No comment necessary:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Copy set to release new album

The one-man, underground, electro-machine Copy (aka Marius Libman) is set to release his third album for Audio Dregs Recordings on September 21st.  Hard Dream is “named after a horror movie concept created by friend and Portland DJ/performance artist Joe Von Appen and is loosely intended as a score to the un-filmed movie.”

“Part synth pop, part electro, part Italo disco, with a twist of Ratatat, and a dash of John Carpenter,” get Copy’s first single “Breakfast” from the new release here.

Plus DJ Copy drops a remix CDR where Copy “turns the King of R&B intot the King of Electro” dubbed R. Kelly Meets Copy.  Check out the “I’m A Flirt (Copy Remix).”

Cool Nutz needs West Coast street teamers

Cool Nutz posted on Facebook:

Looking for qualified street teamers at colleges throughout the West Coast to intern and work projects from Jus Family Records and Executive Branch Management. Alot of good things coming up for you help with and great way to gain experience. Hit me up at KingCoolNutz@gmail.com if you are serious. OR, WA, ID, MT, CA, UT, AK, CO, AZ, and More….Get at me….

Download Lovers new single

Hot off their performance at last weekend’s Old Town Block Party, the emotionally synthesized Lovers will release their new album Dark Light on October 12th via Badman Recording Co. but get their first single “Figure 8″ here before their MFNW gig at Rotture on September 11th (with MEN, Boy Joy, SistaFist, Permanent Wave), TBA performance on September 15th at Washington High School, or their Doug Fir release show on October 14th.  And definitely before they leave town on a national tour.

New Jared Mees leak

Tender Loving Empire leaders Jared Mees & the Grown Children leak the new hoe-down ready drama of “Cockleburrs & Hay” said to be “a sneak preview of their next record.”  Currently wrapping up their follow up to Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money, the band heads out on tour around the Western states in late September with a PDX Doug Fir gig on 9/23 and an Ashland stop on 9/24 at Alex’s before moving south to California.

3 Leg Torso off to Chicago

3 Leg Torso The details are *in* for 3 Leg Torso’s appearances at the Chicago World Music Festival! Catch us on Saturday, September 25th for FREE at Navy Pier at 1pm, and then at The Empty Bottle at 10pm that same night ($12). Tell all your Midwestern family & friends!

(Queen?) Liv Warfield in Houston attending Prince drummer’s birthday party, calls it “the birthday bash of the year!”

Liv Warfield was posting from a beauty salon: “Getting my hair done sitting in the chair chillin to the sounds of Reva Devito! Hot!”

This is Reva Devito (and Farnell Newton on trumpet):

Click here to view the embedded video.

She was in Portland when she posted that but last night she was in Houston for the birthday party of Cora Coleman-Dunham, Prince’s drummer.

“Performances by Ledisi, Tank, Dallas Blocker, Tamar, Queen Liv Warfield, The Rambo Experience, Nikki J@ne, Kevin Herring, Reggie Jamz, Nakitta Clegg-Foxx and so much more! Se7en will be hosting and the Red Carpet will be bananas!!!!

Guests are encouraged to wear white!!!”

They call her Queen Liv now? Well, why not? She’s pretty regal.

If you were in Houston:

VIP Elite – $200.00 (includes: *Round trip LIMO ride to BIRTHDAY CONCERT *VIP Pre-Party Reception and Artist Meet & Greet *VIP Red carpet activities *USB stick with exclusive images and video *Autographed Cora Coleman-Dunham photo *Photo with Cora Coleman-Dunham & ALL performing artists *Priority seating at the Exclusive VIP Afterparty *Autographed GAGU book by author Cora Coleman-Dunham *Exclusive back-stage access and hors d’œuvres *Unlimited drinks (non-alcoholic ) *”Queen Cora” Vater Signature Drumsticks *Personal VIVO Party Gift Bag).

It’s been a long time since Liv wore a running outfit on stage when she sang (c. 2002). Portland’s Liv is thisclose to breaking out. Nice going, Liv.

Read OMN’s story on Liv and Prince.

Happy Birthday Andy Stokes

Scott Avett sings to a small, but rapt, crowd at the Crystal Ballroom Monday night. Photos by Jon T. Cruz.

The Avett Brothers didn’t have to do much talking to explain their surprise show this past Monday night at the Crystal Ballroom, a benefit to support the Terra Nova Community Farm–their lyrics said it best: “Money won’t do the trick, / but it will help / to open the doors we need it to / to help someone else.”

When asked how the concert, which came as an even bigger surprise considering The Avett Brothers just visited Portland in July, Paul Hudak, Terra Nova’s farmer and crew leader, laughed and said simply, “Serendipity.”

Paul Hudak, Terra Nova Community Farm's Crew Leader, shares his excitement about The Avett Brothers' support of his students. Photo by Jon T. Cruz.

According to Hudak, who is also a mentor and tutor for the students at Terra Nova, The Avett Brothers had wanted to fit another Portland show into their tour, since they had sold out their earlier show at Edgefield. They had conditions though–they wanted the show to be intimate, and they wanted it to be a benefit.M

Hudak had connections at McMenamins, and the folks at the Crystal Ballroom had been trying to put together a dance party to benefit the farm. When The Avett Brothers told McMenamins they’d be coming back through Portland between opening for John Mayer and Keith Urban at the Gorge Amphitheater and traveling down to their next show in Las Vegas, everything came together.

And while The Avett Brothers may not have known about the Terra Nova Community Farm (TNCF) before last week, the fit couldn’t have been much more perfect. “They’ve been very authentically supportive of what we’re doing because of their own background in farming,” Hudak said.

The project, which began in 2008, is a student-run venture that combines rigorous student learning, community building, and sustainable agricultural growing practices. Last year, the 15 or so student farmers, who earn credit in ecology, economics, science, math, nutrition, health, physical education, social science, and language arts, served a 15-family Community Support Agriculture program and also provided local food to pantries and families in need.

The program’s success so far could also be described as serendipitous, as the fledgling farm was started and has operated on a fledgling budget. The proceeds from the $50 a pop show will help the TNCF in three ways: it will provide funding for a scholarship program (Terra Nova High School is a small alternative school focused on individual learning for at-risk students, who elect to attend there), purchase equipment and tools for the farm, and allow the community farming program to extend to other schools in the district.

In addition to the concert, The Avett Brothers spent a good portion of their time in Portland with the Terra Nova students; the teens watched the band perform an unplugged set that afternoon in Kink’s Bing Lounge and then cooked the band dinner with food they’d grown themselves.

All in all, the concert seemed to be a success on multiple levels.

While the brothers’ lyrics are generally known for being uplifting, honest, and passionate, they seemed especially aware of their audience Monday night, singing songs about helping others, following dreams, and coming of age, like the unreleased track, “Never Been Alive,” mentioned in this story’s opening paragraph. Even Langhorne Slim’s “Be Set Free” seemed to fit the evening perfectly with its line: “Every garden can grow; / every mouth can form a smile.”

Thankfully, The Avett Brothers’ brand of inspirational isn’t a saccharin sweet, greeting card inspiration, but rather a raucous, energetic kind of inspiration, fueled by lively banjo, spirited guitar picking, and vocals that alternate between smooth and screaming.

One of the evening’s highlights Emotionalism’s “Pretty Girl From Chile,” in which Seth switched from acoustic guitar to drums and Scott swapped a banjo for an electric guitar, and the band’s “punkgrass” sound shown through.

Langhorne Slim opens the benefit show on a sweet note, accompanied by Seth Avett on vocals. Photo by Jon T. Cruz.

Though the Crystal Ballroom might not be the most intimate venue in Portland, the 500-ticket cap that was imposed kept the crowd small. Seth and Scott, along with bass player Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, brought the same passion and energy they brought in July, but the indoor setting and smaller crowd gave the show the familial feel the brothers were after.

From the opening number, a duet between opener Langhorne Slim (who just recently rocked Pickathon) and Seth Avett, with Seth’s arms draped around Slim’s shoulders, to the main act’s ode to Portland, “Portland Town,” the night truly felt like a special evening for those lucky enough to be there.

As Seth said, it was a night that was special for a number of reasons. “When ya find something good,” he said, “You have to support it.” And as long as The Avett Brothers keep supporting Portland, Portland will keep supporting them.

