March 25, 2011: Ragtime Willi Band at The Coffee Company, Lancaster, PA

I took the opportunity to venture out to The Coffee Company Friday night, March 25. The Coffee Company is a great place to spend an evening. Great food and drinks, a friendly and attentive wait staff, and live music Wednesday through Saturday evenings. On the bill tonight, local favorites the Ragtime Willi Band.

With the four members of the group (Jim Penta on harmonica, Chris Zaffary on vocals/mandolin/guitar, Jack Roberts on vocals/bass, and Dave Hinkel on vocals/guitar) standing shoulder to shoulder in the cozy performing area by the front door, they proceeded to deliver two hours of good-time fun and entertainment. From their opening number of “Louisiana Saturday Night” to their final song “Way Downtown,” Ragtime Willi not only showcased the ability of its members, but also their ability as a group to take music from a wide variety of artists and make them sound as if they were written for this band.

As well as working their way through songs by artists like Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, The Beatles, John Prine and Bruce Hornsby, they also played original numbers from their newly released CD Prodigal Sons. With Roberts acting as master of ceremonies for the evening’s festivities and holding down the grooves, they passed the musical spotlight around; with Roberts, Zaffary and Hinkel each taking lead vocal duties and Penta, Zaffary and Hinkel displaying their instrumental abilities. No matter what they played, the four members of the group were tight and swinging, giving the music a depth that only comes from years of playing together.

Suffice it to say, between the great music and the great food, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. If you haven’t yet experienced either The Coffee Company or the Ragtime Willi Band I would highly recommend both.