phoenixville Blues Festival and the Paoli Blues Festival. We really love playing the Kennett Flash. And we love our Chester County crowd. They\u2019ve been coming to see us play for 14-15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chester County music fans and the Dukes of Destiny definitely have a love affair going.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did the Turks Head Festival in West Chester a few years ago \u2013 and \u2018Rhythm and Roots\u2019 in Media,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cWe love the Flash \u2013 the intimacy and the sound\u00a0system. And, we love what it stands for and what it means to Kennett Square.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the people of Chester County and I really like the landscape of the area. It\u2019s always a special place for us. Chester County gigs have the vibe of old coffee houses. We put out the energy and the audience give sit back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audiences that like to get out of their seats and dance are a big part of the Dukes of Destiny live experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get all kinds of dancers at our shows,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cWe\u2019ve been playing a lot more festivals. We\u2019re back on the festival circuit. I love playing festivals for a couple reasons. You get a whole bunch of people playing together. That takes me back to the 60s and the be-ins back then.<\/p>\n

\u201cSun Ra had said the message that music is the healing force of the universe and you feel that at festivals. And, kids get to hear real music played by real people. With a band like us that plays off the crowd, a festival show is a real exciting thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u2019s introduction to the blues came when he was in high school at Central High in Philadelphia and saw the Stones performing with Howling Wolf on the \u201cShindig\u201d TV show. Howlin\u2019 Wolf, whose real name was Chester Burnett, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player who was one of the premier Chicago bluesmen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I saw Howlin\u2019 Wolf on that TV show, I jumped up and said \u2014 this is what I want to do,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cI started playing blues when I was 16. My dad gave me a grab bag for my birthday and a harmonica was in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started listening to blues records a lot \u2014 players like Muddy Waters and James Cotton. I was really into Chicago blues of the 1950s and 1960s when I started. Then, I got into guys like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. One of the first bands I played in was a Philly blues band called Sweet Stavin\u2019 Chain.\u201d<\/p>\n

A while later, the Dukes of Destiny became the main musical vehicle for\u00a0Colgan-Davis.\u00a0At first, they played house parties in Germantown, generating word of mouth interest. A gig at the now-defunct Taker\u2019s Cafe in Germantown launched their public career<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dukes got together in the mid-1980s,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cSteve Brown started the band and it began with that gig at Taker\u2019s Caf\u00e9. Steve died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 and I\u2019ve been the leader ever since. Steve has always been in my mind. We did a tribute concert to him a few years ago and we still do some of his favorites in our set.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a whole range of music in what we can play \u2014 everything from Chicago blues to old-school soul. What\u2019s great about the Dukes is that we\u2019re a band. We use each other\u2019s strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Dukes of Destiny \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/j5fM0sugB5w<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the\u00a0World Caf\u00e9 Live on July 8 will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n

More blues tunes can be heard at Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The \u201cThursday Night Jazz Jam\u201d and the \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d are regular features on Jamey\u2019s calendar while Friday and Saturday night shows feature national and regional acts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d is a favorite of Jamey\u2019s regulars because Reilly and his band the Philly Blues Kings (www.phillyblueskings.com<\/a>) are the performers each week.<\/p>\n

The Philly Blues King are a veteran outfit comprised of David Reiter on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Maci Miller on vocals, Bill Marconi on drums and vocals and Reilly on bass guitar. They have performed together for 15 years (except for Miller) and are the house band for Jamey\u2019s House of Music. They are well known for tight, jazz inflected classic blues.<\/p>\n

Reiter performs on a seven-string guitar and Reilly plays a fretless five string bass and that sets the group above the ordinary. The three veteran musicians have each spent decades playing the blues professionally and have backed many well-known national artists. Maci Miller, an internationally recognized jazz singer based in Philadelphia, joined the Blues Kings and quickly established herself as a top-flight front woman.<\/p>\n

Video link for Philly Blues Kings \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/bAnBVLc7Wsg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Maci Miller \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/D3ktSJTVxDs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s House of Music on 12 will start at noon. Admission is free.<\/p>\n

On July 8, Jamey\u2019s will present Emily Adams.<\/p>\n

One of seven kids from a military family, one thing Adams always knew was rebellion. Her family ended up making a permanent home in the Yucca Valley in California and life in the desert made her long for the city. She escaped into her father\u2019s \u00a0vinyl collection. Dylan, Buddy Holly and Janis Joplin seeped into her soul and fed her dreams.<\/p>\n