DEAD CONFEDERATE
Monday, 9/6 – 6 PM
With an evolving approach and focused, streamlined sound, Dead Confederate’s new album, Sugar, explores new styles beyond the aching, bleak psychedelia of the debut. For those who have been following the band since it rose to prominence four years ago in the fertile Athens, Ga., music scene, there’s still plenty of the simmering, sludgy grunge revivalism that was their early trademark.

COMMUNITY DAY & SONGWRITERS CIRCLE
with KEETER STUART, CHRIS MARSHALL and JACK McMAHON

Monday, 9/6 – 7 PM
Free refreshments, special one-day deals, and live music!

MARK OLSON
Wednesday, 9/8 – 6 PM
As a founding member and principal singer/songwriter of The Jayhawks, Mark Olson spent a decade at the front of the alt-country movement, until leaving the band–and the familiar environs of Minneapolis–in 1995, for the California desert. Mark Olson’s new solo release, Many Colored Kite, finds Olson embracing a decidedly brighter path towards the future, exploring themes of freedom and struggle, isolation and belonging, spirituality and love.

LITTLE BEIRUT
Thursday, 9/9 – 6 PM
The members of Little Beirut approach their time dedicated to the band with an non-jaded attitude that’s refreshing to see amongst rock ‘n’ rollers. Little Beirut’s new album, Fear of Heaven, is a big fat pop record…in the best way. Lush with melodies and choruses you can sing along to in your car, their third album shows a band coming into its own.

MATT MALLEY (former Counting Crows bassist) performing for KALAKENDRA
Friday, 9/10 – 6 PM
Matt Malley is an Oscar®, GRAMMY® and Golden Globe® nominated songwriter who is most recognized for being a founding member and long time bassist for the rock group Counting Crows. Malley is also a big fan of North Indian classical music and a friend and student of Indian classical music legend Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Speaking about Sleepless Nights, their album for World Village, Malley says, “I hope that our record will put at least one more brick in the bridge between the East, West and all races of the world.”

TIFT MERRITT
Saturday, 9/11 – 1 PM
In her nascent career, Tift Merritt has already produced an impressive body of work and earned a passionate, dedicated audience. Her live performances, both with her band and on her own, are similarly riveting. See You On the Moon, Tift Merritt’s latest release, is her most visceral work to date. A deeply centered departure, these focused and creative musical short stories find Tift at the height of her powers. The album is tethered by Merritt’s eye for chiseled detail, her evocative voice, and her steely desire for emotional breakthrough and musical growth. New textures, angles, and instrumentation abound.

THE WALKMEN – Pre-buy the new Walkman “Lisbon” CD or LP through Music Millennium for guaranteed admission to the instore…plus get a 7′ single (while supplies last) which includes 2 non-album tracks!
Sunday, 9/12 – 12:30 PM
Formed in 2002 by members of celebrated indie rock bands Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Recoys, The Walkmen burst through New York City’s crowded garage rock scene with their debut album, Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. The album captured public and critical attention for its freshness, use of atmosphere, and vintage instrumentation. The band’s highly anticipated follow-up, Bows & Arrows, spawned the indie rock anthem “The Rat”. Their latest album’s sound draws from early Elvis and Sun Records for inspiration while the heart of the album adds fast bashy drums, subtle vocal harmonies, and galloping guitar lines.

Photos by Jon T. Cruz

Even with the rain steadily pouring down for three hours, Vampire Weekend and Beach House diligently tried to warm up the full Edgefield lawn on Tuesday evening–the day after VW lead singer Ezra Koenig was forced to cancel the band’s Seattle gig due to “vocal issues,” announcing on their MySpace that “he lost his voice completely,” and after being taken to the ER, he was “diagnosed with inflamed vocal cords and the doctor ordered him to not perform for 48 hours.”

Meant to be a cut above the average fashion show, Sweet F.A. Rock & Roll features non-traditional models who truly own their look, and Sweet F.A. hosts their annual show at a different venue each year, with live music. This year, the action is at Berbati’s Pan: That’s 231 SW Ankeny, yo!

Come watch some fierce chicas strut down a non-traditional runway in local designs by: Adam Andreas, Carolyn Hart, Clair, Diana Pingul, Moovmint, Owlhaus and Squeak Designs.

Musical genius provided by The Black Mercies and DJ Gregarious. Local art featured by Alyssa Noches. If you like local art/music/fashion/awesome, you need to be there.

Seriously, this is an amazing night honoring Portland’s talent and we have a lot of it. It’s young, fresh and raw. Kind of like a farmer’s market, but with alcohol and sex infused into your meat and two veg.

Plus, tickets are only $8 presale, $10 at the door (if there are any left). Saturday, September 4th, doors at 8 PM, show at 9 PM, 21+. See you there, PDX.

And any guys and girls interested in modeling can email: elizabeth@doomtownproductions.com

Last year Josh Spacek told Matt Brown of Bladen County Records that he would play that label’s 2009 MusicFestNW showcase for “the first show of whatever new band I could put together” after departing from Oh Captain, My Captain. The only problem was, Spacek “hadn’t written any songs, and I didn’t have a band to play with.” In four short months Spacek managed find the band, write the songs and release the Monarques‘ indelible, retro-pop debut EP.

“Angel Eyes” off Monarques self-titled EP

A year later, Monarques are playing Bladen County’s MusicFestNW showcase again at Matt Brown’s brand-spanking new Bunk Bar. And oh what a difference a year can make. Talking to the Monarques, they sound more like old friends than a band that barely knew each other a year ago. And even if their music evokes Buddy Holly, sock hops and soda fountains, the band is here and now and ready to push forward

Spacek left Oh Captain, My Captain intending to start the band that would become Monarques.  With a high-profile gig already lined up, and musical friends tied up in other projects, Spacek turned to Craigslist. Bassist Richard Bennett, who had only been living in Portland for two weeks, responded and the Monarques rhythm section began to fall in place.

Spacek was “really impressed that everything worked right off the bat” and they began writing immediately.  Bennett brought along fellow Scranton, Pennsylvania transplants Lee Ellis (keyboards) and Corey Ciresi (drums), and Spacek says he “got really lucky. Rich, Corey and Lee are all amazing fucking musicians. They can do anything.”

The four-piece began working on material, and played an early set at Ella St. Social Club last August. But the full band finally came together after Spacek exchanged emails with Talia Gordon about joining Monarques on vocals. She showed up at Spacek’s house with her Ohioan band mate Chrissy Busacca (vocals), and shortly afterwards “basically learned and recorded our parts in half a day.”

It’s surprising to Ellis now, because the band is so close-knit, but “the first time we actually met Chrissy and Talia was recording the EP… After the fact, after we had already recorded our parts.” And only a month before Monarques debut as a seven-piece at MFNW.

They hit the ground running, sounding more like a seasoned, fully formed project than a band that had only coalesced weeks before their first performance. The self-titled EP is sunny, polished, doo-wop pop. The jangly guitars, blocky keyboards and sugar-sweet vocal harmonies are up-beat and infectious, even on songs like “Cold, Cold Heart,” where Spacek croons “So I traded my soul / for a bag of cocaine / and some rock ‘n’ roll.”

As strong as that debut was, Gordon feels like “we outgrew our EP a long time ago… for the better part of a year.” They’re in the middle of recording their debut full-length with producer Paul Laxer (who recorded Typhoon’s Hunger and Thirst) at the home of Ellis, Ciresi and Bennett. “We’ve been there everyday for three weeks,” says Spacek. “We’ve got seven songs more or less finished, all the basic tracking… we’ve got like five songs left we haven’t started.” Two of which, Ellis is quick to point out, remain to be written.

“Recording is gruelling,” says Gordon. “We’ve been playing around a lot more with vocals, as of the last six months, because every person in the band can sing, no matter if they’re a vocalist or not, everyone has a good voice.” For Ellis, trying to capture that can be daunting. “When you’re recording it you’re like ‘oh my god, this is going to be released, people are going to hear this, this has to be good.’ This has to be completely on or it’s just fucked, you know?”

