Participating

DUKES FANS: “Democracy is not a spectator sport. It a participatory event” Credited to George Shultz and Lotte Scharfman “You have to vote in every election. People struggled and died so you could have this right, and if you don’t vote, then you are spitting on their graves.” Ruth Edna Davis It will be election day in a little less than a month in Pennsylvania. As it will not be a gubernatorial or Presidential election, there will probably not be long lines at the polls, or many absentee ballots sent in. “After all” many folks will say,” it is an “off year” election. It’s no big deal.” Actually, the fact that it is an “off-year election” is a VERY big deal. While we may focus on the Presidential and gubernatorial elections as the important ones, many of the ways those elections are run are decided by people who are in power as a result of off year elections. This year Pennsylvania is asking Its citizens to decide if they want to retain the current Justices of our state’s Supreme Court, and that is the court that will probably have final say on many things leading up to and after the gubernatorial and Presidential elections: voting maps, election procedures, lawsuits against prominent people and the interpretation and application of many laws. What citizens do on November 4th may well determine how those later elections turn out. That is a HUGE deal. In Philadelphia, a lot of the people that govern and oversee things that affect our regular, normal, day-to-day lives are also elected at this time. There are several types of judicial elections on this year’s ballot, and if you are involved in legal matters, you or someone you know may well be in one of their courts and/or subject to some of their decisions. This election will also determine the City Controller-the person who oversees Philadelphia’s use of much of our tax money. And Philadelphia will also elect its District Attorney, the person who oversees much of our criminal justice system. That, too, is a HUGE deal. And of course, there are many other people who affect day-to-day life in our suburbs and other towns and cities who will also be elected. I would urge you to find out about elections in your community and state as well. New Jersey has a gubernatorial election, and as you have probably seen in the media, it is hotly contested and being nationally observed. If you are over 18 and a resident of New Jersey, you can have your say over who sets much of the priorities and direction of the state for at least the next four years. So there are multiple opportunities for most of us over the age of 18 to be participants this year in this important event-to not just be spectators, but to be participants! To be a participant is to honor our right to vote: to own it. But in order to own it, you must be registered. The deadline for registration in Pennsylvania is October 20th, and in New Jersey it is October 14.th. If you have not yet registered, I urge you to do so. And when you are, and if you already are, I strongly urge you to show up and vote. The voting age used to be 21 when I turned 18, and I was one of those people standing on street corners in the late 60’s and early 70’s trying to get people to sign petitions, pledging to work to lower the voting age to 18. And it happened! I think we need to honor that, and registering and voting is how we can do that. I have voted in every election since I was legally able to, and I know I will vote November 4th. My mother’s words still ring in my ear: I am not spitting on any graves. (Some info on this November’s election Philadelphia: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/pa-election-guide/ Pennsylvania:https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-philadelphia-election-2025-voter-guide-deadlines/ New Jersey https://www.njspotlightnews.org/special-report/nj-2025-voter-guide-nj-governor-nj-assembly-races/ ) DUKES OF DESTINY: 40th Anniversary www.dukesofdestiny.com

The Maggic of Ffall

DUKES FANS: Monday was the first day of Autumn, and it was a beautiful, mixed day that started out a little on the dreary side but grew into a day of great clouds, bright sunshine, people on the streets, and a general feeling of joy and pleasantness. I love living in the mid-Atlantic; the cycle of seasons and the changes of seasons never fails to amaze and delight me. After the blistering and humid months of June and July, the weather of the last few weeks has made me even more appreciative of fall weather. So I am re-running a tribute to fall I published some 3 years ago. THE MAGIC OF FALL “The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.” Henry Beston “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” Jim Bishop Fall returned this week, and as regular readers of this newsletter know, I am a big fan of seasonal transitions. Spring and Fall are my absolute favorite seasons of the year. I am blessed that in this region of the country we get them for approximately the same length of time each year. It is a repeat treat year after year. Each spring I find myself thinking, “Ahhh..this is my favorite season of the year!” And each fall I find myself saying the exact same thing. As I was walking in the neighborhood this morning and feeling the coming fall in the air, I asked myself, “How can two seasons both be my “favorite”? How can that