Whiteley has special connection with the ‘Burgh

Though Ken Whiteley hasn’t called Pennsylvania home since the days of Forbes Field, he still feels an affinity to Pittsburgh and the rest of the state. Ken Whiteley & The Levy Sisters with Joy Ike

Carnegie Lecture Hall (Oakland)

Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m.

$20 (Student Rush), $35 (Advance), $40 (Door)

412-394-3353 (ProArts Tickets)

Though Ken Whiteley hasn’t called Pennsylvania home since the days of Forbes Field, he still feels an affinity to Pittsburgh and the rest of the state.

“Even though I only lived in Pennsylvania till I was one and a half years old, I have a very primal connection,” said the Toronto-based singer-songwriter. “I remember when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series … Roberto Clemente was playing for the Pirates in those days.”

Whiteley will return to Oakland – the Pirates one-time home – on Saturday, Nov. 20 to deliver his signature blend of North American Folk music styles. He will be supported by The Levy Sisters with an opening performance by Pittsburgh-based soul-folk performer Joy Ike.

After over forty years of performing, playing and producing, Whiteley’s music crosses genres with regularity, but finds its root in music by people, for people.

“There was an old blues singer named Big Bill Broonzy who, when asked what he thought folk music is, would say ‘Well, I’ve never heard a horse sing,’” Whiteley said. “On one level you can say it’s folk, blues, gospel, swing … on another level you could say it’s uplifting music … it’s music that can touch you in your heart and head.”

Whiteley gained a love of that music during the folk revival of the 1960s.

“I was 14 years old and I went to my first folk festival,” he said. “I saw these great traditional blues singers: Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, the Reverend Gary Davis … and I just thought ‘Man, these guys are so cool.’ From that young age … I thought ‘I’d love to be an old blues singer.’”

Rather than finding a basis in blues, Whitley’s opener, Joy Ike, looked towards different avenues to forge her own style.

“[It’s] pretty much soul plus folk music,” she said. “It has a folk nuance to it coming from … [Pittsburgh noncommercial radio station] WYEP-type stuff. There’s also definitely a soul aspect and it has its easy-listening moments as well.”

Though Whiteley’s focus within the folk tradition might be different from Ike’s, they both share a passion for communicating through their live performances.

“I love the way music can bring people together,” Whiteley said. “I love the way it can inspire us and encourage us and give us solace and humor and insight.”

“[Performing live] is about connecting with an audience,” Ike said. “Getting to communicate with people.”

In addition to featuring Ike as an opener, Whiteley will be joined by The Levy Sisters who add another layer of vocal music tradition to his performance.

“They have that magic sister harmony,” Whiteley said. “They have a background in choirs and so on and they can just pick out harmonies so fast … over the last 15 years we’ve developed a real musical relationship and they know where I’m gonna go and they just go there with me which is so much fun. They’re great singers.”

Their vocal harmonies will also be accompanied by another musical element that Whiteley is passionate about.

“I love the string bass even though that’s not my primary instrument,” he said. “But if I hire one other musician, it’s usually a string bass player.”

On this tour, veteran bassist Mark Murphy is supporting Whiteley’s melodies on a low-register chordophone.

“He played with Pete Seeger and Guy Davis and lots and lots of people,” Whiteley said. “Mark is my go-to guy when it comes to string bass.”

Though the string bass might not be the instrument Whiteley’s most proficient on, his attitude reflects his willingness to learn.

“It’s a perpetual thing to try and get better,” he said. “It never stops. It’s a lifelong pursuit. With all of the instruments I play, there’s always still a process of discovery and a challenge in trying to improve.”