Spacek jokingly calls him “crippled by fear,” but also says that even though it’s hard work, it’s rewarding “getting to watch the songs sort of develop in the studio.” The Monarques are re-recording the five songs from the EP, but Ellis says “there are so many parts that have been added that they kind of sound like different songs now.” He admits that “sometimes we tend to overplay, so with recording you [flesh] out all the parts and really hear everything intensively… You figure out what works and what doesn’t, when you’re playing too much or not enough.” For Spacek, that ability to know “what’s best for the song, not what’s best for my feelings,” has been one of the biggest things the band has learned this year.

But for the band the real “game-changer,” as Gordon calls it, was the their April appearance on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion. The Monarques were one of five bands, out of hundreds of entries, to earn a slot on the show’s “2010 Battle of the Bands.” They managed to weather the experience, go to dinner with iconic host Garrsion Keillor and take home the Ray Marklund Award (awarded by staff, cast and crew). “We felt like we were good,” Spacek says. “Alright, cool, we’re a good band. It’s fun, we’re having a great time, but then all of a sudden we’re gonna be on national radio. It’s like ‘what the fuck. We need to get better.’ ”

For Gordon, “being onstage while they played the intro music to Prairie Home Companion gave me chills… [those were] the notes that I’ve heard so many times.” “We pretty much had to get over that really fast,” says Spacek:

I mean we got there and we all [were] terrified. We were all just looking at each other… “What are we doing here? We’re not ready for this.” We had a really bad sound-check. We definitely were uncomfortable… We went to our dressing room and we just sat and we talked about the fact that we need to get over the fact that we’re terrified. And we sat, and I played guitar, and everyone [was] clapping and we sang all of our songs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part of getting over that for Ellis was purchasing a bottle of whiskey, “just so that we could play,” with former guitarist Jon Preston (which was offered to, and politely declined by, Keillor). Jon has since left the band to pursue a career outside music. But the band is excited at the addition of guitarist Michael Slavin. “He makes the songs so good,” says Ellis. “His riffs are just so tasteful. I could never think like that.”

If A Prairie Home Companion was the bands highlight this year, Spacek calls Las Vegas, on the band’s late-May West Coast tour, “the highlight of the worst.” Ellis had a huge, pus-filled sore on his back, from what appeared to be a spider bite, after sleeping on a hotel room floor. Gordon had a fever almost immediately after arriving. The band started to fight. They played one show to an empty, well-lit dance floor– vacated by the friends of the band who had played before them — while people danced in the dark near the bar. The next day they played a pool party where the band members outnumbered the listeners. (Slavin jokingly insists that “you guys are selling that all wrong” and that they played an “intimate show”).

What’s striking about talking to the Monarques is how much they seem like a band, how strong their bond seems for a project that’s only celebrating its first birthday. Gordon thinks that “if there’s one thing you could say about us it’s that we have this amazing group energy. We are so close, all of us.” While so many other bands seem like a solo project with whatever friends can be dragged onstage, Monarques feels like seven musicians ecstatic to be working together.

The band is hesitant to commit to any kind of details about their album-in-progress. Spacek simply says “maybe” when asked if there’s a title yet for the album and that “there’s no tentative plans” about who’ll be releasing the record. Ellis says they’re “like 18 percent done with the record,” which Spacek laughs at and calls a conservative number. They’ll likely be recording up until, or shortly after, their upcoming tour (which starts September 24th), with a release possible in the first half 2011.

For now Spacek is excited to “finish this batch of songs, and then start writing new ones, and tour.” We are too, and we hope to hear something soon.

Monarques play the Bladen County showcase as part of MusicFestNW Saturday September 11th at 11:55 pm. Admission with MFNW wristband, or $8 at the door.

PAPER OR PLASTIC
Friday, 8/6 – 6 PM
With their most recent studio album, Don’t Be Like That, Paper or Plastic proves that they are uninterested in re-creating the banal, overly careful sound of today’s pop and rock music. Several of the album’s indie rock gems, such as “Break Your Bond,” “For Christ’s Sake,” and “Move It Away,” seem to hint at an underlying escapist manifesto. But, rather than simply throw away all efforts to produce radio prefabrications, the band’s name is indicative of an more wholesome effort–to recycle the best bits of rock n’ roll in a modern, socially and politically relevant context. Not to mention–of course–the songs are really catchy.

Jewel is a mistress of changing emotion. One day, she’s on the Emmys singing a poignant ode to a fallen friend during the “In Memoriam” segment. The next, she’s jamming with Sarah Palin.

Well, not quite: the musician this week posted a clever video on Funny or Die that’s a “Behind the Music” parody imagining a past life in which she and her rival for the title of most famous Alaskan were once a popular folk duo.

Palin, who famously played the flute during her beauty pageant days, fronted Sarah Barracuda and The Jewel.

Read the full report, including the Palin video.

That was 1997. Since then, Misty River has released five albums. Concerts are booked into April of next year, including a September 3rd appearance at Skamania Lodge and an October 15th appearance at the Alberta Rose. Falling into the acoustic genre, a concert includes celtic, bluegrass, four-part harmonies and the intimate feeling like you’ve dropped in for a private session, just for you and a few friends.

In 2008, the band decided to take a one-year hiatus, and allow individual members to cultivate their solo careers. This was celebrated in a November concert in 2009, at which point they resumed booking as Misty River. The voices and talents you hear in the group are also present in these additional bands – but often with a different emphasis.

Carol Harley

Carol Harley

Harley lists herself as the Eldest of Misty River. Being the eldest apparently doesn’t translate into being the slowest, as she is also an active participant in booking and managing the band – no easy job for a touring group. Harley is well-suited for the task, having been involved in various groups since her high-school days.

Listed as supplying guitar and banjo, she and daughter Laura Quigley have been practicing their vocals for years. With the Mother/Daughter duet as a basis, the remaining members of Misty River must find it an easy task to layer additional harmonies.

Harley also performs with Misty Mamas, along with Katherine Nitsch, April Parker, and Eileen Rocci. Together since 2006, they provide a homey show, engaging a wide range of audiences with stories and bluegrass. “Wild Rose of the Mountain” is their first release, a collection of representative bluegrass and folk.

But the thing she is most thankful for, at age 60, is to be alive. In 2004, Harley was diagnosed with leukemia (CML), just weeks before the band left for a tour of China. “It was a tough time” Harley recalls. “But with the care of my doctors, a miracle drug called Gleevac, and the power of music, family, friends and faith, the disease is now in remission.” Harley says sharing songs on stage is her chance to introduce newcomers to the healing power of Misty River’s music as well as thank those who have supported her along the way.

Laura Quigley

Laura Quigley

Quigley, a self-taught and award-winning bluegrass bassist, was a founding member of Misty River, if you assume that “Over the Rainbow” was the first song on the setlist. Quigley and Harley are the Mother/Daughter team just mentioned in the previous paragraph, and make up a good portion of the vocal backing.

On her facebook page, Quigley plainly states “I love basses,” and is well-known in the bluegrass and old-timey circles. Her performances are in the pocket and melodic, oftentimes playful.

Quigley is also the primary driver of Misty River’s 37-foot long diesel motorhome, has perhaps gained the most appreciation for what it means to be part of the road-tested, all-female band. Quigley spent much of 2009 hitting the pavement and pub scene with new bands looking for their first big break. This included a five-week long, cross country tour in which she shared a van and sleeping accommodations with four, much younger men. “I taught them how to drive,” Quigley says, “after realizing that if I didn’t, I might not make it back to Oregon in one piece.”

Among those bands, Quigley performed (and still performs) in Rabbit Foot, The Flat Mountain Girls and Fifth Gear Bluegrass.

Rabbit Foot is a make-no-mistake square dance band, with Quigley providing bass. They’ll play for your wedding, or you can catch them at the County Cork on NE Fremont. This type of music isn’t sophisticated or complex – but that’s not the point. This ain’t no chess match, shut up and dance!

The Flat Mountain Girls have been a force of nature in the acoustic scene, but lately have been dormant. The last show mentioned in any of their bios indicates a trip to Ireland – sadly nothing seems to be available since then.

Fifth Gear Bluegrass is a high-energy bluegrass band, having appeared at various bands around the Portland area. Like The Flat Mountain Girls, their appearance calendar seems to have gone stale.