be?” And then, while looking around at the trees, bushes, and sky while standing in the Allen Lane train station, it hit me. They both do the same soul-warming thing that pleasures me. They just do it in different ways. Both seasons bring changes in yards and lawns and trees and woods and sky and the weather. And all of those changes come at you in ways that are hard to ignore. All you have to do is slow down, open your eyes, take a deep breath or two, and look around. What both seasons do is reward you for paying attention; for noticing the wonder and miracle of nature at work. They make it so you almost have to pay attention and notice. But they work at that in different ways. Spring is the more dramatic one. Snow and ice melt. There are longer days and therefore more sun. There is more “day "so more light. In the springtime, things literally spring into being-colors suddenly appear all over the place, and a block or a garden or a tree or a path you didn’t much notice a week ago is suddenly one which totally captivates you a week later. You come back to it again and again as it sprouts and grows and blooms and bursts forth. Spring is showy; it struts onto the stage, marches around, beasts its chest, and almost dares you to ignore it. And you can’t. Fall Is more quiet and more subtle. That has its own appeal and charm as well. I begin to notice the fall when the weather gets a little cooler, and I have several days in a row when I have to decide whether to wear shorts and/or to put on a jacket. Then, as the days turn into weeks, I become aware of the subtle changes in colors that are quietly happening. The goldfinches are less brightly yellow. The plants in the garden start to lose their brightness and become duller. Some lean over as they slowly fade away. The leaves on the trees slowly begin to change. Some of them start browning and falling; walking seems to gradually be happening more and more on a blanket of leaves. Some change their colors-the oranges and yellows and reds on the maples especially add a different mix of deep color that makes looking up quietly more exciting. The night comes a little earlier, and you can see stars and the moon and a little sunlight simultaneously. The clincher for me is the way fall weather outside the house starts to affect the weather inside the house. The AC and desk fans are used much less. And then not at all. The ceiling fan speed is slower and slower until it is also no longer needed. And quietly and subtly, snuggling into and being covered by that extra blanket makes sleeping at night extra special and extra comforting. It gets harder to get up in the morning. That is when fall is fully here for me, regardless of what the calendar says. Oatmeal and chicken soup will soon follow. So they are both truly my favorite season. They both put me deeply in touch with what that cycle of nature is doing, and they both help me notice it, feel it deeply, and take comfort in it. I have slept with windows open and under that extra blanket for the last few days. I think I will do those same things again tonight. Happy Fall! DUKES OF DESTINY: 40th Anniversary www.dukesofdestiny.com Saturday, November 15th-John's 75th Birthday Party; The Mermaid Inn: 7673 Winston Road; Philadelphia PA 19118 215-247-9797 http://themermaidinn.net/home.html This is the Dukes' 40th anniversary, and it will be my 75th year on the planet. WOW! 3/4 of a century. As usual we will celebrate our home away from home, The Mermaid, and we will again have a friend or two show up and sit in, a new song, and everyone will get a free slice of delicious Night Kitchen cake. Come on out and be part of the fun as John welcomes another year.. Private Gigs: The Dukes have had a number of private gigs this year, and I want to remind folks that we can and do a variety private affairs. Birthday parties, retirement parties, corporate affairs, fundraisers, etc. If interested, please reach out and contact me. Thanks Brother John: Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis; acoustic blues duo. https://www.johnnynever.com 1) Friday, September 26th- 9PM - Midnight; Hummingbird to Mars;W 16th St, Wilmington, DE 19806 (1930 Speakeasy ring the bell-it's around back!) Reservations recommended http://catherinerooneys.com/hummingbird 2)Saturday, September 27th -7-10PM Letty’s Tavern - 201 State Street Kennett Square PA 19348 https://www.lettystavern.com This weekend finds Johnny and I at two of our favorite eateries: The Hummingbird and Letty's. Both places feature great pub food, as well as some unique and signature dishes. Both places also have great vibes, a great and friendly crowd, wonderful waitstaff, and bartenders who can shake their mixed drinks in time with the music. Come and catch us at either or both places. The Sunday Blues Jam at Jamey’s House of Music; 32 S. Landsdowne, Ave; Lansdowne, PA; jamey@jameyshouseofmusic.com Blues lovers and players have made Jamey's Sunday Blues Jam the place for great blues jamming, inexpensive and tasty eats, craft brews on tap, fresh brewed coffee, a great waitstaff, and friendly people who love the blues.  Each Sunday features an hour long set by a different house band, and then there is an open jam until 3PM. This month the jam features The Philly Blues Kings with various guitarists and singers. The 2nd Sunday of each month features The Roger Girke-John Colgan-Davis Project as the house band, and our next gig there is Sunday, October 12.th Got an instrument? Sing? Just want to listen to some exciting blues and have some good food? Come on out and take part in this great blues jam with great food and liquid refreshments. $5 minimum to be spent (Don’t want to receive any more of these e-mails? Simply reply with “Unsubscribe “in the Subject Line)

