By Kate Bartlett
Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils take the stage at Balloons on Thursday, February 24th to kick off the Ellicottville Winter Music Jam (February 23-25, 2024) performing soulful Americana Music.
Jennifer Westwood and her husband Dylan Dunbar are at the heart of this band of 4 talented artists. They share an affection for gospel, soul, country, blues and their music is an amalgamation of these with roots to true Americana music styles. This show will be Dylan’s first public performance after major surgery since September.
Jennifer got her start with music, as many do, in church. She began singing in choir and Gospel music at her “Holy Roller” church in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. She took on various vocal roles in the choir and was encouraged by various church goers and visitors alike. Jennifer attracted the attention of many, and was invited to sing background for various local adult Jazz and R&B bands.
As she furthered her experience, she was granted many unique opportunities. “The road wasn’t always smooth,” says Jennifer. “I definitely had some rough patches, but I loved singing so I stuck with it. I persisted.” Jennifer enjoyed the creative process of music, and started singing on and creating music for TV and radio. “I enjoyed performing and I still do to this date. I love the moment the music creates. It’s unlike any other art; it’s an event you share and create with other people. It’s there and then it’s gone, never to be completely recreated. It’s a powerful moment shared together with a group of people.”
Jennifer found herself at ‘rock bottom’ around 2013; “Things were difficult,” she recalls. “I was struggling with health issues, I’d lost my home, I’d stopped singing and was barely getting by. I was struggling, working myself to the bone, just living day by day. And that’s when I met my husband.”
Dylan encouraged Jennifer to get back into singing. “I decided singing just felt right. It felt healthier, and it was therapeutic for me.” Jennifer was inspired by Dylan’s artistic nature, and was persuaded to fill in as the lead singer for one of his bands. “Dylan thought I’d be a good fit, and things evolved naturally.”
Jennifer has been making music for a living since 2017 playing mostly their original songs. They’ve played in various bands together, preforming across the country. Jennifer and the Handsome Devils will be playing the Ellicottville Winter Music Festival Jam on February 24th. “We love playing in Ellicottville. The people are simply awesome, and it’s always a great vibe. We played songs from our most recent album last time we were in Ellicottville, and the crowd was incredible. It’s such an eclectic mix of people, from locals to college coeds, to the Blues crowd. Everyone enjoys the music together regardless of these different walks of life, and that’s just awesome.”
While Jennifer has played with various talented musicians throughout the years, this band, The Handsome Devils, “brings the A-Game,” with Chuck Bartels on bass, Babe Below on drums, Jennifer on the vocals and Dylan on lead electric guitar. They are world class musicians, as well as my friends and neighbors. We have such a great time playing together. Everyone brings their own unique experience to the band, and it just works. No one outshines anyone; we complement each other in a cohesive unit. It’s a great show each and every time.”
As mentioned, Jennifer and the Handsome Devils play their own original music, comprising of the Americana genre. “This type of music is not heard on mainstream radio,” says Jennifer. “It’s a compilation of soul, alt-country, and roots music, rock and roll with a honky-tonk soul.
With the Ellicottville show being the first public performance for Dylan since surgery, the band is transitioning back to touring, with dates soon to come on the East Coast. “We’ve enjoyed touring all over the country, primarily the Gulf states, south, southwest and west coast, but we’re looking forward to setting up some tour dates a bit closer to home.”
Jennifer strives to make each show an experience, artistic and different than any other. “I’m not a cookie-cutter artist. I enjoy unique venues and playing different stages. These performances help us evolve as artists and push us out of our comfort zones. That’s essential to me.”
Jennifer and the Handsome Devils are soon releasing their long-awaited album Mad Man’s World this Spring, and she recently started hosting an Americana Radio Show streaming from Toledo, Ohio. The show, “Your Americana”, is an inclusive show that encompasses the Americana genre as a whole, from Alt-Country to Fun to Gospel and Zydecco. Listeners can enjoy music selected by Jennifer with intermittent commentary throughout the show. The show streams Fridays at 7pm EST at toledoradio.org, also via WAKT app for Android and iPhones.
Be sure to catch Jennifer and The Handsome Devils and give Dylan a warm Ellicottville Welcome back to the stage at the Winter Music Weekend on Thursday, February 24th at Balloons. “Coming to Ellicottville feels like coming home. We wouldn’t be happy if we didn’t come to Ellicottville,” says Jennifer.
For more information visit https://www.jenniferwestwood.com/.