Dana Abel

Dana Abel

Misty River Bios list her talent for harmony singing and arranging, and she is listed in multiple accordion websites. Her performances with Misty River are key to their sound, and sets them apart from a standard bluegrass vocals group.

Abel has spent much of her recent time teaching music to preschool and elementary-age children in Eugene, or wrangling her two children.

“I’m just glad to be spending more time with adults again,” Abel noted, adding that “the children have great enthusiasm, but I missed the vocal blend of Misty River.”

She will perform a children’s set at the  Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides on September 18th.

Chris Kokesh

Chris Kokesh

Chris Kokesh has been busy. A quote from her personal website states “In a VERY good way, it’s been ‘a hell of a year.’” (The name of the closing track of October Valentine, her recent solo album).

Says Kokesh, “the break from Misty River has given me a wonderful chance to write songs and gain new musical insight that only comes from playing with other people, but it has also given me an appreciation for just how special Misty River is: nobody sings harmony like Misty River.”

Her solo career is occupying more of her time, with plans for another CD, as well as an expanded touring schedule.

Brokentop, Kokesh’s most current band, is a collaboration with Dale Adkins on Guitar, Jeff Smith on Mandolin and Suzanne Pearce on bass. Their calendar shows a blazing start out of the gates, appearing at a collection of bluegrass festivals throughout Oregon and Washington. They play traditional bluegrass, with the driving notes and vocals you’d expect to hear. Kokesh’s voice and songwriting is recognizable, employing Brokentop instrumentation and vocals as a welcome backing. Over time, the voices and instrumentation will blend, giving the combined talents something greater than the sum.

Here’s a video of Chris Kokesh performing “Risk My Heart” live at the Redhare/Artichoke Showcase room at the 2009 Folk Alliance Region-West Conference.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They’re EVERYWHERE

As proof that Misty River seems to account for about 75% of the acoustic music in Oregon, consider the following accumulated September schedule for the four…

September 2nd

• Chris Kokesh at Artichoke Songwriter Roundup

September 3rd

• Misty River at Skamania Lodge

September 4th

• Misty Mamas at the Tumbleweed Music Festival

September 7th

• Chris Kokesh teaches at American Song Academy
• Rabbit Foot Square Dance at County Cork

September 10th

• Chris Kokesh and Brokentop at the Sisters Folk Festival

September 11th

• Misty Mamas at the Portland Farmers Market
• Rabbitfoot at Alberta Street Pub

September 14th

• Chris Kokesh at Mississippi Studios
• Rabbit Foot Square Dance at County Cork

September 18th

• Dana Abel performs for Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides

September 21st

• Rabbit Foot Square Dance at County Cork

September 28th

• Rabbit Foot Square Dance at County Cork

Bob Dylan, the legend, is on tour at the cusp of the release of some important recordings. The Witmark Demos: 1962-64 and The Original Mono Recordings are both due out October 19.

John Mellencamp, the icon, opened for Dylan. He’s on tour to promote his new work — a deep, soulful album produced by T Bone Burnett, called No Better Than This.

Photo by Jon T. Cruz

The two singer-songwriter-musicians, both well studied and enjoyed by the world’s public for decades — Dylan since the 1960s, Mellencamp the 1970s — have continued to make their music important even though, the times, they are (always) a changin’.

Saturday’s Edgefield show was high energy and engaging from its start, with young, raw and of course talented blues duet, The Dough Rollers, to finish.

Mellencamp characteristically strutted his stuff with all-American boyish sex appeal. But, appeal aside, Mellencamp really does admit through body language just how grateful he his for his career, and his band.

Each smile and nod of his pompadoured head seems to be a quiet “thank you.” To who? The audience, his fans, the universe? Maybe all of the above, but it’s an important thing to note, because the openly playful man often gets funneled into a certain persona, where his ever deeper thinking and multi-faceted creative, and political nature can go underplayed.

Photo by Jon T. Cruz

He conducted his show in a way that felt like he was having an open dialogue with the audience. Asking at one point, “Do you want old, or new?” He got lots of shouts for both, with old of course winning the vote.

He and his phenomenal band, including original member and best friend Mike Wanchic, and a violinist, Miriam Sturm, who is make-your-toes-curl awesome, presented a string of classics such as “Paper in Fire,” “Check it Out,” and a particularly fiery “Rain on the Scarecrow,” along with some new stuff.

Mellencamp made his way around the stage; pointing, waving, and smiling at the equally energized audience.

It was an “intimate setting, the sound was epic, and the crowd friendly. A perfect day for music.” Says fan Jenny Jones, who saw Mellencamp some years ago with her sister at Portland’s Memorial Colosseum, and still credits that show as the best she’s seen.

Edgefield is big but friendly. You will wait in line for at least an hour to get in, more if you want guaranteed close-up seats on the lawn, but you can walk right up to the stage at any time, just the same. It makes for a special place to see the likes of Dylan and Mellencamp, because you can be close if you try, and that’s pretty special.

Dylan’s interaction is much less obvious, though if you’re paying attention, it can perhaps be far more intriguing. His communication is subtle, but deep: look further; beyond obvious reasons, this soul is special. There is nearly always a glint in his eye, which expresses knowing and humor. It’s a humor of understanding, of having seen a colorful life, and of knowing how to enjoy the moment.

Dylan is undeniably wise, artful in the way he represents his old songs in a new light, and obviously appreciative of the fruits of his own labor. He exudes this sort of sneaky pleasure, which you can see in his half grins, and micro pelvic thrusts.

Described beautifully by dedicated fan, Scott Forrest, “Dylan is like a slithering snake, regularly shedding his skin, like Leonard Zelig, the chameleon man. True to his ever changing self, today he seems to be enjoying himself more visibly than he has in the past. I don’t think he’s ever been too concerned with how his audience receives him but at present he emanates a degree of peace on stage that often seemed elusive in the past.” Exactly.

Giving, yet shy, Dylan would dance a little as he played, which meant a double knee bend here, a foot stomp there,  and a sometimes playful full body nudge at the audience (with subtle eyebrow raise and mini-smile) which he would use to emphasize a specific word.

He looked good, in his black tuxedo pants, characteristic cowboy boots and white hat. In between songs, he moved easily about stage without drawing much attention. A quick instrument change, a sweep of the tufts of hair hanging against either side of his neck; left, then right, and he’d be ready for the next song.

His band, equally slick in matching tan suits, were good humored and brilliant. Guitarist Charlie Sexton appeared to walk on the genius/insanity tightrope, with a crazed look in his eye and the need to be more mobile than the rest. In contrast, bass player Tony Garnier appeared sneaky, and chill as they come. The set included particularly special renditions of “Just Like a Woman,” “Working Man’s Blues,” and thankfully, “Like a Rolling Stone,” as well as a great “Jolene” off the album, Together Through Life. The band, like an organism, has clearly worked together for years.

One can only hope the years keep coming.

As mentioned in the recently published article Soft Metals’ discovery, the duo of DJs Patricia Furpurse and Ian Hixx were asked by Holocene Music to remix the first single from Reporter’s latest release, Time Incredible.  As Patricia Furpurse posted on Facebook: “We’ve been dying to share this with you for some time now! Ahhhhhh!”  So check out Soft Metals’ remix of “Click Shaw”:

Pink Martini takes on Hollywood… with a little help from Sesame Street

PM has posted on Facebook:

We are thrilled to announce that not only are we performing September 10, 11 & 12
at the Hollywood Bowl with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra but we will be joined by very special guests Rufus Wainwright, Jane Powell, Ari Shapiro and the Original Cast of
Sesame Street. Don’t miss these shows, they are going to be amazing!

Niswanger clan escapes vacation fire, Hailey back at Berklee in Boston

A hot vacation spot. Niswanger clan escapes vacation fire... Hailey back to Boston and Berklee

Unwinding from the first Portland Folk Festival

Amanda Stark, one of the three curators says, “I think it went very well. We could have done with a smaller room instead of Wonder Ballroom on the Saturday – but besides that people seemed very happy that went to the festival. We had to start somewhere! And it was a good start!”