The Magic of The Sky

DUKES FANS: “The Sky is the Daily Bread of the Eyes” Ralph Waldo Emerson Inline image Highway of Combes le ville-Giovanni Boldinni The weather this past week has been just spectacular. Cool temperatures, low humidity bright sun, some comfortable breezes, and most importantly of all, magnificent and majestic skies. Different shades of blues and grays, and in the beginning or at the end of days, some deep oranges, reds, and some grays. And the clouds-sometimes bright and white and with shadows, bunched together, or spread out and thinly elongated. Fat and billowy or sparse and lonely. Seeming so close that you can reach out and touch them, and at other times seeming far, far away and connected to another world. It has been wonderful riding the trains across bridges this week and just looking up. When the sky is like this, I want to spend a lot of time under it, looking up at it, and being entranced. The painting at the start of this piece is my favorite painting in the world. It is the painting that in junior high school introduced me to the wonders of the sky. I wanted to go to the Art Museum this Saturday to see it for the umpteenth time and say, “Thanks” to it once again, but alas, it is not on display. It has been moved yet again from the galleries for a while. So, I will leave it here for us to look at and become immersed in it. Then I will go out back, sit, and look up as I eat my lunch and have my daily bread. (I wrote a piece about my connection to this painting last year. If you want to read it, go to https://dukesofdestiny.blogspot.com/2024/03/sky-joy.html ) DUKES OF DESTINY GIGS www.dukesofdestiny.com 1)Friday, September 5, The Royal Glenside; 1 South Easton Rd; Glenside, PA 19038; Doors 7:30PM; show 8PM; $20 adv-$25 door; https://www.theroyalglenside.com/ This Friday has us back at The Royal, a wonderful listening and dancing room in Glenside. We love this place for its ambiance, its mission, and its staff. Great sound system, space to dance, space to sit and listen, and a great vibe. We are super happy to be back. For info on how to do food and drink go to https://www.theroyalglenside.com/faq BROTHER JOHN-JOHNNY NEVER & JOHN COLGAN-DAVIS ; www.BrotherJohnBlues.com 1)Thursday, September 4 7PM - 10PM Hummingbird to Mars 1930 Speakeasy (ring the bell--it's around back!) W 16th St, Wilmington, DE 9806 http://catherinerooneys.com/hummingbird Reservations recommended 2)Saturday, September 6 8PM Brother John opening for Mikey Junior The Fallser Club 3721 Midvale Ave Philadelphia PA 19129 tickets $20adv; $ 25 door https://thefallserclub.com/ Brother John has two gigs this week. Thursday finds us back at Hummingbird to Mars, one of our favorite spots with great food, wonderful waitstaff, and bartenders who somehow know how to shake the mixed drinks glasses in time to the music. We are regulars here, and we always have a great time. Saturday finds us at the Fallser Club in East Falls opening up for the remarkable Mikey Jr. Again, a new place for Brother John, although I have caught some great shows there. It is a comfortable place with great seats and a great sound system. So we are att wo wonderful places to feed your palette, wet your whistle, and catch some great acoustic blues. Come on out and enjoy. The Sunday Blues Jam at Jamey’s House of Music; 32 S. Landsdowne, Ave; Lansdowne, PA; jamey@jameyshouseofmusic.com Blues lovers and players have made Jamey's Sunday Blues Jam the place for great blues jamming, inexpensive and tasty eats, craft brews on tap, fresh brewed coffee, a great waitstaff, and friendly people who love the blues.  Each Sunday features an hour long set by a different house band, and then there is an open jam until 3PM. This month the jam features The Philly Blues Kings with various guitarists and singers. The 2nd Sunday of each month features The Roger Girke-John Colgan-Davis Project as the house band, and our next gig there is Sunday, September 14th . Got an instrument? Sing? Just want to listen to some exciting blues and have some good food? Come on out and take part in this great blues jam with great food and liquid refreshments. $5 minimum to be spent (Don’t want to receive any more of these e-mails? Simply reply with “Unsubscribe “in the Subject Line)

School Days Coimnng Sooner

