California jazzer to perform at Bodles

Chester — Los Angeles-based soulful jazz singer-songwriter John West is ranked the number one musician on Myspace in the jazz category and has secured over two million hits on his page. Also recently signed to a promotional deal with MySpace Records, his popular online presence continues to expand with global exposure on the Internet. Perez Hilton featured West in his celebrity blog site for his cover of Rihanna’s hit song “Umbrella.” After moving to Los Angeles in 2005 to concentrate on his music career, West started to build his rapidly growing fan base playing often at Santa Monica’s Third St. Promenade as a street musician. He performs frequently at several prominent California venues. After building a network of buzz in Southern California and up the West Coast, he tackled the East Coast with a run of dates through the spring, as he contemplates a move to to New York City this summer. West pushes himself to create soul without crooning, R&B without formula and pop without gloss. His musical influences range from Otis Redding, Cat Stevens, Jill Scott, Gil Scott-Heron, Jack Johnson and many other contemporaries. His rotating line-up includes Will Gramling on piano, who tours with Colbie Caillat, Danny McKay on bass (tours with Sara Bareilles and Brett Dennen), and Chris Steele on the cajon drums (Trevor Hall). West has opened for renowned artists such as Raphael Saadiq, KRS-ONE, Goapele, and Les Nubians. West self-released his original 11-track album in May 2006 and included his song “Gravity” on the re-release in Oct. 2006. He currently distributes his music online, at his concerts and while he is playing on Third St. Promenade. West donates money from his CD sales to Hurricane Katrina Relief funds and art programs for displaced youth. “In life, it’s scary when you’ve never experienced something before, but if a song can be a guide, or a roadmap, that’s a beautiful thing,” said West. “What I love about people’s reaction to my music now is that people tell me it soothes and relaxes them. It helps them get through hard days easier. And the reason I wrote half of these songs was to get through my own hard days.” John West will be performing at Bodles Opera House in Chester on Wednesday, April 16. For additional information on John West, visit www.johnpeterwest.com or his myspace page www.myspace.com/johnpeterwest. Josh Tangney, a singer/songwriter from Chester, will also perform that evening. His influences span from acoustic and country music to R&B and hip-hop and everything else in between. For more information visit www.myspace.com/joshtangney. Also appearing that night is Paula Valstein. Raised in the bohemian city of Tel-Aviv, she discovered her grandmother’s piano at the age of four. She eventually enrolled in Israel’s prestigious music school. She took her love for Classical music and cross-pollinated it with the world of song-writing. For more information visit www.myspace.com/paulavalstein. Doors open at Bodles at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. For more information or reservations, call 469-4595 or visit www.bodles.com.