By age 12, Adams was teaching herself acoustic guitar and harmonica. When she picked up her first Fender Strat electric guitar she knew music would be her life.<\/p>\n

After performing all over the Yucca Valley, her hometown crowd helped her on her quest to fulfill her dream. At age 17, Ted Quinn, an early, ardent supporter, hosted the \u201cSend Emily Adams to NY Benefit Concert\u201d at his venue, Beatnik Cafe Lounge in Joshua Tree. With money and confidence raised, she left home at 17 and moved to the New York metro area.<\/p>\n

Adams spent the years since honing her songwriting, playing and singing. Adams is unfailingly honest in her music. Her focus is empowerment, catharsis and genuine connection with her audience. She recently released her debut album, \u201cBetrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Emily Adams — https:\/\/youtu.be\/V2vr4FGOvvg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on July 8 at Jamey\u2019s will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

On July 9, Jamey\u2019s will host the \u201cJack Stanton CD Release Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stanton has been performing since the 1970s when he co-founded the Northeast Union Band with Pete Davis and Sepp Huber. Since then, he has played his music solo and in bands up and down the East Coast. A former finalist at the Telluride Songwriter\u2019s Contest, he has spent the last several years honing his playing and writing skills. The result is a new full-length CD,\u00a0\u201cAlmost Never There.\u201d<\/p>\n

In producing the CD, Stanton called on old high school friends, Pete Davis and Scott Herzog, and a few new ones too. He attributes his current productivity to the writing and reading he did while acquiring his MFA in creative writing from Rosemont College in 2014.<\/p>\n

According to Stanton, \u201cI finally began to see the potential in songs for a kind of flash fiction. It was a bit of an epiphany.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cites his more obvious influences — The Beatles and James Taylor — along with less likely ones, like Gary Burton, Steely Dan, and Zero 7.<\/p>\n

\u201cI listen to the most sophisticated music I can in hopes of a kind of melodic osmosis. The effect is subtle, but I think it helps.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m the definitive late bloomer. It took me the better part of a lifetime to mature into my craft, but it was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In\u00a0\u201cAlmost Never There,\u201d Stanton often revisits episodes from his youth.<\/p>\n

The show on July 8 at Jamey\u2019s will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.<\/p>\n

On June 30, it will be time for the \u201cThursday Night Jazz Jam\u201d featuring Geraldine Oliver. The Dave Reiter Trio lays down the backing for some out of this world jazz to happen from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s has started a popular \u201cGuest Singer Series\u201d featuring many of the best singers in the region performing a set from 7-8 p.m. with the backing of the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians. The upcoming schedule is: July 7 \u2013 Lisa Chavous; July 21 – Lucas Beltran and his 5-piece orchestra; July 28 – Ella Gahnt; August 4 – Wendy Simon Sinkler; August 11 \u2013 Lorraine Barrett; August 18 – Greg Farnese; August 25 – Maci Miller; and October 6 and December 1 – Suzie Telep.<\/p>\n

Lisa\u00a0Chavous, who is one of the most respected jazz and blues singers in the Philadelphia music scene, is a Delaware County girl through and through.<\/p>\n

She grew up in Sharon Hill and graduated from Darby Township High Schoool. She studied for a career in nursing at a hospital in Delaware County. Now,\u00a0Chavous\u00a0is a resident of Lansdowne.<\/p>\n

Chavous\u00a0has been singing her whole life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started performing and singing in church when I was really young,\u201d said\u00a0Chavous. \u201cThe, my mom and dad managed me. Eventually, I got calls from agents. So, I started putting bands together \u2013 Lisa\u00a0Chavous\u00a0and Friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1989 she began performing with the group Chapter One in banquet halls such as The Twelve Caesars and the Riviera Ballroom. In 1997 Lisa won first prize while competing in the Temple University jazz station talent contest sponsored by B&V outreach. In 1999 she began forming bands that performed for a variety of audiences. These ensembles eventually became known as Lisa\u00a0Chavous\u00a0and Friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first band was a jazz band. We played a lot of jazz clubs including the Blue Note in New York. I was on the jazz side for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were really blessed with being able to book shows at country clubs in Delco. One night, the sax player couldn\u2019t make the show. So, they sent another cat \u2013 and it was Byard Lancaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

The late, great Byard Lancaster was an alto saxophonist\/flutist from Philadelphia who was part of the wave of free jazz inspired by John Coltrane. His music had many cultures in its DNA such as blues, reggae and Afrobeat and he lived in a variety of places including Chicago, France and Nigeria. But he always returned to jazz and his hometown.<\/p>\n