DUKES FANS: “Up in the morning and off to school” Chuck Berry Tuesday I was in town and taking the train home from Center City when I became aware of schoolkids…tons of schoolkids. At 11th and Market Streets there were dozens of kids from the charter schools in that area, and they were laughing, shouting, and being silly. When the 2:52 Chestnut Hill West train pulled into Suburban Station dozens more students piled in, probably from the Masterman School. I was suddenly aware that Philadelphia public schools had started on Tuesday. It is a week before Labor Day, and that start date for school still feels strange to me. I’m an oldster, and I vividly remember when Summer started on Memorial Day and ended on Labor Day. Of course, that wasn’t correct by the calendar, and school was still in session after Memorial Day. But there would be a week of exams or such, moving up days, and graduation. Labor Day BBQ’s and parties meant it was time to get ready to go back to the “real” world, and that is when school would start. But the word has changed, and I need to get used to the new public school calendar. When they first announced changes to the school year, I was upset. I thought it may have been a reaction to and a response to President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind policies which mandated standardized tests and, to me, led to an over-reliance on teaching to the tests. Bush also advocated longer school years, even asking educators to think about establishing year-round school. However, when I looked into it I found out that I was wrong. There were several factors that figured into the decision, and the most important of them were wonderfully surprising Stakeholders-parents, teachers, custodial staff and more- were consulted in several meetings and surveys, and most of them felt that starting before Labor Day would allow for extended winter breaks and fewer snow days. They also thought it would allow for more recognition of cultural and religious holidays that more truly reflect the diversity of the district’s students and staff. So not only Christian but some Jewish and Muslim holidays are now built into the calendar. Finally, they wanted a full week available at the end of the year to prep for the mandated state tests that have come to matter so much in both student and school lives. The District agreed, and that is the calendar we will have at least for the next two years. The most amazing thing about this for me is that this seems to be an example of an actual government organization working the way we would hope they would. Before instituting a change, they actually consulted all of the people who would be affected by the change, and they actually listened to them. Wow! While I do not approve of everything the School District of Philadelphia does, by any means, this is something that worked the way it should; an agency actually listening to the people involved and affected by a possible change and responding affirmatively to them. This should be a great model for all agencies; our government taking us into consideration and listening to us. What a refreshing happening! And I will get used to seeing more schoolkids on the train the rest of this week. DUKES OF DESTINY GIGS www.dukesofdestiny.com 1)Friday, September 5, The Royal Glenside; 1 South Easton Rd; Glenside, PA 19038; Doors 7:30PM; show 8PM; $20 adv-$25 door; https://www.theroyalglenside.com/ Our September gig has us back at The Royal, a wonderful listening and dancing room in Glenside. We love this place for its ambiance, its mission, and its staff. Great sound system, space to dance, space to sit and listen, and a great vibe. We are super happy to be back. For info on food and drink go to https://www.theroyalglenside.com/faq BROTHER JOHN-JOHNNY NEVER & JOHN COLGAN-DAVIS ; www.BrotherJohnBlues.com 1) Sunday, August 31 1-4PM Lock 29 127 Bridge Street Mont Claire PA 19453 https://www.lock29montclare.com/ 2)Thursday, September 4 7PM - 10PM Hummingbird to Mars 1930 Speakeasy (ring the bell--it's around back!) W 16th St, Wilmington, DE 9806 http://catherinerooneys.com/hummingbird Reservations recommended 3)Saturday, September 6 8PM Brother John opening for Mikey Junior The Fallser Club 3721 Midvale Ave Philadelphia PA 19129 tickets $20adv; $ 25 door https://thefallserclub.com/ Next week finds us in two new places wrapped around an old favorite. Sunday we are making our debut at Lock 29 in Mount Clare, Pa. for a Sunday brunch. We have not played here before, and we are looking forward to it. So come on out and welcome Brother John to this new venue. Saturday finds us at the Fallser Club in East Falls opening up for the remarkable Mikey Jr. Again, a new place for Brother John, although I have caught some great shows there. And Thursday finds us back at Hummingbird to Mars, one of our favorite spots with great food, wonderful waitstaff, and bartenders who somehow know how to shake the mixed drinks glasses in time to the music. Three places to feed your palette, wet your whistle, and catch some great acoustic blues. Come on out. The Sunday Blues Jam at Jamey’s House of Music; 32 S. Landsdowne, Ave; Lansdowne, PA; jamey@jameyshouseofmusic.com Blues lovers and players have made Jamey's Sunday Blues Jam the place for great blues jamming, inexpensive and tasty eats, craft brews on tap, fresh brewed coffee, a great waitstaff, and friendly people who love the blues.  Each Sunday features an hour long set by a different house band, and then there is an open jam until 3PM. This month the jam features The Philly Blues Kings with various guitarists and singers. The 2nd Sunday of each month features The Roger Girke-John Colgan-Davis Project as the house band, and our next gig there is Sunday, September 14th . Got an instrument? Sing? Just want to listen to some exciting blues and have some good food? Come on out and take part in this great blues jam with great food and liquid refreshments. $5 minimum to be spent

H.O.P.E.

