{"id":52635,"date":"2023-07-27T10:17:16","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T14:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=52635"},"modified":"2023-07-27T10:17:17","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T14:17:17","slug":"on-stage-the-rumble-represents-one-of-new-orleans-lesser-known-traditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=52635","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: The Rumble represents one of New Orleans’ lesser-known traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

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

New Orleans is a great cultural city \u2013 especially for food and music.<\/p>\n

Many of America\u2019s legendary musicians are from New Orleans \u2013 Professor Longhair, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Louis Prima, The Meters, Fats Domino, the Wild Magnolias.<\/p>\n

Music is everywhere in Crescent City \u2013 from small clubs to huge festivals like the New Orleans Jazz Festival.<\/p>\n

There are the famous krewes which perform in the streets at Mardi Gras and other times during the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

There is also the tradition of Mardi Gras Indians.<\/p>\n

Mardi Gras Indians\u00a0(also known as\u00a0Black Masking Indians) are black\u00a0carnival\u00a0revelers who dress up for\u00a0Mardi Gras\u00a0in suits influenced by\u00a0Native American\u00a0ceremonial apparel.<\/p>\n

Collectively, their organizations are called \u201ctribes.\u201d There are about 40 tribes which range in size from half a dozen to several dozen members. The groups are largely independent, but a pair of umbrella organizations loosely coordinates the Uptown Indians and the Downtown Indians.<\/p>\n

In addition to\u00a0Mardi Gras Day, many of the tribes also parade on\u00a0Saint Joseph\u2019s\u00a0Day (March 19) and the Sunday nearest to Saint Joseph\u2019s Day (\u201cSuper Sunday\u201d). Traditionally, these were the only times Mardi Gras Indians were seen in public in full regalia. The\u00a0New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival\u00a0began the practice of hiring tribes to appear at the Festival as well. In recent years it has become more common to see Mardi Gras Indians at other festivals and parades in the city.<\/p>\n

For the last few years, New Orleans has enjoyed the sound and energy of a new band performing the music of Mardi Gras Indians \u2013 The Rumble.<\/p>\n

The Rumble, headliner of a show on July 27 at City Winery (990 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, www.citywinery.com<\/a>), is a lively seven-piece band which formed more than a year ago after some of its members broke from Cha Wa, a Grammy-nominated band.<\/p>\n

The Rumble represents an important facet of New Orleans culture. Composed of Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Golden Eagles, trumpeter Aur\u00e9lien Barnes, trombonist Jos\u00e9 Maize Jr., bassist TJ Norris, guitarist Ari Teitel, keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, and drummer Trenton O\u2019Neal, the group fuses iconic New Orleans funk in the vein of The Meters and The Neville Brothers. The Rumble has updated that classic sound, adding splashes of hip-hop into the mix.<\/p>\n

At one point, most of the members of The Rumble were in Cha Wa, another Mardi Gras Indians band. Cha Wa formed in 2014 after working with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (Joseph\u2019s grandfather). Cha Wa gained national attention in 2018 with its Grammy-nominated 2018 album, \u201cSpyboy,\u201d which featured J\u2019Wan Boudreaux, Big Chief Monk\u2019s grandson and Joseph Boudreaux\u2019 nephew.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Rumble \u2013 the name and the band \u2013 only came about early last year,\u201d said Boudreaux, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in New York. \u201cBut most of us played three or four years together in Cha Wa.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a name change. We created the sound and the music, and we were still considered to be hired hands. We didn\u2019t own the name so we couldn\u2019t do anything. So, we just decided to split ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were the ones who made the music. We had the Grammys Award even though it was credited to Cha Wa. We had all played together for a while. We are making the music for our culture, and we did it our own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rumble represents the past and the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city\u2019s music starts here,\u201d said Boudreaux. \u201cWe take those elements and things from the past like The Meters, the Nevilles and The Wild Magnolias, and mix in our own flavor and style.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rumble\u2019s music is tied musically and spiritually to the Mardi Gras Indians, a colorful New Orleans subculture with tribes, elaborate beaded suits and percussive music.<\/p>\n

According to Boudreaux, the son of legendary New Orleans musician Monk Boudreaux, \u201cNative Americans gave refuge to runaway slaves in the swamps of Louisiana, leading to cultural exchanges, friendship and respect. We grew together and learned some of each other\u2019s ways. We\u2019re the next generation of an old generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

When\u00a0Mardi Gras Indians\u00a0parade during the annual\u00a0Carnival celebrations, they produce a wild blend of sensory stimulation. Dressed in handcrafted, Native American-inspired \u201csuits,\u201d participants chant and sing\u00a0call-and-response\u00a0songs,\u00a0punctuating these vocals\u00a0with the sounds of tambourines,\u00a0cowbells, drums and other percussion instruments.<\/p>\n

