By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Bees Deluxe
If the Better Business Bureau (BBB) had a category for concerts and concert venues, Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) would definitely get a BBB seal of approval for March 29.
The show on Saturday night would also get a different BBB nod of approval – a “thumbs up” regarding “Boston Blues Bands.”
Bees Deluxe, an Anglo-American blues band based in Boston, will be the headliner for the March 29 show. One Dime Band, another longtime blues act from Beantown, will be the opening act.
Bees Deluxe is an anything-but-basic blues band. They are hell-bent on a mission to drag the electric-analog blues of Chicago in the 60’s, the Blue Note catalog and the funk of New Orleans into the 21st century.
The core line-up of Bees Deluxe features Conrad Warre, guitar, vocals; Carol Band, keys, vocals; Allyn Dorr, bass, vocals; and Paul Giovine, drums.
The band has impressed audiences from Maine to the Mississippi with its arresting and highly danceable originals and its innovative interpretation of less-travelled tunes by artists like Etta James, Joe Zawinul, J.B. Lenoir, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Albert Collins and the three Kings.
According to Blues Blast Magazine, “(The band is)…what might happen if Freddie King took a lot of acid then wrote a song with Pat Metheny and asked a strung-out Stevie Ray Vaughan to take a solo.”
The band was formed by British guitar ace Conrad Warre.
“I grew up in London,” said Warre, during a phone interview from his home in Boston. “I went to a Quaker boarding school that had a lot of U.S. students. One of them gave me a blues compilation album with songs by Johnny Winter, Little Walter and B.B. King.
“In high school, I was in a band with Paul Kossoff. Paul later went on to be a guitarist with the band Free.
“I got a degree in graphic design. When I got out of college, I realized I didn’t want to do graphic design.”
Music was a prime alternative.
“I’m from London – from Notting Hill Gate, where the riots were,” said Warre. “I wrote Two-Tone music and toured with The English Beat and Joe Jackson. I moved to New York and played a lot at CBGB’s.
“I found Carol playing jazz at Ryles Jazz Club in Boston. I got Paul in the band because he knew who Bernard Purdie was. Jim was a friend of his and they played country blues together.”
Bees Deluxe has played with Ronnie Earl, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Matt Schofield, Roomful of Blues, Walter Trout and David Maxwell. The four-piece band celebrates the music of B.B. King, Robert Cray, Albert King, Tinsley Ellis, Freddie King and others.
So, the band’s background includes blues, rock, English ska, punk rock, jazz and country rock. Its current sound is all of that – and none of that.
“Our sound is more modern – more progressive – more edge,” said Band.
Warre, who is a British football fan and supporter of the Arsenal Gunners, said, “The communality is acid rock and blues. So many bands play the same songs the same way every night.
“When we play, we stretch it out and change it always. Arrangements are made up on the fly.”
Bees Deluxe push the limits of the blues, color outside the lines of convention, and do it with impeccable musicality, originality, and a touch of insanity.
“This kind of music appeals to fans of all ages – if they get to hear it,” said Warre. “We’re at our best when people are dancing.”
“Or if they’re hooting and hollering. We adjust our music to the audience. If it’s not a dance crowd, we can stretch it out.
“We don’t play a standard blues band repertoire. A lot of blues bands play the same few songs such as ‘Born Under a Bad Sign,’‘Spoonful,’ and ‘The Thrill Is Gone.’ It’s really repetitive.
“I pick songs that other blues bands don’t – for example songs by J. B. Lenoir. We like to discover songs that are off the beaten path.”
Bees Deluxe’s discography also includes the following albums – “Saving Civilization” (2009),’Space Age Bachelor Pad Blues” (2012), “Trouble in Paradise” (2014),
In 2018, Bees Deluxe released their all-original acid-blues album, “Voice of Dog,” which was produced by Joe Egan on Slapping Cat Records.
The band’s CD, “Mouthful of Bees,” which features an original sound that they call “acid blues,” was produced by Egan and Warre. It includes three originals and seven classic blues songs re-interpreted by the band.
In November 2023, Bees Deluxe released the “Hallucinate” album. “Houdini,” a track from the album was released as a single on the same day.
The musicians featured on this album are Warre on guitar, bass, vocals, trumpet, and keys; Band on keyboards, vocals and harmonica; Poogie Bell on drums; Allyn Dorr on bass and vocals; Jared Egan on guitar; Joe Egan on keyboards and mentoring; James Gildea on bass and vocals; Paul Giovine on drums and percussion; and Adam Sankowski on bass guitar.