DUKES FANS: “HOPE is How One Perceives Everything”- Susan Allenbacak “Hope attracts chances.” —Toba Beta “Music is the Healing Force of The Universe” Saxophonist Albert Ayler “We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Thinking about Hope I think about “hope” and what it can mean a great deal. To me, it is one of the greatest and most powerful forces in human lives: it allows us to dream, to experience tough times and survive, to leave important legacies, to inspire others, and so much more. I got word recently that one of my favorite musicians, whose whole career is a true embodiment of hope, will be playing Philadelphia in a little over a month, and that reminded me of a piece I wrote about her, the notion of hope, and an exhibit at the Museum of American Visionary Arts in Baltimore way back in 2016. I decided to re-run some of it in an edited form. I hope you do not mind: Wednesday, July 13 my wife and I went to a concert at World Café Live featuring Sharon Katz and the Peace Train. Katz is an amazing guitarist, singer and organizer who is a white South African woman who, in the early 1990’s in apartheid South Africa, put together a 500 member interracial and inter-cultural performance group and did performances of a show called, When Voices Meet. She then became an ambassador for Nelson Mandela, chartering a train and performing When Voices Meet at dozens of places around South Africa, risking jail and possibly death. It was a movement that tied in with the anti-apartheid movement and played an active role in getting people to vote, spread news about health and child welfare, and more. After Mandela’s election Sharon became even more involved in what we would call humanitarian and social justice work, starting music therapy groups, raising money for children displaced by warfare, HIV/AIDS, and bringing stories and songs of peoples’ struggles to places around the world. Over the years this work that has taken her on tours to just about every continent. Her concert last Wednesday featured Peace Train 2016-a multi-cultural group of children from schools across the country singing and dancing to South African tunes and Sharon’s own rhythm-heavy and inspirational compositions. The concert attracted people of all ages, all nationalities and colors. It was a veritable United Nations of joy, happiness, commitment and unity as Sharon and the kids moved together, hand clapped, sang, shouted, and danced their commitment to a world of inclusion and peace. It was also a moving reminder of the central and powerful role music has played throughout history as a unifier and inspiration in movements for social change. We stood, cheered, clapped, cried and left the World Café with a heart full of energy, love, and most importantly, hope. Friday July 15 saw us at one of our favorite spaces, The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. A museum dedicated to the work of outside artists, this museum is one of the most joyous spaces we have ever visited, filled with color, unique sculptures, vivid drawings and paintings, and thought provoking exhibits organized around wide ranging themes. The current major exhibition is ‘The Big HOPE Show,” a multi-media examination and presentation of thoughts, experiences, and ideas about what hope is, does, can be and enables us to do. From one man’s cartoons and colorful post card illustrations of his years- long medical issues, to paintings and drawings re-examining the myth of Pandora’s Box, this exhibit challenges and involves one directly, calling for honest, emotional responses. There is a video speech by Kevin Briggs, a San Francisco Bay Bridge officer who has talked down some 200 potential suicides from the bridge. He talks about how he tries to listen to the would-be suicides, trying to find places where some little bit of hope still lies within. He then tries to speak to that bit of hope, and for the most part, that has prevented them from taking their own lives. There is also a wonderful video examination of Philadelphia artist Lily Yeh and the work she did in transforming a neighborhood in North Philadelphia with her Village of Arts and Humanities, and how she has since carried that work to places around the world. There is a scrapbook table and exhibit that calls for us to look at our positive memories as a scrapbook of a trip through our lives. And there are paintings that look at the near universal human tendency to look at birds and butterflies as images of hope and prayer. The exhibit was inspiring, and it reminded me of who I am and how much hope is a part of that. As a child of the 1960’s, a son of African-American Southerners who came north and established a household in a Jim Crow world, and as a musician, teacher, and birdwatcher, I am constantly and deeply involved with hope. All of those activities point to a person who engages the world, believes in looking for the positive, imagines what can be, is working in some small way to make what can be possible possible, and who delights in being a human being in this world; the world that is here right now with all of its challenges. And over these past few years, I have needed to take actions that reassert that hope lives deeply within me and that it is one of the things that motivates me; that it is an essential part of who I am. Last week the concert and the museum did that for me in real ways, and I am so grateful. While it