{"id":45100,"date":"2026-01-08T09:06:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=45100"},"modified":"2026-01-08T09:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:08:19","slug":"on-stage-livingston-taylor-makes-his-annual-visit-to-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=45100","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Livingston Taylor makes his annual visit to area"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Livingston Taylor<\/p><\/div>\n

Livingston\u00a0Taylor has a lot of musical talent \u2013 and a knack for longevity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Taylor is a singer-songwriter who made his first album 55 years ago and has released more than 20 more LPs since then.<\/div>\n
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Taylor has a long history of touring internationally over the last five decades.<\/div>\n
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Two of his favorite annual destinations over the years have been the Sellersville Theater in Bucks County in the winter and the Bryn Mawr Twilight music series along the Main Line in the summer.<\/div>\n

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This weekend, Taylor will make his yearly trek from New England to this area for a show on January 8 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/div>\n
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\u201cI keep touring and doing shows and I\u2019m coming down your way this Saturday,\u201d said Taylor, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Martha\u2019s Vineyard, Massachusetts.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve played the Sellersville Theater about 10 times. It\u2019s one of my favorite places to play. It has a wonderful feel. Alex Radus is opening for me. He does a good job.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Alex Radus\u00a0is hailed as a \u201cversatile crooner\u201d (UMC Nashville) and \u201cskillful fretman\u201d (Morning Call), but his songwriting takes center stage. Known affectionately for his unique brand of \u201cgenre whiplash,\u201d Radus pairs whimsical and poignant storytelling with an eclectic mix of Americana, swing, blues, folk and more.<\/div>\n
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In 2019, American Public television filmed and released \u201cLivingston Taylor Live from Sellersville Theater: Songs and Stories” which broadcast across PBS stations nationally and featured Matt Cusson and Chelsea Berry, both former students and touring musicians.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI do about 60 shows a year. I play regularly. I like to work,\u201d said Taylor.<\/div>\n
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Taylor has a new project for 2026.<\/div>\n
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\u201cCartoonist Andy Heyward from Kartoon Studios in L.A. is re-doing \u2018Winnie the Pooh and got in touch with me last year,\u201d said Taylor. \u201cThey made me the voice of Winnie the Pooh.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Kartoon Studios is developing a slate of original content under the brand Hundred Acre Wood\u00ae: Winnie and Friends\u2122, inspired by the beloved classic stories of A.A. Milne. This new series invites viewers into a timeless world filled with kindness, friendship, gentle wisdom, and playful humor.<\/div>\n
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Created as a respite from the frenetic pace of modern life, the Hundred Acre Wood is a welcoming haven\u2014where children can slow down, breathe deeply, explore freely, and discover at their own pace. Each episode celebrates positivity, laughter, uplifting music, and the pure joy of childhood.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ve already started working on it,\u201d said Taylor. \u201cI have a bunch of scripts \u2013 short 10-minute cartoons. I have re-read most of the original \u2018Winnie the Pooh.\u2019 That\u2019s been fun to do.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been hired to be me. It\u2019s very soft and gentle. It\u2019s for young children. There are all the regular characters and a female character to make it more current.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Taylor has always kept himself busy with a variety of projects.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m on my way to London in mid-March to record a Big Band record at Abbey Road,\u201d said Taylor.<\/div>\n
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Taylor also headed to London to record his previous album, \u201cSymphonic Steps\u201d with the BBC Concert Orchestra. It was released January 24, 2025.<\/div>\n
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\u201cSymphonic Steps\u201d was recorded live at the BBC\u2019s renowned Maida Vale studio in London with music arranged and conducted by the Tony Award\u00ae-winning and GRAMMY\u00ae-nominated Bill Elliott.<\/div>\n
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\u201cFor the Big Band album, I\u2019ll be working again with my good friend Bill Elliott,\u201d said Taylor. \u201cI approached Bill to do the album with me.<\/div>\n
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\u201cHe\u2019s an arranger who did a great job orchestrating my symphonic album.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Taylor is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans.<\/div>\n
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His relaxed on-stage presence belies the depth of his musical knowledge, and fans might just as often be treated to a classic Gershwin or something from the best of Broadway.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIn my live shows, I do speak about the songs \u2013 who wrote them\u2026why they wrote them,\u201d said Taylor.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s always about the idea of making a song \u2013 making an experience. I speak about myself \u2013 but only in reference to the music not me. A life well-lived is boring.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina,\u00a0Livingston\u00a0is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh.<\/div>\n
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Livingston\u00a0recorded his first record at the age of 18 and has continued to create well-crafted, introspective, and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI really like to play and see my music brought to people,\u201d said Taylor. \u201cMy first show when I knew my music worked was when I was opening for Joni Mitchell at Boston University in 1969. I was third on the bill behind Joni and Jaime Brockett.<\/div>\n
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\u201cJaime had played, and the audience was anxious to hear Joni. In my 20 minutes, I was able to win the audience over. The only thing in my mind was that this works. This was before I started recording. I was writing a lot of songs and testing them to see if it works.\u201d<\/div>\n
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More than a half-century later, it\u2019s obvious that it has worked.<\/div>\n
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From Top 40 hits \u201cI Will Be in Love with You\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ll Come Running,\u201d to \u201cI Can Dream of You\u201d and \u201cBoatman,\u201d the last two recorded by his brother James, Taylor\u2019s creative output has continued unabated.<\/div>\n
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His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres \u2014 folk, pop, gospel, jazz \u2014 and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances.<\/div>\n
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Taylor was a full professor at Berklee College of Music, where he taught a Stage Performance course since 1989. He taught young artists invaluable lessons learned over the course of an extensive career on the road.<\/div>\n
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Former students include current Nashville star and Downingtown native Liz Longley, Charlie Puth, John Mayer, Molly Tuttle, Gavin McGraw, Susan Tedesci, Matt Cusson, Grace Kelly, Clay Cook, and Betty Who.<\/div>\n
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His best-selling book, \u201cStage Performance,\u201d which was released in 2011, offers those lessons to anyone who is interested in elevating their presentation standards to professional standards.<\/div>\n
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“Livingston Taylor: Life is Good,\u201d a documentary feature film directed by Tracy Anarella was released in 2018 at national and international film festivals, garnering awards, nominations, and accolades, including The Van Gogh Award for Feature Documentary at the Amsterdam International Film Festival.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Livington Taylor \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/A7_uXiYcYis<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Alex Radus — https:\/\/youtu.be\/g4sN71NH6cY<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at the Sellersville Theater on January 8 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets start at $35.<\/div>\n
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Ana Popovic<\/p><\/div>\n