After watching\u00a0Chavous\u00a0perform many years ago, Lancaster said, \u201cI have recorded with Jonny Copeland, and have known Shemekia Copeland since she was a lttle girl, when I was on the road with her father. I’ve got to tell you the best female blues vocalist to come along since Shemekia is without a doubt, Lisa\u00a0Chavous.\u201d<\/p>\n

This quote came from the musician who discovered Kevin Eubanks, the Roots, and Stanley Clarke.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple years later, I ran into Byard at a blues festival in Media,\u201d said\u00a0Chavous. \u201cHe told me there was a blues band — the Philadelphia Blues Messengers \u2013that needed a vocalist and asked if I wanted to go to Paris. That was in the early 2000s. He opened so many doors for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, getting into the blues was a fluke. I was supposed to be going Motown and playing country clubs. Then, blues came in with Byard. I just became an icon in Philly as a blues singer. People wanted the blues and it never stopped. I realized \u2013 this music is me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Lisa\u00a0Chavous\u00a0\u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/3N0iG_x7u44<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is a $10 cover charge at the door for the \u201cThursday Night Jazz Jam.\u201d The show will feature the guest singer from 7-8 p.m. and a jazz jam from 8-10 p.m.<\/p>\n

The Crossing (www.crossingchoir.org<\/a>) is an American professional chamber choir based in Philadelphia. The Crossing is conducted by\u00a0Donald\u00a0Nally\u00a0and dedicated to new\u00a0music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir.<\/p>\n

Many of its nearly 120 commissioned premieres address social, environmental, and political issues. With a commitment to recording its commissions, The Crossing has issued 19 releases and received two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019), and three Grammy nominations in as many years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always called the \u2018The Month of Moderns,\u2019\u201d said\u00a0Nally, during a phone interview. \u201cAnd it\u2019s always in June except this year with the third concert scheduled for July.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s schedule includes \u2013 \u201cMonth of Moderns 1: The Books of Color and of Never,\u201d which was performed on\u00a0June 11; \u201cMonth of Moderns 2: Unhistoric Acts,\u201d which was scheduled for June 25 but was cancelled; and \u201cMonth of Moderns 3: The Book of Dawkins Songs,\u201d which will be presented on July 8 at 7 p.m. at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill (8855 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia).<\/p>\n

\u201cMonth of Moderns 3: The Book of Dawkins Songs\u201d features the world premiere of David Shapiro\u2019s \u201cSumptuous Planet: A Secular Mass.\u201d<\/p>\n

A magnum opus on par with previous concert-length commissions (\u201cAniara,\u201d \u201cAnonymous Man,\u201d \u201cHesperus is Phosphorus,\u201d \u201cA Native Hill,\u201d \u201cThe Arc in the Sky\u201d), David\u00a0Shapiro\u2019s \u201cSumptuous Planet: A Secular Mass\u201d\u00a0is an epic journey and a gift. Along the way, through the droll and brilliant observations of Richard Dawkins and Richard Feynman, the choir gets to sing words that are new to its voices: cheesemite, Krebs Cycle, mitochondria, mystic jelly, and perhaps most intriguing, altruism.<\/p>\n

Shapiro\u2019s new piece is a \u201cbare cold facts\u201d kind of a piece, wrapped up in music that is a romp and a celebration, at times movingly intimate, and at others dizzyingly tumbling toward the inevitable. And in each of its\u00a016 movements, it is an attempt to understand the world that we live in.<\/p>\n

As a special bonus, The Crossing will open this final concert of \u201cThe Month of Moderns 2022\u201d with Tawnie Olson\u2019s\u00a0long-awaited (and originally scheduled for MoM 2)\u00a0\u201cBeloved of the Sky,\u201d\u00a0based on the thoughts and writings of Canadian\u00a0artist Emily Carr. Words and music about color, process, imagination, and life.<\/p>\n

Video link for The Crossing — https:\/\/youtu.be\/7Z2rPWrOz9o<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $35 General Admission, $25 Seniors and $20 Student Link.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Just over a year ago, Willie\u00a0Nile\u00a0— much to his delight — started playing live shows for live audiences again after a year-and-a-half of pandemic restrictions. In 2021, Nile came to the area for a concert in May at the Ardmore Music Hall and then returned in November for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9400,6518,13702,9002,8753],"class_list":["post-39516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-eilen-jewell","tag-featured","tag-rogers-butler","tag-selwyn-birchwood","tag-willie-nile"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39516","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=39516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39517,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39516\/revisions\/39517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/39512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}