“Hallucinate” was produced and mixed by Joe Egan at Tight Squeeze and mastered by Joe Idza at All Things Audio with Warre serving as executive producer.
Warre wrote 11 of the album’s 12 songs including “Another Close Shave,” “Houdini,” “What’s Wrong With Me?,” “Men & Women,” “Scared,” and “Gary Burton’s ex-Guitar Player Stole My Highschool Girlfriend And Now I Can’t Stop Dreaming About Her.”
Band wrote the other song – “How to Play 96 Tears.”
“Our repertoire has about 60 covers – most of which are deep cuts — and 40 originals,” said Warre. “You’re in danger if you play too many originals.”
The audiences at Jamey’s have already demonstrated that they will love whatever Bees Deluxe plays.
“We’ve played Jamey’s before. It’s like dying and going to heaven,” said Band. “The people are there for the music.”
Video link for Bees Deluxe — https://youtu.be/-zjBC5GaG3Y.
One Dime Band
One Dime Band features the nucleus of Paul Gallucci (vocals, harmonica, and guitar) and John Brauchler (electric & acoustic guitars, resonator, and banjo).
Just like there would be no pollen collection and fertilization each spring without bees, there would be no One Dime Band on Saturday’s bill without Bees Deluxe.
“One Dime Band wouldn’t be playing Jamey’s had it not been for Bees Deluxe,” said Gallucci, during a phone interview from his home in New York’s Hudson Valley.
“We’re both Boston blues bands. They introduced us to Jamey’s House of Music and now this is our second time to play there.”
One Dime Band is a dynamic and talented acoustic duo which has crafted its distinct sound and songwriting approach by blending influential styles of blues, R&B and soul.
Gallucci and Brauchler have played in and around the Boston/New England area as a duo and as a four-piece electric band for many years.
Their love of American Roots music started in New York State where they first met in High School, teaching each other Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly songs when they were 15. The next year they formed their first band and began to incorporate blues numbers into their repertoire.
“We’ve been making music together for more than 35 years,” said Brauchler, who joined in on a conference call. “We started our first band when we were in school at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak, New York.”
While many of their friends at the suburban high school in Westchester County were playing sports for the Hornets teams, Gallucci and Brauchler were playing music for whomever would listen.
“Our band back then was called Resque,” said Gallucci. “It was 80s rock and roll and evolved into roots rock and roll. I was learning guitar and John was teaching me Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly riffs.
“I went to college for a year and that didn’t work out. I was playing keyboards for bands in upstate New York.
“Then, I moved to Boston and never left. That was around 1986. We had a band called Paul Crash Palace. It was a rock and roll band.”
Blues entered the picture around that time.
“The first live blues concert I saw was Paul Butterfield and Rick Danko opening for John Lee Hooker,” said Brauchler.
Gallucci said, “The first time we heard live blues shows was in Boston. On my first time was with John and we went to see John Lee Hooker opening for Johnny Winter. We formed our own blues band around 1989 — The Roadhouse Sheiks.
The two eventually went on to pursue separate musical endeavors, ultimately reuniting as a duo in early 2000. Their focus was on acoustic blues.
“John and I took a couple years to form One Dime Band,” said Gallucci. “One Dime came into existence in 2000. Once we started the blues thing, I knew the tradition of blues bands playing covers.
“We were an acoustic blues duo in 2000. It was in 2016 when we really started writing and then recording at my home studio. So, this thing we have now has been around for nine years.”
Brauchler said, “In 2017, we released our debut album, ‘Gonna Take Sweet Time,’ on our own label, Toneblanket Records.
“In February 2020, we released ‘Hoodoo & Holy Water.’ That was the first time we did the recording in a real studio.”
“Hoodoo & Holy Water” was recorded at Woolly Mammoth Sound in Waltham, Massachusetts. The album was engineered and co-produced by Rob Ignazio.
Released in mid-winter in 2020, the LP received notable recognition, including Blues Music Fan Radio’s Top 20 albums of the year and Blues Music and Metronome Magazine’s Top 20 lists of 2020.
The two veterans were winners of the 2022 Boston Blues Society Blues Challenge solo/duo category and the 2023 Granite State Blues Society Challenge. They also made it to the semifinals at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January 2024.
On February 9, 2024, they released their third album, “Side Hustle.”
“We play a lot of clubs with our blues,” said Brauchler. “We also play a lot of gigs at venues like Legion halls with 50s and 60s rock and Beatles songs.
“At Jamey’s, we’ll focus on the blues. We’ll play one or two covers but most of the set list will be originals. I’d say it’s about 80/20.”
Video link for One Dime Band – https://youtu.be/9ZndITmerjg.
