The heart of Detroit-based Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils, Jennifer Westwood and Dylan Dunbar weld blues guitar licks to soulful vocals, blending influences from Texas Blues to Muscle Shoals, with a dose of Gospel and rustbelt sensibilities. Jennifer and Dylan will be debuting tunes from 3 new upcoming albums.
Jennifer cut her teeth on gospel before hitting the gritty Detroit area bars that set her career in motion. Among her first “secular” performances, she stepped out of the choir loft to back up Soul Singer Carl Carlton (She’s a Bad Mama Jama) at a local night club and was tapped for commercial work before moving on to pursue her own ambitions as an artist with a desire to draw from her Detroit roots and her family’s country music heritage. Notably, she was recently chosen by Grammy Winning Producer and Blue Note Records exec Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Was, Not Was, Bob Weir and Wolf Bros) to perform in his All-Star Band after catching his ear.
Dylan Dunbar spent his teen years refining his chops in local Detroit area blues joints, moving on to perform with W.C. Handy award winners Chef Chris and Johnny “Yard Dog” Jones, and country acts like Whitey Morgan and Kendell Marvel. With roots in both Detroit and Eastern Kentucky, a bold playing style and soulful slide work, he is a perfect compliment to Jennifer’s broad vocal range and unique sound, channeling the days of Muscle Shoals and influences ranging from Linda Ronstadt to Big Mama Thorton.
9 Detroit Music Awards for Performance, Songwriting, and Recording.