{"id":40780,"date":"2024-08-30T08:51:14","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T12:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=40780"},"modified":"2024-08-30T08:51:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T12:51:16","slug":"on-stage-humbleman-band-rocks-and-works-to-help-the-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=40780","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Humbleman Band rocks and works to help the community"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff,<\/strong> Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Humbleman Band<\/p><\/div>\n

Humbleman Band is one of the Philadelphia area\u2019s longest-running rock bands — and a band which has been involved in projects all over the country.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The talented sextet, whose members reside mostly in the northwest region of the Philadelphia area, will have the opportunity to play a gig in its own backyard this weekend.<\/div>\n
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Humbleman Band will be the headliner at the Friends of Gorgas Park\u2019s \u201cMusic Jamboree & New Ridge Brewing Co. Beer Garden\u201d on August 31 at Gorgas Park (Ridge Avenue, Roxborough, www.facebook.com\/humblemanband<\/a><\/i><\/b>).<\/div>\n

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Humbleman\u00a0Band\u2019s current line-up is Charlie Cooper – writer, vocals, guitar; Wain Ballard – lead guitar; Kim Alexander \u2013 vocals; Boz Heinly \u2013 bass; Buck Buchannan \u2013 drums; and Rob Sanders \u2013 vocals.<\/div>\n
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\u201cHumbleman Band\u00a0was formed in 1999,\u201d said \u201cCholly\u201d Cooper, during a phone interview from his home in Germantown. \u201cI was in a band with our drummer Buck Buchanan. Three of us were living near each other in South Philly and we gradually picked up people.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe third guy was bassist Bruce Koch, who just died a year ago from a massive heart attack. That was a real loss \u2013 as a friend and as a bandmate.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe weren\u2019t sure we were going to pick up the pieces. We were using hired hands to fill in. We added a permanent bass player \u2013 Boz Heinly, who lives in Plymouth Meeting.<\/div>\n
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\u201cNow, there are of us in the band and several of us live on the same block of Johnson Street in Germantown. We get along really well musically and as friends. We have a lot of respect for each other.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Humbleman Band are not very prolific when it comes to releasing albums.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe seem to have a cycle of putting out an album every five years,\u201d said Cooper. \u00a0\u201cWe put out an album a few years ago called \u2018Least Bad of\u00a0Humbleman\u00a01984-2009.\u2019 That album was a 25-year compilation starting with our days in 1984 as a punk band called The Proles.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The band released its albums \u201cLate Bloom\u201d in fall 2014 and \u201cBeautiful Day\u201d in November 2018.<\/div>\n
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\u201c\u2018Late Bloom\u2019 was self-produced \u2013 and mostly D.I.Y.,\u201d said Cooper. \u201c\u2018Beautiful Day\u2019 was also self-produced \u2013 and also mostly D.I.Y. We used REAPER.<\/div>\n
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\u201cREAPER is a complete digital audio production application for computers, offering a full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAfter finishing recording it ourselves, we sent it out for the mixing. We had Scoops Dardaris do it. We were extremely happy with the mixing. We mastered it at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Germantown.<\/div>\n
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\u201cJim Hamilton, a percussionist and tap dancer from the Kensington area of Philly who toured with Boyz II Men, put the studio together. He\u2019s a terrific talent \u2013 and he knows an amazing amount of people in the music world.\u201d<\/div>\n
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For the most part, Humbleman Band is o.k. with using a proper studio \u2013 but just for mixing and mastering.<\/div>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still into D.I.Y.,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cA few of us have home studios and we prefer working there. We still use DAW (digital audio workstation) REAPER.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re working our way through a new record. We hope to out it out early next year. We have two tracks pretty much close to done.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAnd some others are so new that they\u2019re not even arranged yet. The soft target for the full album will be during the winter.\u201d<\/div>\n