Gulls release Drexler-ized video by Nurses’ Aaron Chapman with new 12-inch out in September

Electro ambient outfit Gulls have a new 12-inch EP out on Boomarn Nation on September 15th titled From the Mean Sound, but before then, Aaron Chapman of Nurses has just finished the video for the track “Vetted.”  He describes as…

I think about it as the inner-workings of Clyde Drexler’s psyche during a game.  He has all the world’s pressure on him and has to overcome some personal issues like self-doubt, etc.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Quick & Easy Boys hit the road

Zippy the Pinhead now a musical

Are we a Tony Award Winner yet? “Zippy the Pinhead: The Musical” will be opening Nov. 12 in Baltimore, MD.  It’s written by Baltimore composer Lorraine Whittlesey and tells the story of the Zipster’s return to Baltimore to attend his high school reunion, and includes numbers such as “Pinhead Love,” “The Condiments” and “Type ‘Z’ Personality.”

We are told:

Bill Griffith, the Award winning and marvelously esoteric creator of the long running Strip, has provided acclaimed Baltimore composer Lorraine Whittlesey with the rights to create this unique show. Whittlesey has chosen Theatre Project as the ideal venue for the premiere of this project. Whittlesey will serve as Artistic Director and Theatre Project is co-producing the work with Private Sector Productions.

Auditions were held in March. Zippy is a baritone/bass who can dance some basic moves. Singing and dancing ability were required for characters Zerbina and Mister Toad. Character of Griffy did not require singing ability.

In case you’ve forgotten:

Zippy is the “wise fool”. He knows nothing at all and everything at once. Media-soaked, he has the attention span of a channel-surfer. He’s giddy from information overload. He speaks in an expressive voice, full of emotion and media sound bites. His mind works in a distinctly non-linear fashion, leap-frogging from one thought to the next , creating a speech pattern that closely resembles the swing of improvisational jazz. Though his behavior may appear “surreal”, he’s really making his own kind of sense of the world. His seeming “non sequitur” style is really more of a rearranging of subjects, objects and emotions, flowing like poetry. Zippy thrives on an additive-rich, high MSG diet and a hefty dose of celebrity-spotting (after all, he lives in Hollywood). He’s fueled by Ding Dongs and taco sauce. Of course, there’s an intentionally satiric edge to Zippy, but this never takes a back seat to his strong attachment and loyalty to those around him. When he’s not hanging out at Donut Hut, the bowling alley or the laundromat, he lives with his family in a courtyard apartment building a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard. When he wants to get away from it all, he goes to his fur-lined fallout shelter in a vacant lot on the other side of town. He’s the central character of the show, bouncing around inside each episode, both reacting to and directing (often unwittingly) the storyline.

Chris Robley

Gulfsongs Oregon’s seventh of eleven benefit concerts will take place this Thursday at Mississippi Studios with a stellar lineup of some of Portland’s best indie pop artists –  Chris Robley & The Fear of Heights, Rachel Taylor Brown, Leonard Mynx, and Buoy LaRue.  In addition, Gulfsongs is teaming with PDX 2 Gulf Coast: Oregonians Supporting Their Gulf Coast Neighbors to include a special presentation by the team that traveled to the Gulf Coast in August to gather information and assess the local and national steps necessary for the economic and environmental recovery of the region. They will report on their findings, impressions, and next steps in their project to keep attention and awareness on the serious issues facing the Gulf Coast and what communities here in Portland and around the country can do to help build a more sustainable future.

Besides four sets of outstanding music, there will be a silent auction with work from a number of Portland artists including Chris Haberman, Jennifer Kenworth, Ron Rogers, Dan Dalton and award-winning poster artist Gary Houston. There are also photos from music photographers Annaliese Moyer and Tim Deal, a ticket on the DME Big Easy Express, brown pelican tiles from Pratt & Larson, and gift certificates from the Swamp Shack and Mississippi Studios. The evening kicks off at 8:00 PM and tickets are $10.

The two organizations combined efforts for this event to focus more attention on the needs of the people most directly affected by the oil spill and on its environmental impact. The mission of the PDX 2 Gulf Coast team is “to build meaningful relationships in the Gulf Coast in order to tell informed stories of lives and systems impacted by the greatest environmental disaster in US history and to create tools that inspire choices for a more sustainable future.”

The money raised through Gulfsongs Oregon is supporting the people of coastal Louisiana who have been economically hurt in the wake of the spill and by the continued loss of coastal wetlands. To leverage the maximum value of the money contributed, funds are going to two established aid organizations in place in the region that provide ongoing relief efforts in the local communities: Bayou Grace Community Services via the Gulf Aid Acadiana Fund, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans/Acadiana.

You can see a full schedule of Gulfsongs events at gulfsongsoregon.org/shows.

To gain entry you need an all-festival wristband or you can pick up a free Nike Sportswear Sneak and Destroy pass from either Jackpot Records locations starting at 10am on the day of each show.  The gigs are first come, first serve and will fill up so get there early and get in line.  Doors open at 3:30pm with the gig start time scheduled for 4:30pm.

All-show festival wristbands are still on sale for $90 as well as a second $65 option, which is valid for one of the two outdoor shows in Pioneer Square (The Decemberists or The National).  Many individual tickets have already sold out–and more are selling out everyday.  Check out the rest of the ticketing information here.

David Vest at Waterfront Blues Festival 2010 / Photo by David Krebs

[Bluesman David Vest returns to Portland this coming Friday (Sept. 3) for a date at Duff's Garage. Since the gig is his first in the area after "Rock a While" hit the stores, it's being billed as the official CD release party. Vest has written some "expanded liner notes" for the album.]

First thing I want to say is that this album would not have been possible without the friendship and support of Michael Donnelly and the superb ears of Dennis Carter at Falcon Recording Studios. When I sat down to write some liner notes for my new CD, I had the usual stuff in mind: who played on which track, where the recording was done and who did it, and maybe something about where a few of the songs came from. I soon realized that behind every one of them, even the instrumentals, was some kind of story that needed to be told, or that I needed to tell, and that hat I had to say would never fit on a CD jacket, or even on a “special insert.” I also knew that if I didn’t come up with it now I might never get around to it. So here goes.

Rock a While

Between Houston and New Orleans lies the largest swamp in the United States, the Great Atchafalaya Basin, which didn’t have an Interstate highway running across it until 1973, the year work was completed on one of the world’s longest bridges over water. Before then some people made it across the swamp and some didn’t. Snakes and alligators never stopped Katie Webster and Gatemouth Brown. But they stopped a lot of other people.

As far as musicians in the southeast were concerned, Baton Rouge marked the outer limit of the known world. I know because I had to drive there from Birmingham one night, cut a record at Sam Montel’s studio in the morning, then drive straight home for a gig. I felt like I had been to the “Beyond Here Lies Nothing” sign.

When I finally made it to Houston in 1981, there still wasn’t as much interplay as you’d expect between Texas and Louisiana, musically speaking. At least not with music from east of Lafayette. One big difference was that in Texas, unlike New Orleans, the jazz scene and the blues scene were to all intents and purposes completely separate. Houston horn players, for example, knew all about Chu Berry and Illinois Jacquet, but many of them hadn’t heard of Alvin “Red” Tyler or even Lee Allen. They dug Miles Davis, but who was Dave Bartholomew? When musicians can play “All Blues” but are baffled by “Be My Guest” you know something is going on wrong. Did a little deeper, you find cats who can play “Corcovado” but not “Crespuscule with Nellie.”

Amos Milburn died just about the time I got to Houston. I always loved his playing, but it was hearing his remake of Chicken Shack Boogie, from a New Orleans session with Earl Palmer on drums, that really sealed the deal for me. That recording had everything I had dreamed about. It created a bridge across the swamp, all by itself.

I never met Milburn, who’s sometimes associated with the phrase “rock a while,” or Lonnie Lyons, who played piano on Goree Carter’s 1949 hit with the same title. I first heard Goree’s track on a compilation album that also featured Big Walter the Thunderbird, aka Big Walter Price, who captured most of my attention. I still consider Big Walter to be the most exciting piano player I ever heard. One night they tried to get him to go back out for an encore, and he said, “Young man, the ball already rolling downhill , why kick it?”

