ENTERTAINMENT

Barrence Whitfield plays free event in Warren Co.

BILL NUTT
CORRESPONDENT

The 1940s and 1950s was a golden age for powerhouse R&B vocalists, such as Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris, Roy Brown, Solomon Burke, and Little Richard.

Barrence Whitfield, who was born in 1955, may not have many direct memories of that era, but he has done his best to make up for anything he missed.

For the past 30 years, Whitfield has won a following for his overwhelming stage presence and his dynamic live performances. His unbridled approach is exemplified by the name of his sometime backing band: the Savages.

Whitfield understands his place in the tradition of R&B and soul singers. “I was always a big fan of James Brown and Otis Redding,” he says.

“I think the fact that I had friends who collected this kind of music was a help,” Whitfield adds. He credits Smiley Lewis’ original version of “I Hear You Knocking” with having a major impact on him.

Whitfield is one of about 20 artists who will share their music at the free Festival in the Borough on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Washington, Warren County. The 11th annual street fair is sponsored by the Washington Business Improvement District.

The festival offers a wide array of musical styles. Artists include Jimmy & the Parrots (a Jimmy Buffet tribute act), singer-songwriters Jack Tannehill and Zach Russack, and the groups Quimby Mountain Band and the Steve Kirchuk Trio.

The free festival also features crafters and other vendors, food sellers, and a Fun Park for children. The performances will take place at three stages on Washington Avenue (Route 57), the main thoroughfare through town.

For Whitfield, his appearance marks his return to the state when he spent much of his youth. He was born Barry White (a name he later changed to avoid confusion with the disco-era vocalist) in Jacksonville, Florida, but he grew up around East Orange.

“When we were in New Jersey, I listened to WNJI, the big black station out of Newark,” he says. “You had soul and R&B, and every Sunday you had gospel music.”

In the late 1970s, he went to Boston University, where he studied journalism. There he experienced a thriving music scene. “Boston had great music,” he says. “Any night of the week, you could go out and hear all kinds of music.”

The original version of Barrence Whitfield and the Savages included former members of the Lyres, a Boston garage rock band. The group’s raucous live shows fit in well with the post-punk bands that emerged in the early 1980s.

Whitfield says that bands such as the Stray Cats and the Blasters helped pave the way for music that wedded the energy of New Wave to vintage styles. “The rockabilly scene was coming back, and people were reintroduced to rock ’n’ roll,” he says.

However, Whitfield also showed he could do more than shout and scream. He showed off a different side when he recorded two albums in the 1990s with singer-songwriter-storyteller Tom Russell, “Hillbilly Voodoo” and “Cowboy Mambo.”

“I always wanted to make a country record, and I met Tom when he was living in Brooklyn,” Whitfield says. “But in the recording studio, we started playing all these other genres of music.”

Whitfield’s most recent albums – “Dig Thy Savage Soul” from 2013 and the new “Under a Savage Sky” – were released by the Bloodshot label in Chicago. They reflect a musician who recognizes his limitations, without sacrificing any of his enthusiasm.

“They’re still me,” Whitfield says. “They may be a little darker. The new (CD) has a theme about getting older and going through the changes in your life. I think there are some really good songs of this record.”

But Whitfield stresses that he has no intentions of letting himself be tamed by time. “I’m dedicated to doing this until I don’t want to do it any more,” he says. “I don’t see that happening yet.”

11th ANNUAL FESTIVAL IN THE BOROUGH

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Route 57 (Washington Avenue) between Route 31 and Lincoln Avenue, Washington Borough, Warren County

ADMISSION: Free, with free parking

INFO: 908-689-4800 or www.washingtonbid.org