By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Gretchen Emery Band
This is a good weekend for blues fans with shows by the Gretchen Emery Band, the Wendy Logan Band and the Deb Callahan Band.
The Gretchen Emery Band continues to add to its fan base by performing well-received shows at popular area venues such as Jamey’s House of Music, the Elkton Music Hall and Stoney’s Pub.
On December 14, the Gretchen Emery Band will headline a show at Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com).
“The show will be a double bill with the Wendy Logan Band,” said Emery, during a phone interview Wednesday night from her home in Newark, Delaware.
“She’s a great, great blues singer. She will open the show on Saturday night. This will be a good double bill for blues fans.”
Emery and her band are becoming fan favorites at Jamey’s.
“This is the third time we’ve headlined a show at Jamey’s,” said Emery.
“I was first told about Jamey’s by a friend back in pre-COVID. I got in touch with Jamey (Reilly), and he let us come in for an Open Blues Jam. After COVID was over, we played a Blues Jam again.
“I like everything about Jamey’s. As a performer, I like that Jamey makes it very easy and comfortable for the artists. The stage and the sound are already set up. You just have to walk in with your instrument and play. The sound system is great.
“Jamey is a wonderful guy — very easy to work with. He’s been very supportive. For audiences, it’s a great place to see a show. It has good sound, free parking and great food – and he has a livestream option.”
The Gretchen Emery Band’s show this Saturday will be available on pay-per-view.
Vocal powerhouse Emery was recently honored with the 2023 award for “Best Lead Singer” by Delaware Valley Hometown Heroes. Her husband Kenny Windle is the band’s guitarist and Emery’s co-writer. The band also features Randy Waters (bass), Mike Leger (drums), and Frank Donato (keys).
The Gretchen Emery Band has toured steadily in the Mid-Atlantic region over the last four years. The band released its debut EP, “If Love Were Enough,” in July 2022.
The EP, which was released on a/i/r records, has been described as a “rootsy, soul-fueled mix of rockin’ R&B…. blending both traditional and contemporary influences, creating something that feels instantly familiar yet excitingly fresh at the same time.”
Now, they are working on a new release on a/i/r records. Their most recent area show was at Stoney’s Pub in Wilmington last month.
“We’re still working on our new album,” said Emery. “My husband and I write together. “He comes up with the chord structure and I develop the melody. Then, I take care of the lyrics.
“‘If Love Were Enough’ was the first one where we achieved the result that we were really happy with.
“We recorded it at BarnSound Studio in Newtown Square. It’s Derek Chafin’s studio which he has now moved to Chester Springs.
“We used Derek Chafin as our producer for the EP. He made all the difference for us.
“We brought him the song ‘If Love Were Enough’ to listen to. He liked it and agreed to produce us. We had never used a producer before. Now, we’re working on a full-length with him.
“The new album won’t be out until ‘?’ – until we’re all done. Let’s just say ‘early next year.’
“We’re getting close. We just finished the vocals. Next, we have to add backup vocals and horns.
“We’re still writing. Kenny and I have three songs we’re working on now.”
Emery grew up in Dover, Delaware while her husband is a native of North Philadelphia.
“I stayed in Dover for college and went to Wesley College,” said Emery, who spent more than two decades as a pediatric nurse. “My mom was a professor there.
“I went to nursing school and got my degree. I worked as a nurse for a long time. Now, I work for the V.A. in Philly. I’m in administration so fortunately I can work from home.
“When I was growing up, music was obligatory in our home. Everyone is musical. My mom has been a singer since she was really young. My dad played the clarinet and his brother played organ and piano. I started singing in church. In school, I played flute in the band and sang.”
Emery, who has been involved in quite a few bands over the years, now has found the right sound and the right mixture of players.
“We had a band called Gretchen Emery Band and Dirty Boots,” said Emery. “We competed in the IBC (International Blues Competition) in 2013 and then broke up a year later.
“Kenny and I stopped playing for a while. Then, we realized we can’t not play.”
Video link for the Gretchen Emery Band – https://youtu.be/yUWijOc-OuM.
The show at Jamey’s House of Music will start at 8 p.m. with a set by the Wendy Logan Band.