My own recording ferries between Portland, where I began recording the song, and Vancouver Island, where Rick Erickson and I finished it. Jeff Minnick, a lifelong admirer and worthy disciple of Palmer, plays drums on this track, with Albert Reda on bass and Alan Hager adding guitar.

Blind Mule

One thing people should know about this story is that I didn’t make it up. Wilburn Vest, my father, was there when it happened, so I guess he ought to know. People raised on Facebook may have trouble imagining a way life so mysterious, immediate, elemental and filled with sudden dangers. Back then, life wasn’t something that happened while you were checking your iPhone. By the time Wilburn was born, his (my) family had become sharecroppers on land they once owned, near Oak Ridge, Alabama, just off the Flint River. Daddy’s version of the story doesn’t account for the whereabouts of the three family hunting dogs, Lady, Jack and Old Wimpy. You’d think they’d have been barking their heads off. Either they were unimpressed, or hiding under the plank floors of the Old Vest Mission, down the hill just a couple of fields away. Last I heard, they still celebrate Mule Day in Morgan County.

Monklite in Vermouth

Listen to the unreleased, long version of “Monklite in Vermouth.”

Thelonious Monk was maybe 17 or 18 when he wrote Round Midnight. My old friend Huey Long (the guitarist for the Ink Spots, not the Louisiana governor) got him in backstage at the Apollo Theater so Monk could pitch the song to Cootie Williams, who agreed to record the song if he and his business manager got the publishing and most of the composer credits. Young Monk went back to Huey for advice. He was told that life was life, business was business, and he had two choices: get his song recorded, or go home with the sheet music rolled up under his armpit. Which explains why Monk’s name is listed third on the sheet music. Welcome to the Show, kid.

My favorite Monk recording is his boogie-woogie version of “Epistrophy.” I’d like to record Monklite with a band someday. I did another solo recording, considerably longer and more developed, but I was playing my Roland and I didn’t want anything but real acoustic piano on this CD.

Magic City Shuffle

David Vest at Waterfront Blues Festival 2010 / Photo by David Krebs

Sun Ra grew up across the street from the train depot in Birmingham, where a big sign with lots of light bulbs spelled out “Welcome to the Magic City.” I lived on the old streetcar line that ran from downtown to Tuxedo Junction, out in Ensley. A red-headed kid named Henry Strzelecki, who later played a little bass for Dylan on Blonde on Blonde, lived across the street. In the days of segregation — I’m talking about well into the 1960s that some people are so nostalgic for — black and white musicians had to sneak around after hours to play together. That to me is the true meaning (and feeling) of Avery Parrish’s great masterpiece After Hours. It’s all about that place, that hour, that state of mind where people can finally let their guard down, relax, and just be people. I am old enough to have experienced a bit of this. As far as musicians were concerned, we were in terrorist-controlled territory, looking for a little civilized freedom behind the lines.

Sometimes our jam sessions started after 2 a.m. and went until dawn. Obviously the stakes were much higher for Black musicians. There was a reason why Birmingham was called Bombingham. When I think of the risks some of the musicians took, just to share their knowledge and creativity with others, all for the love of music, I am humbled. So I think of the Magic City Shuffle as all these musicians going back and forth across town, across boundaries, passing each other coming and going, and getting together eventually.

I think of all that history when I see the way they keep trying to re-segregate the music, inventing all these genres and labels — and code words, really — like “Roots Rock” and “Indie” and “Singer-Songwriter.” Have you ever seen a Black “singer-songwriter”? John Lee Hooker wrote and sang hundreds of songs, but they never included him under that heading. The most idiotic example I ever saw was a record store that had two separate bins for “Christian” music and “Gospel” music. It’s all designed to put Black music over here and White music over there. That’s not just stupid, it’s evil.

What’s On Your Mind

Enter Peter Dammann on guitar, with Dave Kahl on bass and Minnick still on drums. In fact, Jeff plays on everything except where otherwise indicated, and his drum break at the end of my solo has never failed to bring the house down whenever we’ve played it live. Pete had taken the red eye flight back from New Orleans, where he had probably been up for days at Jazzfest, and come straight to the studio. This was Take 3, but he nailed the first two as well.

The song has something to do with my move to the west coast.

Runnin’ Partner

This track (same personnel as above) should have been included on Serve Me Right to Shuffle, but I decided at the last minute to use a live version featuring Paul deLay. The fellas were justifiably proud of the work they did in the studio on this one, so I thought it was high time somebody besides me got to hear what they played. Plus this one features a real piano. By the way, I played a Yamaha grand on all the studio tracks, and a couple of Steinways on the songs recorded live. As far where this song came from, you can read all about it in Jimmy McDonough’s new book.

Let’s Go Too Far

Vest's right hand at Waterfront Blues Festival 2010 / Photo by David Krebs

Only the facts have been changed, otherwise it’s a true story. Rich Layton sang the original (and very different) version of this song on an album I played on in the early 90s with a Houston band called the Generators. Rich moved to Portland before I did, and helped me get settled when I followed him up. He’s still out there shakin’ and shoutin’ with his current band the Troublemakers.

Bad Little Boogie

Immediately after recording this track, I ordered the engineer to delete it. After all, we were just relaxing in the studio, not really working on any of the songs I had written for the album. He did erase it, but not before burning a rough mix of the day’s work on a CD for me. Thank goodness, because I found it, did some minor editing, sent it back to him for mastering and here it is. Not the first time this has happened to me. One of the songs on an album I did in Europe has an extremely short fade out, because I cursed loudly and kicked over something before the last chord died away — on what everybody but me recognized immediately as the best take we’d done in two weeks of hard work.

Little Big-Eyes

I wrote this awhile back for a Mardi Gras gig in Galveston, and finally got around to recording it. Ever tried to sneak across a full-blown Mardi Gras parade carrying a keyboard, amp and stand? First you have to make it through the crowd on the sidewalk. You’re lucky if somebody who waited all day to get a good spot doesn’t deck you. Then you have to get past the horses and floats and tractors without exciting the cops. If you make it across the street alive, you get to do the same thing in reverse, and then you try to beat the parade to the next street. All these years later, I am still finding little metallic bits of sparkle stuff whenever I open up my rig to make repairs. People fling it in the air and it works its way down under the piano keys.

That gig was with Tommy Dardar and the Sheetrockers. Tommy recorded one of my songs (“Starin’ Down the Barrel of the Blues”) with the Phantom Blues Band backing him. I hope they bring him to the Waterfront festival one of these years. I had a lot of fun playing with the Sheetrockers. I even got to play a few dates with the legendary guitarist Little Junior One-Hand. It’s no use talkin’ about it, because you had to see him to believe it. You can keep your steel slide, your glass slide, and your kitchen table knife. I saw Little Junior One-Hand use a rubber chicken, a dildo, the edge of a wrought-iron column, and a barrette he snatched out of some woman’s hair on the dance floor. All on one song. Then he really got down to business. As Stevie Ray Vaughan expressed it, “that guy can play the guitar with anything.” What does that have to do with this song? Probably nothing. That’s Minnick and Reda on drums and bass.

Whiskey and Women

I recently heard a version of this song recorded live by John Lee Hooker at the Continental Ballroom in Vancouver, in the 1970s. I got it from John Hunter, a friend and fellow musician who played drums that night. The lyrics are completely different, but the groove is amazing, as it probably was every time John Lee played it. I read somewhere that Miles Davis once told Hooker, “John Lee, you the funkiest man alive. You sound like you buried up to your neck in mud.” When I was growing up, I wanted to play piano the way John Lee Hooker played the guitar, and the way Bill Monroe played the mandolin, because they both moved me so much. I suppose I do the song differently every time, too. On this occasion, I surprised Peter Dammann, Jimi Bott and Don Campbell by launching into it unannounced at the Triple Door. Might as well have tried to sneak a sunrise past a rooster.