The Mardi Gras Indian tradition is a distinctly African American one. Its\u2019 roots stretch back to the\u00a0late 19th century, when Black New Orleanians started dressing up as Native Americans to pay homage to the Indigenous people who\u2019d helped them\u00a0survive. Local tribes\u00a0such as the Choctaw, the Seminole and the Chickasaw\u00a0helped\u00a0enslaved Africans escape from plantations and live off the land.<\/p>\n

Excluded\u00a0from mainstream Carnival celebrations, New Orleans\u2019 Black community cultivated its own traditions, including the Mardi Gras Indians. Archival evidence traces the practice to the 1880s, when the Seventh Ward\u2019s Becate Batiste founded the\u00a0Creole Wild West\u00a0tribe. But researchers argue it could go back even further. Dozens of tribes independently organized in the years after the Creole Wild West\u2019s formation.<\/p>\n

Traditionally\u00a0male-dominated, tribes boast a big chief, a\u00a0queen\u00a0and a banner-brandishing\u00a0flag boy, among\u00a0other roles. The\u00a0spy boy\u00a0precedes his tribe in the streets, scouting out rivals. Some tribes have released commercial recordings of their music. The Wild Tchoupitoulas produced a\u00a01976 album\u00a0that had an island flavor. Another tribe, the\u00a0Wild Magnolias, embraced funk.<\/p>\n

Mardi Gras Indians employ visual, musical and theatrical arts. Some of their handcrafted suits could be deemed\u00a0fine art, while others are displays of\u00a0abstract art.\u00a0Uptown tribes\u00a0often utilize intricate beading, while\u00a0downtown tribes\u00a0embrace architectural designs with three-dimensional elements. Suits can weigh up to\u00a0100 pounds, and the materials required to make them can cost\u00a0thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith The Rumble, when you take the percussion with the drums we use, it\u2019s African Beat and that came from the Congo. It\u2019s the Masking Indian tradition. I\u2019m a third generation Chief. My dad is the oldest living working Chief. Golden Eagles is my tribe. This edition has been around for more than 100 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the band released its debut album, \u201cThe Rumble Ft. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. Live at the Maple Leaf Bar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out in May 2023,\u201d said Boudreaux. \u201cWe wanted a live album because our show is so much live, in-your-face energy. The live show album brings you into the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe actually had a studio album done before we did the live album. We decided to do it this way because the live album put the energy on display. That way, when the studio album comes out, fans will be familiar with our music. They\u2019ll know what to expect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Rumble — https:\/\/youtu.be\/uzhtNYKtjBE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at City Winery on July 27 will start at<\/p>\n

Tickets are $22, $28 and $30.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at City Winery are Chuck Brown Band on July 28, Tiera O\u2019Leary on July 30, Joey McIntyre on August 1 and Kamasi Washington on August 2.<\/p>\n

Like NOLA, Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is a place where tasty food and tasty music come together to create a harmonious blend.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s is known for having good menus \u2013 menus featuring culinary excellence and good music.<\/p>\n

The club\u2019s kitchen offers an eclectic and delicious made-to-order menu of Asian-inspired American fare \u2013 including many vegetarian options — along with yummy desserts, fresh brewed coffees from Green Street Coffee Roasters, assorted espressos, and cold drinks.<\/p>\n

It is the inspired work of Jamey\u2019s wife, Suyun.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Lisa Chavous<\/p><\/div>\n

This weekend\u2019s musical menu is also top-flight with Geraldine Oliver as the appetizer on July 27, Lisa Chavous as the main course on July 28 and Watermelon Slim as the tasty summertime dessert on July 29.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s features a popular \u201cGuest Singer Series\u201d on Thursday 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.<\/p>\n

The Dave Reiter Trio lays down the backing for some out of this world jazz to happen, and you never know who might show up to join in. Reiter is a long-time jazz pro and is equally at home on the seven-string guitar, Nord keyboard or the venue\u2019s top of the line Hammond organ setup. Bill Marconi is on drums; his name is known to jazz aficionados around the world. Holding down the bottom is first-call Philly bassist, George Livanos.<\/p>\n

The \u201cGuest Singer\u201d for this Thursday is Geri\u00a0Oliver.<\/p>\n

Geraldine (\u201cGeri\u201d)\u00a0Oliver\u00a0is a vocalist whose singing reaches deep down and touches your heart, taking you on a journey to a place inside your soul, called \u201creverie.\u201d<\/p>\n

With an uncanny ability to hold you captive, her instrument of voice weaves a lyrical and melodic story that colors the atmosphere with healing hues. Add the live, fluid, dynamism of jazz tones emanating from the band, and you become engulfed in a must hear and must feel, musical mosaic.<\/p>\n