The Wendy Logan Band
The Wendy Logan Band is a group of seasoned musicians on a musical journey.
Led by the powerful, gritty and sultry vocals of Wendy Logan, along with topnotch musicians, Glenn Hall (bass), Jack Obusek (keys/sax), and Greg Spencer (drums), WLB weaves a tapestry of blues, funk, soul and a little bit of rock and roll.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. It will also be available as a pay-per-view at $15.
On December 13, Jamey’s The Future of the Blues with special guest Jake Friel.
A heavy dose of the blues will be served up on December 14 when the Deb Callahan Band performs at
World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com) hosts the Deb Callahan Band Holiday Show featuring Roger Girke.
“I’m from the Boston area and I’ve been in Philly for over 20 years,” said Callahan. “I moved here to go to grad school at Penn.”
After graduation from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Work, Callahan stayed in the area and still works as a social worker in the city.”
“I got a master’s degree in social work,” said Callahan. “I do youth counseling. My music is definitely influenced by my work as a social worker.”
Callahan, who has been a fixture in the Delaware Valley blues/rock scene for over two decades will be performing with her longtime band which features Garry Lee on bass and Allen James on guitar along with new drummer Fred Berman.
Callahan’s debut LP was “If Blues Had Wings” and she followed with “The Blue Pearl” in 2005, “Grace and Grit” in 2008 and “Tell It Like It Is’ in 2010.
Her most recent album, which was released in 2023, is “Backbone,” which was released on Blue Pearl Records. The CD, produced by Philadelphia producer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Arms was recorded live at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, with overdubs and mixing completed at Arms’ Studio 501 in Philadelphia.
Callahan recorded this album with her road tested, all- star band along with London-based producer and songwriter Danny Schogger on keyboards and Arms on slide guitar.
There are also guest appearances by Philly’s Jay Davidson on sax, John Colgan Davis on harmonica and Charlene Holloway on backing vocals. The core band’s years of playing together creates a unique chemistry and an ability to play with an easy, nuanced improvisation.
Callahan has been performing, touring, recording and entertaining music fans both regionally and around the United States since the late 1990s.
She has graced the stages of many festivals nationwide from The Monterey Bay Blues Festival in Monterey, CA, The Springing the Blues Fest in Jacksonville, FL, The Bayfront Blues Fest in Duluth, MN to WXPN’s XPonential Music Festival right here in Philly.
Often compared to Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi and Etta James, Callahan has developed a unique sound all her own.
Roger Girke is a road-tested guitarist, singer and writer who has performed over 5,000 career live shows, concerts and festivals.
“Roger has his own band but for this show, he will join my band,” said Callahan. “He and I will do things together and do things separately.
“He and I have played festivals and been on the same bill at various venues. We always had a good musical connection. I like his music.”
Girke’s career began performing in rock bands in the eastern PA/NJ area, eventually joining the legendary Philadelphia area roots rock band Pickins (Capitol/Ariola), followed by many years of touring and recording with Sharks (Elektra), Robert Hazard (RCA), and many other notable artists.
Since 2000, Roger has released five albums and has regularly performed at blues festivals, clubs and concerts throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
The Roger Girke Band was a top 10 finalist in the 2009 Memphis, TN International Blues Challenge as well as receiving top tier Independent CD finalist awards* in the 2005 and 2009 International Blues Challenge, a part of the Blues Foundation.
On Saturday, Callahan and Girke will showcase their original blues, soul, funk originals with some special holiday gems.
“We’ll play all of ‘Backbone’ and favorites from some of my other albums,” said Callahan. “I’ll also be doing some covers and playing some holiday songs.”
Video link for Deb Callahan — https://youtu.be/G8yCZBc5lIM.
The show at The Lounge at World Cafe Live on Saturday will start at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door.
Some acts have developed long-standing music performance traditions such as Annie Haslam’s annual holiday music show in Bucks County.
On December 14, Haslam is returning to the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) with “Annie Haslam & Friends…In The Spirit Of The Holidays.”
Beginning in 1999, Haslam has performed a Christmas show each year called “In the Spirit of the Holidays” — originally at the Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church, and then at the larger Sellersville Theatre in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, since 2006.