may appear to be "hip" and "cool" to be cynical, hope is what provides the fuel for important change. Just look at the Civil Rights Movement, the Gay Rights Movement, and more. We live in a world where hope, joined with persistent and consistent action, has provided important change in the face of incredible odds. We need to remember that and continue to take those actions For many of us these past few weeks have been a hard time. Our screens, TV’s, papers and more have regularly been filled with images, words, and actions reflecting fear, hatred, and anger. Our new technology brought us face to face with some unpleasant things. I have heard many friends and acquaintances mention how scared they are and how unsure they are of where we as a nation are headed. For those of us who are committed to a world of peace, tolerance and diversity, it may seem as if we are farther away from that vision than ever before. Those powerful positive motivators, vision and hope, may seem very, very distant. But experiences such as Sharon’s concert and the Visionary Art Museum’s exhibit are strong reminders that there are plenty of reasons to be positive and plenty of examples of the transformative and positive power of hope being lived and demonstrated all around us. And as Lily Yeh’s life illustrates, there are many people, groups and efforts in the world that are building on that hope and working to bring aspects of it into existence. Fear, despair and conflict drive our media-it is flashy, it delivers viewers for advertisers, and it can even ignite a political movement or two. But it has never produced a way of life or a society that has delivered peace, stability, beauty and tolerance. Never. We need to remember that and to focus instead on hope and to find ways, even small ways, we can be a part of building the world in which we say we want to live. Using that hope to motivate us and then putting effort into manifesting it are the only things that can defeat our fears and help us envision, engage with and build toward the world we want. For I agree with the words of Holocaust survivor, psychologist and philosopher Victor Frankl: “The last of human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude.” I say look up, do not despair. Choose hope, and then work in some small way to make what you are hoping for happen in our world. We must be the world we wish to see and to live in. It starts with us. I say, choose hope. 1) Here is a link to Sharon Katz’s music and work:http://sharonkatz.com/ 2) Kevin Briggs Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_briggs_the_bridge_between_suicide_and_life/transcript 3)Here is a link to the American Visionary Art Museum. The exhibit, The Big Hope Show, is no longer on the site, but there are other wonderful and inspiring exhibits here: http://www.avam.org/ And if you are ever in Baltimore, visit that museum! 4) If you are interested in getting a list of some organizations that I support and think are doing some important work in building positive things in the face of adversity, please write me.

Unplanned Interactions

DUKES FANS: “ When we live a good life, we are capable of the joys of surprise. But surprise is not going to come up to your door, knock, and ask to be let in. You have to be out in the world and open to it”…. Anonymous This past week has been like an oasis in the desert. The weather has been much more moderate and bearable. The temperatures have been in the 70’s and low 80’s for the most part, and the humidity has been much lower than it had been during the previous weeks. I have been able to breathe, and most enjoyably, been able to enjoy being outdoors in my neighborhood. I have not been out in a leisurely fashion for much of this summer due to the weather, and I have missed the casual joys of neighborhood life. I have lived in my neighborhood for 35 years-almost half of my life. I consider myself extremely lucky to live here in West Mt Airy as there are so many things that I love about this area. For one, I love the houses. There are a lot of rowhouses, but they are wider than the stereotypical narrow ones that fill many Philly neighborhoods, and most of them have porches. They also have some patch of land both in front of and behind them. That means there are plenty of opportunities to see and have interactions with neighbors in unplanned ways. Folks are sitting on their porches and/or working on that plot of land as I walk by, and unplanned interactions take place. Little check-in conversations, talks about trips and activities, what the kids are up to, and more have taken place on just about every street I have been traveling this week. We have two coffeehouses in the neighborhood, and more folks have been sitting outside the shops, enjoying their beverages, sitting with friends and family, and greeting me as I walk by. People have just been out walking-with friends, with kids, and with dogs. And so there have been more chance for unplanned interactions. The hot, humid weather kept a lot of us indoors for a while, as being outdoors was largely miserable. But this week we are all out and about, and the unplanned interactions are plentiful and joyous. So here’s to the possibility of surprise and the unplanned. Indeed, some of the best times in our lives are things we neither plan nor envision. And in this weather, it is much easier to encounter those surprises. Enjoy being out and about.