Video link for Geraldine\u00a0Oliver\u00a0— https:\/\/youtu.be\/gRFQmpjfcm8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Doors open at 6 p.m. on July 27.\u00a0Oliver\u00a0will perform from 7-8 p.m. followed by an \u201cOpen Mic Jazz Jam\u201d from 8-10 p.m. There is a $10 cover charge.<\/p>\n

The headliner for July 28 is Lisa Chavous, who is one of the most respected jazz and blues singers in the Philadelphia music scene. She is also is a Delaware County girl all the way.<\/p>\n

She grew up in Sharon Hill and graduated from Darby Township High School. She studied for a career in nursing at a hospital in Delaware County. Now,\u00a0Chavous\u00a0is a resident of Lansdown and could easily walk to Friday\u2019s gig if she so desires.<\/p>\n

Chavous\u00a0is making a return visit to Jamey\u2019s House of Music \u2013 the venue where she had a CD release party for her most recent album, \u201cBreaking Down the Walls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CD is dedicated to my late husband Michael Hayes,\u201d said\u00a0Chavous, during a phone interview from her Delco home. \u201cHe died of cancer in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a tour in Paris in 2019 and two trips to Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico shows were tributes to Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. One of them raised $3,000 for emergency relief in San Juan. Then, the pandemic hit, and everything shut down.\u201d<\/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\u2019ve 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 \u2014 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

Chavous is frequently compared to Tina Turner, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown, and Irma Thomas, who along with Billie Holiday and Mahalia Jackson are among her primary musical influences. She a been singing in church and performing in shows since she was five in a career that encompasses jazz, blues, soul, gospel and rock.<\/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, Chavous won first prize while competing in the Temple University jazz station talent contest sponsored by B and V outreach. In 1999, she began forming bands that performed for a variety of audiences. These ensembles eventually became known as Lisa Chavous and Friends.<\/p>\n

Chavous has performed with jazz greats Byard Lancaster, Odean Pope, Trudy Pitts, Pat Martino, Jimmy McGriff and Bootsie Barnes, and is regularly backed by former members of Patti LaBelle\u2019s band, as well as by Don Evans, former guitarist for Billy Joel.<\/p>\n

Chavous, who is a nurse, has also donated her talents at a variety of functions that benefit children\u2019s organizations supporting research for multiple sclerosis and the anti-AIDS foundation.
\nLisa\u2019s forte is her great versatility in singing jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues, all with tons of soul that projects her sincere love and devotion to her music and that creates powerful audience attraction and response.<\/p>\n

Chavous will be selling her new CD, \u201cThe Underground Hustle\u201d at this weekend\u2019s show.<\/p>\n

Video link for Lisa\u00a0Chavous\u00a0\u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/3N0iG_x7u44<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on July 28 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

Bill \u201cWatermelon Slim\u201d Homans has received numerous honors for his music including Paste Magazine 2x Winner: 2008 Blues Music Award Band of the Year and Album of the Year; 2x Winner: 2006 & 2007 MOJO Magazine’s #1 Blues Album of the Year; Winner: 6th Annual Independent Music Awards Blues Album of the Year.<\/p>\n

Homans has built a remarkable reputation with his raw, impassioned intensity. Watermelon Slim & The Workers have won 17 Blues Music Award nominations in four years.<\/p>\n

One of Slim’s most impressive industry accolades may be the liner notes of \u201cThe Wheel Man\u201d eagerly written by the late legendary Jerry Wexler who called him a \u201cone-of-a-kind pickin\u2019n\u2019 singing Okie dynamo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Homans was born in Boston where his father was a progressive attorney and freedom rider, and his brother was a classical musician. He was raised in North Carolina listening to the housekeeper sing John Lee Hooker songs. Homans attended Middlebury College on a fencing scholarship but left early to enlist for Vietnam.<\/p>\n

While laid up in a Vietnam hospital bed, he taught himself upside-down left-handed slide guitar on a $5 balsawood model using a triangle pick cut from a rusty coffee can top and his Army issued Zippo.<\/p>\n

Slim first appeared on the music scene with the release of the only known protest record by a veteran during the Vietnam War. The project was \u201cMerry Airbrakes,\u201d a 1973 protest-tinged LP with tracks later covered by Country Joe McDonald.<\/p>\n

From then until the turn of the century, Homans has been a truck driver, forklift operator, sawmiller (where he lost a partial finger), firewood salesman, collection agent, funeral officiator and, at times, a small time criminal. Due to aforementioned criminality, Slim was forced to flee Boston where he had played peace rallies, sit-ins and rabble roused musically with the likes of Bonnie Raitt. Recently Raitt singled out Slim to her audience as a living blues legend during a summer 2009 performance.<\/p>\n