Natural Born Lover/Every Night About This Time

I started performing Natural Born Lover shortly after learning that Fats Domino had survived Hurricane Katrina. The original version was the “B” side of “My Girl Josephine.” I always thought it was one of his greatest singles. It is surely the one where the overdubbed strings come closest to working. It’s all very Cinemascope, widescreen, panoramic apocalyptic sunset. I’d still like to find a take without the string section. His post-Katrina release, Alive and Kickin’, featured an absolutely devastating remake of Every Night About This Time, one of his early hits. Far too few people have heard that recording, and if my version prompts anyone to go find his, I’ll really be happy. The Texas Horns, with Jim King of the Big Rockin’ Daddies joining in on second tenor, pay tribute to all the great horn men (such as Reggie Houston) who’ve worked with Fats over the decades, and Peter Dammann captures what was best about Walter “Papoose” Nelson’s guitar playing, putting the “ka-chunk” in just the right place before taking it all home, as only he can do.

I Got A Baby

Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps were one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time, and this song should have been a monster hit. I don’t think it even charted. My theory is that many DJs were afraid to play Vincent because some lawyer had convinced a judge that “Woman Love” contained an obscenity. These were the days when, in Dylan’s words, “Eisenhower was president, Senator Joe was King, long as you didn’t say nothing you could say anything.” The judge fined Gene $10,000, but the cost to his career may have been much greater. Not that Gene didn’t contribute to his own downfall.

Here’s a true nature fact: Gene Vincent and Paul deLay actually shared at least one band member! Gene lived for a time in Vancouver, WA, and Claire Bruce, who worked with Paul deLay early on, played in Vincent’s band. I met Claire once, at a gig down in Salem, but I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him. How many people in the Portland/Vancouver area are even aware that Gene Vincent walked among them?

It Don’t Make Sense (You Can’t Make Peace)

If I had to name Willie Dixon’s greatest song, I’d pick this one. Duffy Bishop sang it with me on the Back Porch Stage at the Waterfront Blues Festival one year. The first time I ever played Duff’s Garage, a couple who had been there at that festival requested the song. I got distracted and forgot to play it, and I’ve been wanting to say I’m sorry ever since. So this is for them. Nobody will ever come close to Willie Dixon’s own version, we all know that. But more people should perform it anyway. People need to hear the words. I just wish somebody would sing them at the White House.

Both Hands Blue

The Boogie-Woogie Starchild

In the old days, every night club that was worth going to had a real piano onstage. The ones that didn’t would go get one when the time came. Nowadays they don’t even carry pianos in most “music” stores. That’s ok, times have changed, and trying to stop them from changing is a waste of time. But that doesn’t mean I have to change with them. I play an electronic “stage piano” when that’s all there is, and it sounds pretty damn realistic. But I never became a “keyboard” player, never owned a DX-7, or even played one, as far as I know.

I did buy one of the original Wurlitzer electric pianos, an early model made of wood and particle board. I hadn’t thought of that contraption for years, until I recently did some work at a studio where they wanted me to play one of the later molded plastic versions. Seems they wanted a “vintage” sound. When I observed that the instrument was not a “vintage” Wurly but a plastic replica from the 70s, they looked at me funny.

Back when I was still living in Texas, a fairly well-known blues figure called me. He had written some big hits. He was looking for a keyboard player, said he’d finished a new CD and all the keyboard parts had been programmed. “All you have to do is push the buttons, man.” I understood what he wanted, but I couldn’t make him understand why I couldn’t give it to him.

He owns Monday nights at Jimmy Mak’s:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch “Galaxy” by Go by Train

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch “What’s Going On?” Mel Brown B-3 Group, the Thursday night band at Jimmy Mak’s

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Are We There Yet” Balmer with the Portland Jazz Orchestra

Click here to view the embedded video.

The very young Mr. Balmer playing with theTom Grant Band at the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival in 1983

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lara Johnston has a voice bigger than her frame

Lara Johnston and Co. played a classic style that ranged through the decades from 1970s funk, 1950s pop, and even took us back a little further, instructing the audience to close their eyes in preparation for the next song.

“Now imagine you’re in a speakeasy in New Orleans in the 1920s.”

Overall, Johnston’s fun set provided a great mood-boosting way to enjoy the evening sun before the Doobie Brothers took the Edgefield lawn. Announcing that there was only time for one more song, Johnston described, [this next song] “is a very personal song,” but stopped herself. “….Nevermind… Who wants personal? We want fun!!” and instead kept the tone light and fun to continue revving up for the main attraction. As if the crowd’s excitement wasn’t already radiating forth, as the band began to exit the stage she called out: “GET READY FOR THE DOOBIE BROTHERS!!!!”

After a short break allowing for the stage changeover, a chord of music streamed out of the giant speakers on stage, warning the crowd that the show was about to begin and fans stopped their conversations mid-sentence to run back to their spots, unwilling to miss even a second of the legendary band’s show. The eight-man band filed out on stage, took their places and got right down to business.

The Doobie Brothers

As they played “Take Me In Your Arms,” a beach ball bounced around the crowd in an effort to keep it from touching the ground. With most people standing, there was clearly no need for the low-seated chairs that individuals and families had dragged in from their cars.

Speaking for the first time since arriving onstage: “Do you guys know this one??” asked Johnston as they all hummed along in harmony to the organ-y music. Those who weren’t standing before surely were now as the familiar sounds rang out:

“Doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo. Doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo. Doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-do. Jesus is just alright with me. Jesus is just alright. Oh, yeah. Jesus is just alright with me. Oh, yeaaaaaah!”

The varied crowd was decked out in everything from baseball hats to bandanas to brimmed hats, flow-y dresses to cowboy boots, tie-died shirts to Doobie-logoed gear. No matter if they were 25 or 60, the crowd had a hard time keeping still throughout the concert, swaying and waving their hands in the air. On “Dangerous” the Doobies showed their true rock’n'roll chops with the soulful sounds of the electric guitar and the deep beats from two drum sets filling the air. One of the drummers stood and clicked his drumsticks together motioning for the crowd to follow suit, which they did with a slow overhead clap. ”Whoooooooah!” Johnston screamed on the next one, ”Rockin’ Down The Highway.” The deafening whistles and cheers after each song almost matched the screaming of Simmons’ guitar.

Introducing their upcoming 13th album, World Gone Crazy, they announced they would preview three of the songs for the crowd, starting with the album’s single, “Nobody.” “Has anybody seen the video [for this song]?” Simmons asked in his barely audible, small-town-southern-hippie soft drawl, ”It’s coohl.” Watch the video of the revamped song for yourself below featuring vintage footage from their early days as well as a look at the guys now.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Next, they played “World Gone Crazy,” the album’s title track and a “song about New Orleans ta’ getcha up an’ movin’” but one with heart (and a conscience) as well as  lyrics spelling out the real problems many humans face. “Don’t wanna live in the street like some folks do…. This whole world’s gone crazy and I’m ’bout to lose my mind.” After finishing the third featured song, called “The Chateau,” Johnston called out, “Anybody out there like the blues??” The answer was a resounding yes in the form of a full-bodied “WOOOOOOO!” As they played, the five members standing in front slowly moved to the center of the stage as they played and in an unexpected moment they all dipped their guitar and saxophone-arms in rhythmic unison, a delight for first-time witnesses of the classic move and Doobie junkies alike.

With a smooth transition, the pace quickened again as the lively “Little Bitty Pretty One” began. Fans young and old bopped along to the lighthearted tune, ”Hey, little bitty pretty one, c’mon and talk to meee,” twirling each other in the twilight. Then with only the sound of twinkling chimes, cheers of recognition rang out as the slowed pace of “Black Water” emerged. “Oh Black Water, keep on rollin’ Mississippi moon, wontcha keep on shinin’ ….OR-egon moon,” they added in, receiving big cheers, “woncha keep on shinin’ on meee?”  The band went silent, letting the crowd take over as they sung out, ”Hand-hand. Take me by the hand, pretty mama!” expelling all the air in their lungs and diaphragms with zealous participation.

Following one classic with another, they sang out the well-known words from “Long Train Runnin’” leaving everyone standing and dancing feverishly. ”Without lu-uhve, where would you be now? Without Luuuuuh-uuuuh-uuuuh-uve! Where would you be now-ow-ow?”

Johnston stood at the edge of the stage playing almost face-to-face with the lucky fans in the seated rows up front. The song extended into an improvised instrumental solo with a trick ending, which seemed unfamiliar when the tune started up again from the beginning. The crowd was hesitant to sing along in fear that they would be the only ones singing the wrong song.