On January 10, the Sellersville Theater will host highly acclaimed international blues artist Ana Popovic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Popovic, who has built an international reputation as a stellar blues guitarist, has shown an affinity for living \u201cnear the water.\u201d<\/div>\n
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She was born and raised in Beograd (Belgrade), the Serbian capital that is located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers.<\/div>\n
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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. Now, she lives in Manhattan Beach, California.<\/div>\n
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Her most recent album is \u201cDance To The Rhythm,\u201d which was released in late 2025.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe did a digital release of \u2018Dance To The Rhythm\u2019 in September,\u201d said Popovic, during a recent phone interview from her Manhattan Beach home.<\/div>\n
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\u201cDance To The Rhythm\u201d\u00a0was released on October 30 on CD and September 26 via all digital platforms through Electric Heel Records\/Amplified Distribution.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s an album of 70\u2019s funk and blues,\u201d said Popovic. \u201cI\u2019ve been touring in support of the album. It\u2019s been exciting.\u201d<\/div>\n
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\u201cActually, it\u2019s not just funk. It\u2019s soulful with really different grooves. There is all different stuff including a few dance songs. It\u2019s all over the place. It has a War\/Mandrill vibe.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe first single, \u2018Worked Up,\u2019 is a rock song with straight-on rock. There is a gorgeous guitar on \u2018Dwell on the Feeling.\u2019 We cover Paul Simon\u2019s \u201950 Ways to Leave a Lover.\u2019<\/div>\n
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\u201c\u2018Dance to the Rhythm\u2019 is a full-on dance song. \u2018California Chase\u2019 is about life in California \u2013 about people who came and didn\u2019t make it.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere are many, many different styles. \u2018Soulution\u2019 has a really different groove. And \u2018Hurt So Good\u2019 is pop with acoustic blues.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The bulk of the album was made in Southern California.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMost of the work was done here in L.A.,\u201d said Popovic. \u201cWe did do some pre-work in Detroit and Dallas.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI have a nice comfortable studio near me \u2013 Kona Town Recording \u2013that I can go to when I want.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI wanted variety. Some of the songs were left over from \u2018Power.\u2019 They were supposed to turn up on \u2018Power\u2019 but I wanted to let them simmer.\u201d<\/div>\n
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In May 2023, Popovi\u0107 released\u00a0\u201cPower,\u201d her first studio album in five years \u2013 her first post-COVID album. Her previous album, \u201cLive for Live,\u201d had been released in 2020 as a DVD and a CD.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe album is called \u2018Live for Live\u2019 because we live for playing live,\u201d said\u00a0Popovic.\u00a0\u201cWe hadn\u2019t played a live show for a year.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe recorded the album in December in the south of France. We had a six piece band and six cameras. The music had a lot of power and a lot of guitars. We really had the music cooking.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt was the right time to record. And it was showcase of great players.\u00a0I have a European band and a band for American shows with different members.\u201d<\/div>\n
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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).<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMy 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.<\/div>\n
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\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<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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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.<\/div>\n
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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.<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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\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.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI 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<\/div>\n
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One thing certain about a Popovic concert or album \u2013 no song is going to sound exactly like the one that preceded it.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Ana Popovic \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/0haBO0V3BmY<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at the Sellersville Theater on January 10 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets start at $35.<\/div>\n
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Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Dale Watson and His Lone Stars on January 9 and The Kody Norris Show on January 11.<\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting \u201cThe 2026 Kennett Flash Jazz Jam\u201d on January 8, \u201cA Journey Through Strings and Stories: Hiroya Tsukamoto\u201d on January 9, Dan Ciccone Trio featuring Dave Mattock and Mike Raymond on January 10 and \u201cThe Legendary Kennett Flash Open Mic Night\u201d on January 11.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is a place to go if you\u2019re looking for tasty music along with tasty food.<\/div>\n
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Jamey\u2019s will host Kate Gaffney & Benjamin Chandler on January 8, Rev Chris and Les Gar\u00e7ons Crasseux on January 9, Bees Deluxe on January 10<\/div>\n
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On January 11 from 1-3 p.m., Jamey\u2019s will present \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM\u201d featuring the Girke-Davis Project.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Livingston\u00a0Taylor has a lot of musical talent \u2013 and a knack for longevity. Taylor is a singer-songwriter who made his first album 55 years ago and has released more than 20 more LPs since then. Taylor has a long history of touring internationally over the last five decades. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[7107,6518,8713],"class_list":["post-45100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","tag-ana-popovic","tag-featured","tag-livingston-taylor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45100","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=45100"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45102,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45100\/revisions\/45102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}