From Boston, Slim landed in his current home state of Oklahoma and began farming watermelons \u2013 hence his stage name. Somewhere in those decades since Vietnam, Slim completed two undergrad and a master\u2019s degree, started a family, painted art and joined MENSA. When he\u2019s not on tour, Slim loves to fish and garden.
\nVideo link for \u201cWatermelon Slim\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/tFbk3dtkSMg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on July 29 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d is scheduled for every Sunday from noon-3 p.m. with the host band\u2019s set from noon-1 p.m. followed by an open mic from 1-3 p.m.<\/p>\n

The first, third, fourth and fifth Sunday sessions are hosted by the Philly Blues Kings while the hosts for second Sunday sessions are the Girke-Davis Project.<\/p>\n

The exciting new addition is the newly formed all-star band, the Girke-Davis Project, featuring international artist Roger Girke on guitar and vocals, Dukes of Destiny front man John\u00a0Colgan-Davis\u00a0on vocals and harmonica, Hammond organ ace Glenn Bickel, drummer extraordinaire Fred Berman, and Reilly on bass.<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u00a0started 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 \u2014 \u201cCold and Lonesome on a Train\u201d and \u201cHeroes and Hard Times.\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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u2019s introduction to the blues came when he was in high school and saw the Rolling 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.<\/p>\n

He also performs in the Two Johns with Johnny Never, who attended West Chester Henderson and graduated from Westtown School.<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u2019 weekend schedule includes two Two Johns shows — July 28 at Hummingbird to Mars (West 16th Street, Wilmington, Delaware,\u00a0catherinerooneys.com\/hummingbird-to-mars<\/a>) and July 29 at\u00a0The Bellefonte Caf\u00e9 (804 Brandywine Blvd, Wilmington, Delaware, www.thebellefontecafe.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

According to Colgan-Davis, \u201cWe are in two of our favorite spots this weekend.\u00a0The Hummingbird is a fun and wonderfully designed spot which takes the speakeasy theme seriously.\u00a0Good food\u00a0and a variety of drinks abound. The Bellefonte\u00a0is a unique and wonderful eclectic place with great art on the walls, original and inventive food, a great waitstaff, and a relaxed, old-school coffeehouse vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

East Coast bluesman Johnny\u00a0Never\u00a0has a mission to deliver pure, unadulterated vintage blues to those who already love the blues as well as those who have\u00a0never\u00a0heard it. Whether solo or with accompaniment,\u00a0Never\u00a0has 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\u2019s House of Music.<\/p>\n

Never, who has also performed in a 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\u00a0Never\u00a0pays 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\u00a0Never\u00a0\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,\u00a0Never\u00a0said, \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\u00a0said, \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,\u00a0Never\u00a0had 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\u00a0Never\/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

The show at the Bellefonte\u00a0Caf\u00e9\u00a0will run from 7-9 p.m. Reservations are recommended.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will present \u201cWe May Be Right: Billy Joel Tribute\u201d on July 29.<\/p>\n

Billed as \u201ca powerhouse ensemble,\u201d the band focuses entirely on the music of one artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe May Be Right\u201d delivers an electrifying\u00a0performance as they authentically re-create the music of the \u201cPiano Man\u201d — Billy Joel.<\/p>\n

Against a New York City skyline, the band delivers hit after pounding hit along with some of Joel\u2019s best deep cuts. They capture every note, every riff, and every nuance with spot-on vocals, stage presence and energy.<\/p>\n

At every performance, \u201cWe May Be Right\u201d delivers what the audience wants to hear \u2013 the music of Billy Joel.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cWe May Be Right\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/GRX3bV94uMc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on Saturday night will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $35, $40 and $45.<\/p>\n

On July 27, Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is presenting an evening of American Roots Music History with\u00a0Jerron Paxton & Dennis Lichtman\u00a0in concert.<\/p>\n

Jerron Paxton\u00a0carries the torch for traditional acoustic roots music.\u00a0Dennis Lichtman\u00a0is a multi-instrumentalist deeply entrenched in early-to-mid-1900\u2019s American music, from traditional jazz and swing to bluegrass and western swing.<\/p>\n

The show on Thursday will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash is hosting \u201cDead Flowers — performing the music of\u00a0the Rolling Stones\u201d on July 28.<\/p>\n

The concert was scheduled to be held in the evening \u2013 outdoors on a rooftop as part of the venue\u2019s \u201cRooftop Series.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, with the heat index for Friday expected to be in the 104-degree range, Kennett Flash wisely decided to move the concert to its indoor venue.<\/p>\n

The show on July 28 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times New Orleans is a great cultural city \u2013 especially for food and music. Many of America\u2019s legendary musicians are from New Orleans \u2013 Professor Longhair, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Louis Prima, The Meters, Fats Domino, the Wild Magnolias. Music is everywhere in Crescent City \u2013 from small […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,13617,15237],"class_list":["post-52635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-lisa-chavous","tag-the-rumble"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52635"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52636,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52635\/revisions\/52636"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/52633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}