The Parkway and Memory

DUKES FANS: “If you stay in one place for a long time and don’t die, your past will come back to visit you in different ways” John C-D As folks who have read the last of these missives know, I do not like hot and humid weather. The heat just saps my energy, and the humidity makes it hard to breathe and move around. Add in the thunderstorms, the flash floods, and the tornado warnings, the past few weeks have been weeks I definitely have not enjoyed. That is why this week has been so special. Cooler temps, much lower humidity, gentle breezes, and gorgeous clouds in the sky-Ahhhhh. I welcomed it and decided to do one of my favorite things; spend some time in Center City and visit the Ben Franklin Parkway. The Parkway is one of my favorite things in Philly design and architecture. It is a glorious diagonal that starts at City Hall and cuts its way down to the Art Museum. I used to love when my parents drove us on it when I was a kid. Looking from side to side out the car window and seeing the hotels, the Free Library, The Franklin Institute, and the statues was exciting to me. And when I went to Masterman Jr High School at 17th and Spring Garden, I regularly spent time going to the main branch of the Free Library just off the Parkway, and then walking along it up to City Hall. I visited the library again on Monday, and as I was walking towards it, I realized it had been months since I had last traveled that road. So I walked steadily, looking at the people on the benches and all of the buildings, including my long-time place of employment at 17th Street. And I loved viewing the gorgeous skies over the trees and over the Art Museum as I walked. It was a walk both in the present and back into my past. The Main Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library at 19th and Vine is one of my all-time sacred places. I love the design of the building; it is grand and built to look like a mythic temple. And to me it is a temple, one dedicated to learning, information, questioning, and thinking. I spent time in the main lending room on the first floor, of course, as I wanted to borrow a couple of books by two of my favorite authors. But I also wanted to revisit some of the places that have been so important to me over the years as bota curious person and teacher. I revisited the map room, the Social Science and History room, the music room, the walls outside the Children’s section filled with art by children, and the first floor special exhibition cases which houses changing displays of work by various authors and artists The current exhibit features works by Ellen Powell Tiberino, an incredible and intense local artist whose work I have always loved. Her pencil works and portraits are incredibly moving. The past coming back again, she and her husband, Joe, used to run Bacchanal, a great funky nightspot at 13th and South where I first heard and met many musicians with whom I am still friendly. The past coming back, indeed. Finally, I left the library and headed to Sister Cities Café at 18th and the Parkway. Sister Cities is a mini-park area with mini-sculptures, geyser fountains, and a wading pool for kids, and it was wonderful drinking coffee and eating a croissant at the café and watching parents and kids playing in the pool and using the Discovery Garden. It was a perfect end to a great day of re-discovery. I know we are in for another heat wave this weekend into next week, so I won’t be getting back downtown for a while. But I would love to return and re-visit the Rittenhouse Square area, site of so much of my early musical experiences, and the Franklin Square area, where I explored so much of early American history both as a learner and as a teacher. I love all that there is to see and experience in Philly, and I am glad I can still get to so much of it. And if you are interested, here is some info on the main branch of the Free Library and Sister Cities Park .I hope you can get to visit both places. (https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/parkway-central-library) (https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/sister-cities-park/ ) Dukes of Destiny gigs (www.dukesofdestiny.com ) 1) Saturday, August 9; Kennett Square Blues Fest: Anson Nixon Park; 405 N. Walnut St; Kennett Square PA; fest starts at noon; 3:45- 5PM is Brother