Welcome to Seven in Seven, where we look at shows coming to the region over the next week. As always, whether your musical tastes are rock ’n’ roll, jazz, heavy metal, R&B, singer-songwriter or indie, there will always be something to check out.
Here are seven of the best on the docket for the week of Jan. 6:
Andorra — Friday at MilkBoy Philly
As the rage from the pandemic slowed, Philly modern rockers Andorra picked back up where they left off and found that “thing” that contributed to a decade plus of relentlessly ripping through dive bars: having fun. The guys teamed up with musician Tommy Leahy of Wildflower Studios in Glenside to produce their swampy, Memphis-influenced rock record, “Boogie Night Blues.” The MilkBoy show Friday serves as the official record release gig, with the LP landing on streaming platforms the same day.
Jor’Dan Armstrong — Friday at The Loft at City Winery
“The King of Urban Inspiration,” Jor’Dan Armstrong is an accomplished vocalist and percussionist who has been performing since the tender age of 5. As a skilled producer with a passion for his craft, his music transcends the traditional approach to gospel music and offers a fresh perspective to many who have not been interested in the genre before. His current trek, named after his latest LP, is dubbed the “Church Girls Love R&B Live Experience,” a title that indicates just how Armstrong fuses elements from both R&B and gospel.
Chuck Prophet — Friday at World Café Live
Since his neo-psychedelic days in the band Green on Red, Chuck Prophet has been turning out country, folk, blues and odes to the Brill Building era. Then, on 2020’s “The Land That Time Forgot,” he switched it up to something a bit different, with his alt-country weather vane picking up signals from outer space with a Heartland twist. Part of it may have had to do with his move from the Bay Area to upstate New York — a change of locale will have that sort of effect — but at the end of the day, it’s still classic Prophet.
The Billy Price Band — Saturday at 118 North
Based out of Pittsburgh, soul singer Billy Price first attracted national attention during his three-year association with guitarist Roy Buchanan. He sang on a pair of the pioneer of the Telecaster sound’s LPs, “That’s What I’m Here For” and “Live Stock.” Since then, with the Keystone Rhythm Band, the Billy Price Band and solo projects, Price has recorded and released upwards of 20 albums. His “This Time for Real” LP, with the late Chicago soul singer Otis Clay, received a Blues Music Award in the category of Best Soul Blues Album of 2015. Currently promoting the new three disc collection “50+ Years of Soul,” Price shows no signs of slowing down.
Chantae Cann — Saturday at The Loft at City Winery
Influences like Bobby McFerrin, Hiatus Kaiyote, Chaka Khan and countless others help shape the sounds that one hear’s throughout the music of Chantae Cann. Her music blends the exploratory sounds of jazz with the feel-good vibes of soul, which makes for a mixture that inspires, uplifts and encourages. That sense fits right into the goals of Cann, who wants to make music that serves as a safe haven for those seeking respite and reformation, with a simple but profound truth in the phrase “love heals.”
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder — Sunday at Sellersville Theater 1894
A virtuoso of the mandolin and fiddle, Ricky Skaggs has often said that he is “just trying to make a living” playing the music he loves. Yet it’s clear that his passion for it puts him in the position to bring his lively, distinct form of music out of isolation and into the ears and hearts of audiences around the world. He’s always forging ahead with cross-cultural, genre-bending musical ideas and inspirations, resulting in a litany of awards and accolades. In 2020 alone, Skaggs was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts for his contributions to the American music industry, an addition to such honors as multiple Grammys, CMAs, an induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and many, many more. Note that there is an afternoon and evening performance at Sellersville Theater this weekend.
Joseph Arthur — Tuesday at The Loft at City Winery
Over the course of his wildly prolific career, singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur has released some 15 albums, 11 official EPs and a stream of singles under his own name, while balancing high-profile side projects like Fistful of Mercy — with Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison — as well as Arthur Buck with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. He’ll be solo at City Winery, performing one after another songs that are breathtaking, heartbreaking and celebratory even when dipped in emotional turmoil.
Soundcheck
• Andorra: “Leather Jacket”
• Jor’Dan Armstrong: “Grace”
• Chuck Prophet: “Marathon”
• Billy Price: “Why Can’t We Be Lovers”
• Chantae Cann: “Craters”
• Ricky Skaggs: “Uncle Pen”
• Joseph Arthur: “Can’t Exist”
Source: Berkshire mont
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