By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Ciara Grace
If you look at some of the talented acts that will be playing in the area over the next few days, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” might just pop into your head.
There are plenty of girls/female artists who will be having fun along with their audiences at different venues around the Delaware Valley – Ciara Grace, Kelli Baker, Khadijah James, Lindsey Stirling and the three main female leads in “Mamma Mia!”
Grace will be headlining a show at the Lounge at World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com) at a release party for her new album, “Write It Down” on RedEye Worldwide.
The World Café Live describes her as “the next rising singer-songwriter to boast Philadelphia as her homebase.”
Grace has already performed at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Music Room near the Mersey River, the Philadelphia Folk Festival in farm area outside Philly, and The Bitter End in Greenwich Village.
Grace is a singer/songwriter who grew up in East Norriton, a “suburb” of Norristown, and now attends West Chester University.
“I graduated from North Penn in 2021,” said Grace, during a phone interview last week from her Montgomery County home. “Then, I started at West Chester where I’m a psychology major.”
Grace may be majoring in psychology at school, but she is majoring in music in life.
Some singers attribute their musical skills to family – “I grew up with music. My parents were music fans” or environment – “My parents played albums all the time and I listened to them”.
Grace’s music pedigree includes heavy influences from both family and environment – real influences.
Her father is producer/engineer Glenn Barratt, owner of MorningStar Studios in East Norriton.
Her mother is acclaimed singer-songwriter Lizanne Knott.
“The music gene is definitely there,” said Grace. “I can feel it. I feel it most when I’m playing live or playing in my room.”
The environment for Grace when she was growing up was MorningStar Studios.
MorningStar Studios is a professional recording studio featuring an impressive array of production and recording services and top-class equipment.
The list of MorningStar’s clients includes Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Grover Washington Jr., Bootsie Barnes, Kevin Eubanks, Jill Scott, Marianne Faithful, The Crossing, Cherish The Ladies, Janis Ian, Christine Lavin, Brother Sun Reggie Harris, Greg Greenway, Craig Bickhardt, Melody Gardot, and, of course, Ciara Grace and Lizanne Knott.
According to Grace, “I was always running around, making friends with the musicians, pressing buttons I shouldn’t have been touching. On another note, I was very fortunate growing up that I got to sit in on my mom making her albums.
“I feel like I got the artist’s perspective from her, and the engineer’s perspective from my dad. By the time I got around to starting my debut, I was very familiar with the process and all the time and labor that goes into it.”
Grace learned a lot about what making is all about before she finished her teen years.
“My dad would teach me all about the studio,” said Grace. “He was a music major in college. Being in the studio with him, I learned about engineering.
“There were also times when he would have me singing on recordings that were being done there. I’m all over my mom’s records.”
Grace’s focus now is on “Write It Down,” which was released on May 10, six days after her 21st birthday.
“I started working on the album right after COVID started,” said Grace. “I was working more on the music. I started to lay down some tracks. I got a feel for what I wanted my first album to sound like.
“English class has always been my favorite. So, I wanted songs that built like a novel. And I wanted things that come from the heart.
“I write on guitar and piano. I typically wait to record something until I have a finished product. I do a lot of self-questioning.
“When I’m writing songs, I don’t fully know what they’re about until they’re done. There was definitely some soul searching. I relate to these songs.”
Grace’s songs are intense, honest, soulful and interesting. There are no forced rhymes or over-used cliches. Her voice is strong and smooth and always up to the task of delivering the songs’ emotions.
“My new songs are more about what I’ve learned about myself,” said Grace. “There’s a song about my first long relationship.
“There is a lot of family stuff. I have three sisters who are a lot older and I’m now experiencing the same life events they did.”
What sets “Write It Down” from a lot of albums by singer/songwriters is the music – and the musicians. There are a lot of different instruments used on the album and the arrangements are ultra-tight.
Grace’s band features a bunch of Philly’s best musicians — Ross Bellenoit (guitar), Chico Huff (bass), Erik Johnson (drums) and John Conahan (keyboards).
Prior to the album, Grace and the gang recorded and released three singles – “Lost Cause” on February 9, “Stalker on the Internet” on March 15 and “Don’t Love Me Now” on April 12.
“I’m always writing new music,” said Grace. “Right now, I’m trying to nail down production stuff for myself.
“I love the old stuff and performing it in my live show. But I also like adding in new stuff.”
The opening act for the show is Philadelphia’s Gina Kaz.
Kaz is a singer/songwriter/pianist, author, and hospice music therapist. She just released her newest album, “Walk Through,” which she co-produced this album with Barratt and Conahan at MorningStar Studios.
Video link for Ciara Grace – https://youtu.be/5xnLkM2eNEY.
The show at the Lounge at World Café Live will start at
Tickets are $18.
Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will have the spotlight shining on two female artists who have endeared themselves to the club’s fans in recent years – Khadijah Renee Trio on August 9 and Kelli Baker Band on August 10.
Khadijah ‘Renee’
Khadijah “Renee” is a jazz songstress in the vein of the Great Ladies of Jazz. Her resonant tones remind you of the ladies who paved their way through the male dominated syncopated instrumental ingenious sounds of Be-Bop and Classical Jazz from as early as the 1950′s.
If you close your eyes while listening to her, you may hear reminiscent echoes of Sarah, Ella, Billie, Nancy, Dinah and Gloria.
Khadijah is a contralto whose range is deep and sweet at the same time.
She has been performing jazz since the late 80′s in and around the Tri-State area. Khadijah is always accompanied by the best musicians the area has to offer.
Renee has been recorded live at the East Coast Jazz Festival now called the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Maryland and heard on WRTI 90.1 Jazz Radio.
Born and raised in Chester, Renee currently lives and works in Philadelphia, where the jazz audiences there accepted and adopted her as their own.
A former member of the Delaware Council of Jazz Advocates, she recently graced the stage of their tribute to Clifford Brown at the Delaware School of Music with a rendition of Sassy’s “September Song.”
Video link for Khadijah Renee — https://youtu.be/c74l3jLvyNQ.
The show on Friday will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
This weekend’s show will be another step in Baker’s blossoming love affair with the Philadelphia area music scene — especially her fans at Jamey’s.
Prior to her date back in June, Baker discussed her affinity for the Delco club.
“This will be my third time to play Jamey’s,” said Baker, during a phone interview Tuesday from Huntington, Long Island while walking Yoshi, her 14-year-old Yorkshire Terrier.
“The first time was back in November and there were less than 30 people there. The second time was March 16, and the show was sold out. This weekend’s show had such a demand for tickets that they made it two shows.”
Like many musicians, Baker has been making music since she was a kid.
“I’ve been doing music my entire life,” said Baker, who was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I sang in church choir with my mom. After that, I went to a Christian high school and was in a choral group there.
“Then, I taught myself guitar. I took a few years and then I got into a rock band. I moved to New York in 2012. It was where I always hoped to be.
“In addition to making music, I was also running restaurants and clubs – including the Purple Elephant in New York. Before that, I was doing it in Arizona.
“In 2018, I began to focus mostly on music. I had an ah hah moment. When I started doing it again, I was mostly doing it myself –fake it until I make it. It was mainly at the Bar Petite every Tuesday night.”
The Bar Petite is a cocktail bar in Huntington.
“I got good at playing,” said Baker. “I also played at a lot of open mics with different musicians and that helped me learn a lot.”
Baker also landed a residency gig at one of the most prestigious music clubs in Manhattan.
“I’ve been working in house at The Bitter End,” said Baker, who recently signed as a Sony Music Artist under Bad Jeu Jeu Records.
“I started playing there two years ago. I’ve done a residency once a month for the last year.”
Fans waiting for Baker’s debut album will have to keep on waiting a little while longer.
“I’m doing it single by single,” said Baker, the 2022 winner, Long Island Blues Challenge “Road to Memphis.”
“My most recent single, ‘Gone Georgia, Gone,’ came out on May 10.
“I finished making my new album in March. It’s all mixed and mastered. There will be at least 10 songs – mostly originals and a few interesting takes waiting for permission.
“I’m hoping that it will be released by the end of summer or early fall.
“It was recorded at VuDu Studios – Mike Watts’ studio in Long Island. I produced the album myself.”
Baker’s band features guitar ace Noé Socha (Vernon Reid, Paula Cole), drummer Adan Wooten (son of Bela Fleck’s bassist, Victor Wooten) and bassist PJ LaMariana (Oteil Burbridge, John Kadlecik) – along with Baker on guitar and vocals.
“My genre is blues but I’m a rock girl at heart,” said Baker. The best way to describe it is as blues rooks and rock influences.”
Another way to describe Baker’s music is “popular.” Just ask any of the music fans packing the house at Jamey’s on Friday night.
Video link for Kelli Baker — https://youtu.be/UnaLWBF3FqU.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
Both shows will also be available as a pay-per-view at $15 each.
Jamey’s features either “Thursday Jams at Jamey’s” or “Open Mic” on Thursdays featuring the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians.
“Jazz at Jamey’s” will be presented every second and fourth Thursday, and “Open Mic” every first, third and fifth Thursday.
Every Sunday, Jamey’s presents “SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM” featuring the Philly Blues Kings. On the second Sunday of each month, the featured act is the Girke-Davis Project which features club owner Jamey Reilly, Roger Girke, Glenn Bickel, Fred Berman and Colgan-Davis.
