Jersey native Jonah Tolchin brings his accessible sound and new tunes to two local venues

Investors are urged to diversify their portfolios to maximize their earnings. It's an approach that singer/songwriter Jonah Tolchin is following in his musical career.

While the New Jersey native prepares to release Thousand Mile Night this summer, his second album for the Yep Roc label, he's been playing a series of shows in the northeastern U.S. since February that will include stops at the Tin Angel on Friday and Sellersville Theater on April 21.

The schedule stresses diversity. Tolchin will be an opening act or headliner and will perform solo, as a duo, or with a full band, depending on the venue, with sets that feature acoustic and electric numbers. In concert, he delivers a mix of country, folk, and blues in a compelling and accessible voice.

"Basically, the plan is to build a little buzz before the new record comes out. I like to be touring as much as possible," says Tolchin, who grew up in Princeton and will be previewing songs from Thousand Mile Night in his local gigs, including the title track and "Beauty in the Ugliest of Days." Live versions of both songs can be heard on YouTube.

Tolchin, who lives in Massachusetts with his wife, says Princeton played a formative role in his artistic development. Clover Lane, his 2014 album, is named for the street he grew up on in Princeton.

"A significant percentage of the [11] songs were written in that house on Clover Lane," he explains.

Tolchin, 23, also cites his parents, Susan and Neal Tolchin, in shaping his musical direction. "My mother has been a children's storyteller in Princeton for 30 years." Some of his songs have the feel of short stories set to music, such as "Mansion in Hollywood" and "Motel #9." The latter is a tale of violence and love gone wrong that recalls the hard-boiled detective fiction of Raymond Chandler.

Tolchin credits his father with introducing him to the blues, a genre that's incorporated on the gritty "Mockingbird" and the amorous "Hey Baby Blues" on Clover Lane.

"Before I was born, my father went to school and worked at a record store in Mississippi. He collected records from that time," he recalls. "He was always playing music." Tolchin says he was inspired by recordings from Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee to Robert Johnson, Johnny Winter and ZZ Top. The blues influence is acknowledged on Thousand Mile Night with a cover of Skip James' "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues."

Princeton also furthered his musical education in other ways, Tolchin says. He was a frequent visitor at the Princeton Record Exchange and sampled its diverse offerings. "The clearance bins were my favorite," he remembers.

Tolchin also is developing a career as a producer, helping other artists realize their musical visions. "My goal is to produce a few records each year," he says. He produced and played guitar on Bound to Meet the Devil, the debut album from Julie Rhodes, released in February.

"I could tell there was so much there," he says of her powerful, vocal style, which has drawn comparisons to Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin. Tolchin went to Nashville to produce Through These Waves, the forthcoming album from singer/songwriter Bill Scorzari.

For now, Tolchin is shifting his focus to the road and estimates he'll play more than 100 shows this year. As an opening act, he has gotten the chance to share a stage with such veteran performers as Dave and Phil Alvin, Tom Paxton, and Chris Smither, and the occasional opportunity to meet them.

"I try to talk to people, but I can be shy at times," Tolchin says. "I look up to Chris Smither. He's one of my favorites. I consider him a blues philosopher."

On the flip side, Tolchin has caught the eyes and ears of the headliners.

"Jonah Tolchin is a gently intense, sweetly honest, transcendental songwriter/bluesman," says Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Dave Alvin. "I never know what to expect from him musically and that is a wonderful damn thing."

Jonah Tolchin opens for Willie Nile at 8 p.m. Friday at the Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., Philadelphia. $25. 215-928-0770, www.tinangel.com. Tolchin opens for Joseph Arthur at 8 p.m. on April 21 at the Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave, Sellersville. $21.50-$29.50. 215-257-5808, www.st94.com.