Mid-Atlantic blues makes its way to Pastorius Park on July 16 with Brother John. The duo, composed of John Colgan-Davis and John Dorchester (also known as Johnny Never) play harmonica, guitar, and sing covers and original music together.
“Our energy playing with and off each other is a contagious thing,” Colgan-Davis said. Brother John started performing together in 2018 as either The Two Johns or The Johns. They said their revised name represents their close friendship and the intimate community of musicians who play the blues.
“It went right into my soul and rooted there like a little joy-ish weed,” Dorchester said. Though not raised in a musical household, he found the blues through a high school crush. He watered the seed planted within him from high school until he decided to pursue music in his forties.
Colgan-Davis started playing harmonica while attending Central High School. He joined the Folk Music Club and met blues icons such as Buddy Guy, Jerry Ricks, and Son House through the faculty advisor. Eventually, Colgan-Davis played with Buddy Guy, Son House, Skip James, Arthur Crudup, and more blues legends. Colgan-Davis is also a founding member of Dukes of Destiny, a blues band that has played in Pastorius Park.
“When we play together, it is better than the sum of the two of us,” Dorchester said. Though they rehearse weekly, they’re not afraid to improvise during the performance. They credit their onstage chemistry to trusting and respecting each other’s musical abilities.
Dorchester acknowledged a common misunderstanding that blues music is simply sad music. He said it's about deep relationships, the intimacy of writing a song, collaborating with friends, and then sharing the music with an audience. This connection to the art form impressed Colgan-Davis when he first saw Dorchester perform. As Brother John, the duo strives to perform genuinely.
“I don’t know how much more time I have, but I just want to go out being the best I can be,” Dorchester said. They encourage the audience to bark and howl with them as they cover “Little Red Rooster” by Howlin’ Wolf. The family-friendly park invites everyone to enjoy the music and time together.
“It is an honor to be playing [Pastorius Park] and I want to honor [it] with our music and our sound,” Colgan-Davis said. He loves that parents bring their children to shows because they get to see music performed by “real actual people.”
Colgan-Davis cherishes the opportunity to perform acoustically with Dorchester.
Family-focused week ahead
Following Brother John at Pastorius Park are two concerts this week at Cisco Park. Singer-songwriter Kate Mills performs on Thursday, June, 17, at 6 p.m. Music With Gina performs for families on Friday, June 18, at 10 a.m. The free morning show offers another opportunity for families to bond.
Gina Ferragame began performing for families in her friend’s living room after the birth of her first child (she has three). Previously, she attended Elizabethtown College for music therapy and also performed as singer-songwriter Gina Kaz.
“I didn’t know how big my heart would get by being in front of these families and these kids,” Ferragame said. Music With Gina has expanded from the living room to local churches and Pastorius Park, where Ferragame teaches five classes a week. Her membership program started during the pandemic and she said her connection to every family deepens with each show.
Ferragame also works as a hospice music therapist during the week. Her experience with end-of-life care influences her songwriting and performance. She writes children’s songs about empowerment, emotions, and self-esteem. Her performances serve as a reminder to herself and her audience that they’re free to be themselves.
“Working with people who are dying just makes you want to be brave,” Ferragame said. She intends to provide families a space to connect during her shows.
She unabashedly performs “Halloween Parade,” a song about inclusivity, in July so families can pretend to be witches and zombies. “Cardinal Cardinal” introduces children to grief and loss and often emotionally moves parents, Ferragame said. She hopes families feel comfortable being as silly as they want to be during her 45-minute set.
“Music With Gina has no rules!” Ferragame said. Mariama O’Brien, a director and teacher at West Philadelphia Cooperative School, will be drumming for Ferragame at Cisco Park. As good friends, Ferragame calls O’Brien “pure joy when she plays her drum.”
Both Brother John and Music With Gina say their appreciation for music and connection to their community has grown with time.
“I hope the audience can feel that sense of joy and that sense of specialness,” Colgan-Davis said. If he’s not performing with Dukes of Destiny or Brother John, he’ll often attend Pastorius Park concerts with friends. As an audience member, he loves to watch musicians lose themselves in the music.
“You can have good, old-fashioned fun,” Colgan-Davis said.
Brother John performs at the Pastorius Park Concerts, 8177 Roanoke St., Chestnut Hill, on Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Kate Mills performs at James A. Cisco Park & Pond, 299 Montgomery Ave., Glenside, on Thursday, July 17, 6 p.m. Admission is free.
Music With Gina performs at James A. Cisco Park & Pond, 299 Montgomery Ave., Glenside, on Friday, July 18, 10 a.m. Admission is free.