Jamey’s also has a new thing going on next week.
On August 14, the venue will host “The Fabulous Dueling Pianos.”
The Dueling Pianos features Tony T. (Anthony Decarolis) and Wildman Joe (Joe Marchetti), performing energetic sing along classics for all ages. Their entertaining style of interacting with the audience has everyone singing, clapping and partying along.
The Dueling Pianos have been based out of the Philly area since March of 1990, when they started at Market Street Live in Center City Phila. Since then, they have performed at nightclubs, colleges, parties and corporate events throughout the East Coast, as far west as Anaheim, California and as far south as Biloxi, Mississippi.
The show on August 14 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Livestream tickets are $15.
Lindsey Stirling will perform at The Met (858 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, http://themetphilly.com) on August 14.
Stirling is an American violinist, songwriter, and dancer. She presents choreographed violin performances in live shows and in music videos found on her official YouTube channel, which she created in 2007.
Few artists embody boundless creativity quite like Stirling. Not only a multi-award-winning musician known for her genre-bending virtuosity on electronic violin, she also continually dazzles audiences with her extraordinary talents as a dancer.
A New York Times bestselling author (and creator of her own comic book), the platinum-selling star felt compelled to push her boundaries even further for her seventh full-length effort, ultimately embracing a whole new level of freedom in her songwriting.
A visionary meditation on inner wisdom, personal strength, and the ever-shifting nature of identity, Stirling’s new album, “Duality,” arrives as her most sonically daring and emotionally complex album date.
Made with producers/co-writers Graham Muron (Thirty Seconds to Mars, Skrillex) and Lucky West (Walk the Moon, Dreamers), “Duality” features 12 songs showcasing Stirling’s refined musicality and gift for sculpting deeply expressive melodies.
The album’s first half centers on a grandiose and elaborately composed sound informed by Celtic music and other global influences. The second half leans toward a boldly original form of left-of-center pop.
A profoundly imaginative songwriter whose past work includes such high-concept albums as 2019’s “Artemis” (No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart), Stirling makes brilliant use of the new album’s extravagant soundscape by exploring intricate questions of intuition and truth.
According to Stirling, “I’ve always felt that we’re all magical beings with so much spirit and potential, but we live in a world of expectations and rules that often makes us feel so constrained.
“I hope that in some way these songs help people to feel free and empowered and more connected to their truest selves. I’d love to remind everyone that even though the world tries to tame us, that magic is always there within you.”
Video link for Lindsey Stirling – https://youtu.be/kvBCYGHZuMk.
The show on August 14 at The Mert will start at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $55.
“Mamma Mia!,” which is running now through August 11 at the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, www.ensembleartsphilly.org), is a fun show. It’s light and breezy – and the cast of the national tour has some powerful and very talented singers.
There is Christine Sherrill, who plays the focal role of Donna Sheridan; Alisa Melendez, who plays her daughter Sophie Sheridan; and Jaylynn Steele, who plays Donna’s longtime friend Tanya.
Sherrill, who played role of Donna during her residency with the Las Vegas company of “Mamma Mia!,” is especially magnificent in her delivery of “Mamma Mia!,” “One of Us,” “The Winner Takes It All” and “SOS.”
Melendez, who was in “Almost Famous” on Broadway, performs with poise in the pivotal role of Sophie and nails it with her vocal performances Uin “The Name of the Game,” “Under Attack” and “I Have a Dream.”
Steele, who performed in “The Lightning Thief” on Broadway, shines in her portrayal of Tanya, a rich woman who has been married and divorced thrice and Donna’s longtime friend and former “bandmate” in “Donna and the Dynamos.”
She dances with the skill and movement of dancers half her age and is spot-on with her depiction of a still-sexy dynamo. Her vocal and dance highlights are “Dancing Queen” and “Super Trouper.”
The musical, which is on its 25th anniversary tour, showcases the ultimate feel-good show based on the songs of beloved band, ABBA
It features a mother, a daughter, three possible dads, and a trip down the aisle audiences will never forget.
Set on a Greek island paradise, where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is told through the timeless hits of ABBA.
On the eve of Sophie’s wedding, her wonder about the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.
Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The show has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – “MAMMA MIA! The Movie” and “MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again.”
After “Mamma Mia!” opened on Broadway in 2001, it played for a record-breaking 14 years, first at the Winter Garden Theatre, then at the Broadhurst Theatre.
The show also toured North America from 2000-2017 with four different touring companies spanning this period. To date, “Mamma Mia!” has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages, grossing more than $4 billion at the box office.
Video link for “Mamma Mia!” — https://youtu.be/aPkt5llwkk4.
“Mamma Mia!” will run through August 11 at the Academy of Music.
Ticket prices start at $26.