The Christmas show has been held every year except 2012, because of the death of her friend and colleague, Michael Dunford, in November of that year. Haslam stated that “there was just too much sadness at the time.”
“I started the holiday shows a long time ago,” said Haslam, during a phone interview from her home in Bucks County.
“I first did the show at the church here in Upper Black Eddy. What I did – I included vegetarian Christmas food in the price of the ticket. It was really different. It was wonderful.
“After a few years, the pastor moved to Kansas. Then, I started doing holiday shows at the Sellersville Theater. It was a perfect place.”
Included in the program are secular, and religious Christmas carols, as well as her own compositions, and some Renaissance songs.
Haslam, Renaissance’s lead vocalist, has become a heralded solo artist and a gifted painter. She has graced the most prestigious world stages with her five-octave voice, including London’s Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and NYC’s Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
In recent years she has been recording and touring with Renaissance which has taken her to Japan, Brazil, Argentina, UK, Belgium, Portugal and Israel.
Renaissance is a band with a rich history as progressive rock pioneers that rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds, a blues-influenced British rock band known for introducing three of rock’s greatest guitarists — Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.
Acclaimed for its unique blending of progressive rock with classical and symphonic influences, Renaissance’s long and successful career has been spearheaded by the five-octave voice of Haslam and the masterful songwriting skills of Michael Dunford.
Renaissance had a Top 10 hit in the U.K. with the song “Northern Lights.” In October and November 2017, the band debuted its “Symphonic Journey” tour.
“We did four shows with the 10-piece orchestra – an orchestra that featured strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion,” said Haslam. “One of those shows was at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside. We filmed the show.”
Haslam, who was born in Bolton, Lancashire, first gained worldwide recognition when she was asked to become the lead singer of Renaissance, a band formed by Keith Relf after he left the Yardbirds.
According to Haslam, “I joined the band New Year’s Day 1971. Now, more than 50 years later we are still performing and bringing our unique style of music to more and more fans all over the world.
While with Renaissance, Haslam was the lead vocalist on seven studio albums during their classic period (1972–1979), four studio albums from 1981–present, and a number of live albums.
In 1977, Haslam began her solo career with her album “Annie in Wonderland,” produced by Roy Wood (who was a key member of The Move, one of England’s best rock bands in the late 1960s). Wood played most of the musical instruments.
Haslam has since released eight studio albums, three of which were released through her own record label, White Dove. She has also collaborated with Steve Howe of the prog rock band Yes, on a number of projects.
From the year 2002, Haslam has developed a parallel career as a visual artist, producing paintings on canvas, painted musical instruments, and giclées.
“The show at Sellersville will open with some Renaissance songs. I don’t want it to be a Renaissance show, so I just touch on it.
“I’ll be singing a lot of Christmas standards – ‘Silent Night,’ ‘Silver Bells,’ ‘Joy to the World,’ ‘Oh Holy Night,’ ‘It Snows in Heaven,’ ‘White Christmas,’ and ‘The 12 Days of Christmas.’”
Video link for Annie Haslam – https://youtu.be/MeB82QmGa1Q.
The show on December 14, which has Lizanne Knott ft. Ciara Grace & John Conahan as the opening act will start at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $35.
“An Olde English Christmas with Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone” is scheduled for December 15.
Noone was a popular British pop star in the 1960s with his band Herman’s Hermits. Some of their international hits were “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” and “Listen People.”
Noone and his band will perform two shows on Sunday – a matinee at 3 p.m. and an evening show at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $65.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) will present Rock This Town on December 13 and Twelve Twenty-Four on December 18.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is presenting Ellis Paul on December 12 and Better Than Bacon on December 13.
The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, candlelighttheatredelaware.org) is presenting Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn” now through December 22.
A Connecticut farmhouse is transformed into an inn featuring shows to celebrate each holiday from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July. Inspired by the Academy Award winning film of the same name, “Holiday Inn” is a story of romance with a mix of small-town living, bright lights, and the lure of stardom.
This joyous musical features thrilling dance numbers, laugh out loud comedy, and nearly two dozen Irving Berlin classics with a book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge.
Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (8 p.m.), Sunday afternoons (3 p.m.) and Wednesdays (11 a.m.)
Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $70.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12).