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HumblemanBand, a rock sextet that is socially conscious, features songs that band members have written and arranged \u2013 songs with lyrics inspired by current events.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe went out to Standing Rock (Indian Reservation) in North Dakota,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cThat inspired song \u2013 \u2018AIM \u201921.\u2019 The title stands for \u2018American Indian in the 21st century.\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n
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In July 2023, Humbleman Band posted the following on its website \u2013 \u201cOnce again, we will be taking skateboards to the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.<\/div>\n
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The Sioux have managed to build a skatepark with the help of some professional skateboarders and some corporate sponsorship. However, poverty is so pervasive there is little money for skateboards, pads, and helmets.<\/div>\n
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The reservation is home to over 45,000 members; over half of this population is under the age of 18; over 80% are unemployed; over half are below the poverty level; and the reservation has the lowest life expectancy of any region in the United States.<\/div>\n
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Dealing with epidemics of alcoholism, drug addiction, and depression affect the entire community.\u00a0I have seen the joy and the pride these kids get from skating. It is a healthy and positive thing for them, and I’ve seen the passion with which they do it!\u201d<\/div>\n
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Humbleman Band released an EP, \u201cRuff Ups,\u201d in August 2012. The disc included \u201cTwo Fires Burning,\u201d \u201cSummer 2020 (The Other Side of This)\u201d and \u201cHomo Sapien.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The band\u2019s most recent single was \u201cTattoo Removal Man\u201d two years ago.<\/div>\n
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\u201cOn \u2018Beautiful Day,\u2019 Kim (Epsom) wrote two songs, we did two covers, and I wrote the rest,\u201d said Cooper, a native of Norristown.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe two covers were songs by the late Gil Scott-Heron \u2013 \u2018Lady Day and John Coltrane\u2019 and \u2018Alien.\u2019 Gil Scott-Heron was a very influential voice in music and activism and most-known for his song \u2018The Revolution Will Not Be Televised\u2019 and his poetry.<\/div>\n
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Humbleman Band, like Scott-Heron, has consistently delivered social commentary and positive messages, often with humor and a light touch, using spoken word lyrics, and generally delivered with dance beat arrangement. His influence upon the band has been strong.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Humbleman Band — https:\/\/youtu.be\/01Clk69MaAU<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Humbleman Band\u2019s set on Saturday will start at 4:30 p.m. Other acts on the bill are The Fiascos and The Big Jangle.<\/div>\n
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The event is free and open to the public. The rain date is September 1.<\/div>\n
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Tommy Froelich<\/p><\/div>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will present Tommy Froelich on August 30 and Prakash Slim and Chuck\u2019s Alibi on August 31.<\/div>\n

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Froelich is a multi-talented musician, singer, songwriter, and guitar player from Chester County. His diverse writing style is inspired from his passion for classic old-school blues and good ole rock-n-roll. He captivates audiences with his smooth, soulful, bluesy playing style.<\/div>\n
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Froehlich\u2019s love for the guitar started at the age of 12 and hasn\u2019t stopped since. For more than 25 years he has played in multiple bands (country, rock, and blues) performing at local clubs, festivals, fund raising events, and much more in the Philadelphia area.<\/div>\n
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Among the many shows performed are: The World Caf\u00e9 Live in Wilmington, the Paoli Blues Festival, Phoenixville Blues Festival, Philadelphia’s 2nd Street Festival, as well as many corporate and other special events for 102.9 MGK.<\/div>\n
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His debut album, \u201cRoads Less Traveled,\u201d was released on June 3, 2016 containing 12 original tracks crossing genres from blues to rock’n\u2019roll and country influences. It was recorded at Noisy Little Critter in Thorndale.<\/div>\n
Froehlich released an EP called \u201cTime Well Spent\u201d in May 2017, which was recorded at Philly Sound Studios in Philadelphia. Tommy has been a featured guest on Wilmington\u2019s 93.7 WSTW Hometown Heroes local music radio show.<\/div>\n