John then The Dukes; $27.50; featured acts include Brother John, The Dukes of Destiny, Mikey Jr, Stevie and The Bluescasters, and more https://www.eventbrite.com/e/anson-b-nixon-park-roots-blues-festival-tickets-1450774318039 2)Tuesday, August 19: Seger Playground 1002 Lombard St; Phila. PA; 5:30PM-7:30PM; https://segerpark.org/ 3)Wednesday August 20 Kahn Park 11th and Pine Sts. Phila PA (rain date August 21st);7:30-9PM; https://kahnpark.org/events Outdoor fun for the Dukes for the month of August. This is our first time at the Kennett Roots and Blues Fest, and readers of this newsletter know that I love Chester County and Kennett Square in particular. This is a wonderfully shaded park with a couple of great stages, good food vendors, and a great lineup of performers. A wonderful afternoon of blues fun in a great place. Seger Playground and Kahn Park have become regular gigs for the Dukes in my old neighborhood. These are beautiful urban parks-Seger has pickleball courts, dog runs, basketball courts and climbing things for kids. Kahn Park has lovely plantings, easy access to good restaurants, comfortable seats, and like Seger, great crowds of all ages. We love both of these places and look forward to seeing you there. BROTHER JOHN-JOHNNY NEVER & JOHN COLGAN-DAVIS Brother John gigs; www.BrotherJohnBlues.com 1)Friday, July 25; 7-10PM Letty’sTavern; 201 State Street; Kennett Square PA 19348 https://www.lettystavern.com 2)Saturday, July 26; 7--10:00PM Braeloch Brewing; 225 Birch Street; Kennett Square PA https://braelochbrewing.beer 3)Saturday, August 2 7PM - 10PM Hummingbird to Mars-a 1930 Speakeasy (ring the bell); W 16th St, Wilmington, DE 19806 http://catherinerooneys.com/hummingbird Reservations recommended 4)Friday, August 8; 8-11PM;Triple Sun Distiller;126 South State Street;Newtown, PA 18940; Phone: (215) 944-3057 5)Saturday, August 9; 3:45 PM; Kennett Square Roots and Blues Festival; Anson B Nixon Memorial Park405 N. Walnut Street; Kennett Square PA;tickets $27.50-$150 https://www.ansonbnixonpark.org/events/2024-roots-blues-festival The end of July into August is a time for some great return gigs for Brother John. This weekend finds us at two places in Kennett Square that we have been playing for a while. like. Letty’s is a great casual restaurant with a friendly staff and bartenders and a good unique menu. Braeloch is a brewery/sports bar with craft brews, good pub food, and a lovely outdoor space with a little playground for kids. Next week we return to the Hummingbird, a unique place with great period décor, a great staff and bartender, and wonderful food. The week after that we return to Triple Sun, a craft distillery in the beautiful town of Newtown with a variety of handcrafted drinks and delicious French and Cajun inspired food. Last but not least, we are happy to be back at The Kennett Roots and Blues Fest in Anson Nixon Park on a bill that includes James Day, Stevie and The Bluescasters, Mikey Jr, The Dukes, and more. So it is a busy next three weeks for Brother John. We do hope to see you at at least one of our upcoming gigs. BTW: Thank you for all of you who made it out to our CD release party last week at Steel City. It was a great crowd, we sold a number of CD’s, and we had a ball. we are proud of the Black Crow CD, but it is and was an expensive process. We have set up a Go Fund Me page to help cover the cost. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much. https://gofund.me/c62805b7 The Sunday Blues Jam at Jamey’s House of Music; 32 S. Landsdowne, Ave; Lansdowne, PA; jamey@jameyshouseofmusic.com Blues lovers and players have made Jamey's Sunday Blues Jam the place for great blues jamming, inexpensive and tasty eats, craft brews on tap, fresh brewed coffee, a great waitstaff, and friendly people who love the blues.  Each Sunday features an hour long set by a different house band, and then there is an open jam until 3PM. This month the jam features The Philly Blues Kings with various guitarists and singers. The 2nd Sunday of each month features The Roger Girke-John Colgan-Davis Project as the house band, and our next gig there is Sunday, August 10th. Got an instrument? Sing? Just want to listen to some exciting blues and have some good food? Come on out and take part in this great blues jam with great food and liquid refreshments. $5 minimum to be spent