Sideshow: Hidden River Blues Festival serenades Manayunk this weekend
Hidden Blues - and more What a music weekend! Someplace around here, ya got the Zac Brown Band, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Maroon 5 with Nick Jonas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival - and, now, the inaugural Hidden River Blues Festival on Venice Island in Manayunk on Saturday afternoon. It's at the outdoor rec center amphitheater off Main Street.
Hidden Blues - and more
What a music weekend! Someplace around here, ya got the Zac Brown Band, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Maroon 5 with Nick Jonas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival - and, now, the inaugural Hidden River Blues Festival on Venice Island in Manayunk on Saturday afternoon. It's at the outdoor rec center amphitheater off Main Street.
The fest's headliner is Otis Taylor, the Colorado bluesman who excels in both trancey electric blues and quieter, soul-searching sounds on his new album, Hey Joe Opus Red Meat, which features a cameo by Bucks County-bred songwriter Langhorne Slim. He'll be preceded on stage by Sugar Blue, the Harlem-born harmonica player you've heard before, though you may not know it: He played on the Rolling Stones' "Miss You."
Hidden River also features a number of acts representative of the Philly blues scene, including the Tattar Tucker Blue Band, the Deb Callahan Band, and ace harp player Steve Guyger with his band the Excellos. Tickets: $15. Information: Manayunk.com.
- Dan DeLuca
Speaking of Willie . . .
An Amarillo, Texas, couple say the music of Willie Nelson saw their child through infancy and saved her life. Brittany Adams told station KFDA her daughter Ava, now 4, was born very premature, only 24 weeks. Hard months followed. Ava had 12 surgeries in her first 15 months. Parents Brittany and Jamison noticed she rallied whenever they played Willie, Ray Price, or Johnny Cash. As she grew up, Ava gravitated to Willie. They all plan to see him play someday and thank him. Sweet.
Hall and outs
Amanda Aspinall, wife of Philly pop icon Daryl Hall, has filed for divorce after six years of marriage. Actually, she filed in May. It'll be Daryl's second completed marriage, after that to Bryna Lublin (1969-1972).
Dunn is done at KYW
KYW's Mike Dunn, City Hall bureau chief for KYW for the last 12 years, said Wednesday he's leaving the station. Dunn said it's his own decision, but it does come amid big turnover at KYW. Dunn has been on Philly radio since KYW hired him in 1990. The station's Pat Loeb will now cover City Hall.
A brand new Poppy Bush
Jenna Bush Hagar, correspondent for NBC's Today and a daughter of former President George W. Bush, had a baby girl on Thursday. She named it Poppy, after her grandfather former President George H.W. Bush. It's the second child for Jenna and husband Henry.