Local Attorney Joins Musicians at Danielle’s Espresso Café

Written by Community Editor Nicole Foulke

Local attorney and blogger Saul Segan joined celebrated singer-songwriter Stephen Wise, long-time bassist Dennis Locantore and Circles of Miracles Church singer Annabella Wood to bring an evening of music to Danielle’s Espresso Café in Maple Glen, PA on Saturday night.

The night doubled as a fundraiser for the nondenominational Circles of Miracles Church and School that is located in New Britain.

Segan and his acoustic guitar were the first at the microphone. “The best songs seem to be the ones about songs,” he said, and went on to play his song that he had indeed written about songs, as well as several others of the country and folk persuasion that he wrote.

Segan, singing his songs in a deep, pleasant vocals, sounds not unlike a more hopeful version of Johnny Cash, with a nod to Peter Seeger.

Aside from practicing law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Segan is also is a popular blogger for Patch and the Huffington Post.

Wood, also with her acoustic guitar, performed her song “Truck Driving Mama” in homage to her years of driving the big rigs during a time when women were more welcome in the kitchen than out hauling wide loads on the highways.

Some of her songs were plaintive and some earthy. One song was about the desert, which Wood said she was inspired to write from her time living in the Mojave Desert for about 20 years, in a wind tunnel.

Wise, a professional musician by art and by trade, arrived at Danielle’s with a soprano sax, a didgeridoo, a flute and a djembe drum. He and his band ‘Stephen Wise & the EDGE’ are a name to know on the east coast, having played for former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, football player Michael Vick and Major League Baseball pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. (That was the short list.)

Those who are treated to Wise singing and playing several instruments in one performance will not be surprised to learn that he is also a singer-songwriter who has recorded with Stevie Wonder.

“We’re going to go down south…all the way down to Jamaica!” Wise said cheerfully as he took to the microphone in front of the energized crowd.

He sang songs, some adapted to a smooth reggae beat, sometimes collaborating with Segan, Wood and Locantore.

The night ended with all three of the musicians singing Christmas carols with a room of people holding lit candles in dusky light. “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night” and “Silent” night were sung softly, with guitar and bass.

The bass was courtesy of New Jersey-based bassist Dennis Locantore, who brought his instrument to lend an energized depth to some of the songs. “The bassist pulls everything together, you know?” he said after the performance.

It was not at all evident that, on that evening Locantore played along with most of the songs without having practiced them before.

Their audience treated themselves to the café’s hot drinks, pastries and sandwiches. The café uses the Philadelphia-based la Colombe coffee.

“I felt good energy,” said a smiling Saul, after the performance. “This is a good group of people.”

For further information about Stephen Wise and his music, visithttp://www.stepwiseentertainment.com/. Fans can catch his reggae band MetaZen at a Winter Solstice Celebration in Philadelphia on Saturday, Dec. 21.

For further information About Saul Segan, visithttp://www.saulhsegan.com/. More of his work can be found athis Huffington Post blog and his Patch blogs.

For further information about Annabella Wood and her music, visit http://www.reverbnation.com/rpk/annabellawood.

For further information about Dennis Locantore, a freelance musician who plays bass, acoustic guitar and piano, email soulhog5@comcast.net or call 856-365-2652.