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Prakash Slim\u2019s new album, \u201c8000 Miles To The Crossroads,\u201d was produced by Grammy winning producer engineer Michael Freeman.<\/div>\n
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Ram Prakash Pokharel a.k.a. Prakash Slim was born mired deep in the blues. Born in a small village in Nepal, his father died at the age of 29, leaving his mother with three children to raise on her own.<\/div>\n
Slim started listening to old blues records when he was a child, and he first played music by drumming on a set of gallon water jugs.<\/div>\n
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Because of his difficult childhood growing up in dire poverty, Slim is a genuine bluesman. He\u2019s been playing and teaching music for a long time.<\/div>\n
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For more than 12 years he played lead, rhythm, bass as well as vocalist for various bands throughout Nepal.<\/div>\n
After completing serious blues research with the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund in Mississippi and going through blues mentorship training with blues\/jazz pioneer T. J. Wheeler, he totally shifted to country blues style.<\/div>\n
Tickets are $20 advance\/$25 day of show both nights. Livestream tickets are $15 for each show.<\/div>\n
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Every Sunday, Jamey\u2019s presents \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM\u201d 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.<\/div>\n
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On September 4, the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com<\/a>) will present Rick\u00a0Estrin\u00a0& The Nightcats.<\/div>\n
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Rick\u00a0Estrin\u00a0& The Nightcats\u2019 new album and the band\u2019s sixth release,\u00a0\u201cThe Hits Keep Coming,\u201d packs a powerful punch, with phenomenal musicianship and lyrics\u2014both serious and humorous.<\/div>\n
Vocalist, harmonica master and songwriter\u00a0Estrin, along with multi-instrumentalist\/musical mastermind\/producer Christoffer \u201cKid\u201d Andersen, keyboardist\/organ wizard\/bass player Lorenzo Farrell and endlessly creative drummer Derrick \u201cD’Mar\u201d Martin, have created what\u00a0Estrin\u00a0calls, “the best music we’ve ever made together. This band is killer. I\u2019m enjoying this more than ever. \u201cIt\u2019s a blessing\u2014there\u2019s so much energy, so much collaboration. The band is just so good right now. And the live show is off the charts.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Produced by Andersen at his legendary Greaseland USA studio in San Jose, California, the album captures the band\u2019s chemistry and magic in what is certainly among their strongest and most urgent releases so far.<\/div>\n
The band\u2019s new album is modern blues at its most potent, intense and fun in all the right places, as Rick\u00a0Estrin\u00a0& The Nightcats deliver 12 groove-heavy, hard-hitting songs, including ten written or co-written by\u00a0Estrin\u00a0and two surprising covers (one obscurity from Muddy Waters, one from Leonard Cohen).<\/div>\n
In addition to\u00a0Estrin\u2019s celebrated songwriting and peerless blues harmonica playing, he and the band are among the most entertaining and colorful showmen around.<\/div>\n
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Estrin\u2019s signature streetwise vocals and hipster-cool look, Andersen\u2019s eye-popping, off-the-cuff guitar pyrotechnics, Farrell\u2019s mighty organ, piano and bass work and D’Mar\u2019s dynamic, acrobatic drumming make every one of their live performances a must-see event.<\/div>\n
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Over the years,\u00a0Estrin\u00a0has won a total of seven Blues Music Awards, including awards for Song of The Year, Traditional Male Blues Artist, Instrumentalist\u2014Harmonica, and twice, the prestigious Band of The Year (for Rick\u00a0Estrin\u00a0& The Nightcats).<\/div>\n
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Video link for Rick\u00a0Estrin\u00a0& The Nightcats \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/qepBrUuDti0<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at Sellersville on September 4 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $25 and $39.50.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Humbleman Band is one of the Philadelphia area\u2019s longest-running rock bands — and a band which has been involved in projects all over the country. The talented sextet, whose members reside mostly in the northwest region of the Philadelphia area, will have the opportunity to play a gig […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7441],"tags":[6269,15100,15101],"class_list":["post-40780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-humbleman-band","tag-tommy-froelich"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40780"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40781,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40780\/revisions\/40781"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}