The show at Jamey’s on March 29 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Pay-per-view tickets are $15.
Jamey’s will also host AC Steel and the Perpetrators on March 27, Dustin Douglas and The Electric Gentlemen on March 28 and The Philly
Blues Kings with special guest Dave Orban of the Mojo Gypsies on March 30.
BASK is coming to town this weekend.
But there is no exhibition soccer match on this weekend’s schedule, so it won’t be BASK, a football (soccer) club from Savski Venac, Belgrade, Serbia. It is one of the oldest clubs in Serbia.
The BASK heading to Philly will be BASK, a band from Asheville, North Carolina. It is one of the oldest bands of its type in the North Carolina mountains.
Two years ago, BASK travelled extensively on a 10th-anniversary tour. The North Carolina rockers have spent the last decade exhibiting their progressive blend of heavy psychedelia and soulful Americana across North America and Europe.
On March 28, BASK — Jesse Van Note, bass; Scott Middleton, drums; Ray Worth, guitar; Zeb Camp, guitar/vocals – will return to Philadelphia for a show at Nikki Lopez Philly (304 South Street, Philadelphia, www.livenation.com/venue/rZ7HnEZ17QZPN/nikki-lopez-philly-events).
“We all came to Asheville about 12 years ago,” said Camp, during a phone interview Monday as the band travelled from Asheville to Atlanta to start the tour.
“Jesse is from Chapel Hill and I’m from northwest North Carolina. Ray is from Virginia and Scott is from somewhere in upstate New York.
“I was studying literature at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. I met these guys through musical friends. Our first show was in 2013 at the Odditorium in Asheville.”
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, BASK was fully conceived in the fall of 2013 when the four musicians came together to produce sounds that were properly reflective of the lush yet rugged Appalachian habitat.
Bask’s debut album was “American Hollow,” which was released initially in 2014 on Wonderboy Records and as a CD in 2015 on This Charming Man Records. The quartet’s sophomore album, “Ramble Beyond,” was released in March 2017 on Self Aware Records/ This Charming Man Records.
The band’s newest record, ‘III,’ showcases a soulful juxtaposition of Americana rock ‘n’ roll with progressive and psychedelic elements, separating BASK from your average rock band from the South.
It should be emphasized that BASK is a band from the South but not a “Southern Rock” band.
Back in 2019, BASK’s Facebook page has the following message –
“Letter to the listener:
Progressive; heavy; psychedelic; Americana, have all been used to describe BASK. The truth, we are four musicians based in Asheville, North Carolina who love making music. We want rhythm heard for miles, melodies remembered for weeks, and an honesty and sincerity felt to your bones. Most of all we want you to listen without concern for what you are hearing. To listen only for the sake of hearing.
Esse Quam Videri,
BASK.”
The “Esse Quam Videri” is a line BASK lifted from the state motto of North Carolina. It is a Latin phrase meaning “to be rather than to seem.”
“We all have pretty diverse tastes,” said Camp. “Two of us have North Carolina folk and traditional. Growing up, punk and hardcore were popular and we all found our ways to heavier stuff. Now, we’re back to traditional.
“The description depends. We’re often the lightest band on a metal bill and the heaviest band on an indie rock bill.”
BASK has added another element to its musical diversity.
“We’ve added a pedal steel to our live ensemble,” said Camp. “It adds a progressive element. There are also a lot of other influences ranging from country to Pink Floyd.
“When we’re not on tour, we’ve been working on new material. We’ve road-tested a lot of new songs and hope to have an album out later this year.
“We might put out a single or two but we’re really into the album art form. We want to make an album rather than a collection of songs.”
Video link for BASK – https://youtu.be/1lONxOS6U4M.
The show at Nikki Lopez Philly on March 27, which also features Weedeater, will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25.
The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, candlelighttheatredelaware.org) is presenting the first full weekend of its latest production, “Bright Star.”
“Bright Star” is a musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. It is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in 1945–46 with flashbacks to 1923. The musical is inspired by their Grammy-winning collaboration on the 2013 bluegrass album “Love Has Come for You” and, in turn, the folk tale of the “Iron Mountain Baby.”
“Bright Star” is billed as “an uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp – as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.”
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 $73.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12).
“Bright Star” will run through April 19.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is presenting The Sin City Band on March 28 and Lauren Calve on April 3.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) will present Married, Single
and a Baby on March 28, AM Radio on March 29 and Tom Rush on April 2.
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com) will host Leo Kottke on March 28, Lower Wolves on March 29, Gabe Dixon Trio on April 1 and Kathleen Edwards Band on April 2.