The Doobies rock with two drum sets and countless guitars

With the Doobies’ help and the once-again familiar chorus back, the sing along resumed only to leave the whole crowd shocked when they said their thanks and goodnight after only an hour. The fans stood with lighters and cell phones, cheering and whistling incessantly while a few tried to start the chant, “Doo-bie. Doo-bie.” Without fail, the Doobie Brothers did return to the stage, saying, “Ya’ll are havin’ some fun out there, ‘cuz we’re watchin’! So there’s no sense in stoppin’ now–let’s rock this place a little harder, c’mon!”

The not-so-die-hard fans had already begun to trickle out and the lights danced on the crowd, revealing a sea of outstretched arms. Johnston informed the eager audience, “We’re gonna play another song, can you help us out? I know you’re gonna know the words…” as he sang, “O-oh-ohhhh, listen to the music.” They had saved the best for last and this time when they said goodnight, though the crowd still begged for more, they were satisfied and happy to let them go.

* 10 Years – Feeding The Wolves [Deluxe Edition]

* 10 Years – Feeding The Wolves [LP]

* Abba – Icon

* Abigail Washburn – City of Refuge

* American Bang – American Bang

* American Bang – American Bang (Vinyl)

* Armstrong, Louis – The 25 Greatest – Hot Fives and Hot Sevens

* Austin, Patti – Every Home Should Have One

* Autry, Gene – Back in the Saddle Again – 25 Cowboy Classics

* Barclay James Harvest – Berlin: A Concert For The People [DVD]

* Bee Gees – One Night Only [DVD] [Anniversary Edition]

* Bernstein, Steven – Solos: The Jazz Sessions (DVD)

* Beyonce – Beyonce: The Ultimate Performer [DVD]

* Bill Frisell – Beautiful Dreamers

* Bryan Adams – Icon

* Buck Owens – All-Time Greatest Hits

* Cam’ron and Vado – Gunz n’ Butta

* Clarke, Stanley – Modern Man/I Wanna Play For You

* Clientele, The – Minotaur

* Cohen, Leonard – Bird On A Wire (1972) (DVD)

* Comeback Kid – Symptoms + Cures

* Cross, David – Bigger and Blackerer (LP)

* Davis, Miles – Bitches Brew (Legacy Edition)

* Delgado, Issac – L-O-V-E

* Devil’s Brigade – Devil’s Brigade

* Diana Ross & The Supremes – Icon

* Disturbed – Asylum

* Disturbed – Asylum (Limited Edition)(CD/DVD)

* Don Williams – Icon

* Don Williams – Icon [2 CD]

* Dorrough – Get Big

* Erykah Badu – Icon

* Etta James – Icon

* Fabolous – There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music Mixtape

* Film School – Fission

* Florence & The Machine – Lungs [LP]

* Frisell, Bill – Solos: The Jazz Sessions (DVD)

* Gerald Levert – The Best Of Gerald Levert

* Gladys Knight & The Pips – Icon

* Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels (Deluxe Vinyl)

* Green Day – Bullet In A Bible (Blu-Ray)

* Heart – Red Velvet Car

* Hives, The – Tarred and Feathered (single)

* Hoobastank – Icon

* Jackson 5 – Icon

* Jackson 5 – Icon [2 CD]

* James Brown – Icon

* Jane’s Addiction – Live Voodoo [Blu-Ray Disc]

* Jane’s Addiction – Live Voodoo [DVD]

* Janet Jackson – Icon

* Jenny And Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now (Clear Vinyl Disc w/Bonus CD)

* Jenny And Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now

* Johnny Cash – Icon

* Jonathan Butler – Faith, Love & Joy: Great Spiritual Inspirations

* Kirk Whalum – Everything Is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway

* Kiss – Icon

* Kiss – Icon [2 CD]

* KRS-One and True Master – Meta-Historical

* Lee, Riley – Shakuhachi Water Meditations

* Lyfe Jennings – I Still Believe

* Lynyrd Skynyrd – Icon

* Lynyrd Skynyrd – Icon [2 CD]

* Marvin Gaye – Icon

* Marvin Gaye – Icon [2 CD]

* Motorhead – Icon

* Murderdolls – Women And Children Last (Special Edition)(CD/DVD)

* Murderdolls – Women And Children Last

* Naked Cities – Naked Cities (DVD)

* Neil Diamond – Icon

* Nirvana – Icon

* Original Cast – Good Ol’ Girls

* Other, The – New Blood

* Papa Roach – Live Greatest Hits

* Patsy Cline – Icon

* Patsy Cline – Icon [2 CD]

* Perry, Lee and the Upsetters – Sound System Scratch

* Perry, Lee Scratch – Revelation (Special Edition Vinyl)

* Richardson, Calvin – America’s Most Wanted

* Rick James – Icon

* Robeson, Paul – Ol Man River – His 25 Greatest

* Rod Stewart – Icon

* Rush – Icon

* Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses – Junky Star

* Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses – Junky Star [2 LP]

* Sammy Kershaw – Better Than I Used To Be

* Scaggs, Boz – Moments (Deluxe Edition)

* Scaggs, Boz – Other Roads (Deluxe Edition)

* She And Him – Thieves b/w I Knew It Would… (single)

* Smokey Robinson – Icon

* Stevie Wonder – Icon

* Styx – Icon

* Styx – Icon [2 CD]

* The Best of Soul Train – The Best Of Soul Train (3 DVD)

* The Best of Soul Train – The Best Of Soul Train (Single DVD)

* The Cranberries – Icon

* The Goo Goo Dolls – Something For The Rest Of Us

* The Temptations – Icon

* The Temptations – Icon [2 CD]

* Thompson, Richard – Dream Attic

* Three Dog Night – Icon

* Tiesto – Kaleidoscope Remixed

* Trisha Yearwood – Icon

* Vince Gill – Icon

* Weepies, The – Be My Thrill

* Weepies, The – Be My Thrill (LP)

If you want to get to park early, you will hear the Portland Youth Philharmonic play on the same stage, starting at 5 pm.

Here’s the program details:

Portland Youth Philharmonic Program – starts at 5 PM
David Hattner, conductor

Dmitri Shostakovich – Allegretto from Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Camille Saint-Saëns - Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
Natally Okhovat, violin (Winner of the 2009/10 PYP Concerto Competition)
Gabriel Fauré - Pavane
Serge Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1
II. Scene
V. Masks
VII. The Death of Tybalt

Oregon Symphony Program – starts at 7 PM
Carlos Kalmar, conductor
*Gregory Vajda, conductor

John Stafford Smith (arr. Leyden) – The Star Spangled Banner
John Williams – The Cowboys Overture
Johann Strauss Jr. – Annen-Polka
Louis Joseph F. Herold – Overture to Zampa
Jacques Offenbach – Intermezzo and Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann
Johannes Brahms (Schmeling) – *Hungarian Dance No. 5
Camille Saint-Saëns - Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
John Kander (arr. Tyzik) – New York, New York
(Audience sing-along! See the lyrics in the program book.)

Intermission

Hector Berlioz – Roman Carnival Overture
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Scene from Act II Sleeping Beauty
Dancers from Oregon Ballet Theatre
Choreography: Christopher Stowell after Marius Petipa
Costume Design: Peter Cazalet
Ernesto Lecuona - Gitaneria from Andalucía Suite
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture

OMN talked with guitarist/vocalist Christian Letts, who actually lived in SE Portland for several years, about their upcoming trip to Oregon.

[Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros] have been touring a ton. Is that the main goal right now?

Man, it feels like ages ago since [the tour] started. We got home about a week ago and will start making the trek up the coast [to play in Eugene Wednesday, September 1st at the WOW Hall before arriving in Portland for their performance at the Wonder Ballroom on the 2nd and 3rd.] It’s been really fun to see how things have changed, you know? This summer’s been really different [than last year when they were just starting out.] It’s been fun.

Yeah, touring’s what’s going on now, you know. But in the next few months when things slow down, we’ll start recording again, which is one of my favorite things, to get the songs down and have a rough idea and just watch ‘em come to life. We’re excited to get a new album out.

Do you still tour in the your big white bus [the band used last year]?

No, uh. We have haven’t used our bus. It, um… needs some fixing. [Laughs] But we’ll use it again. There have been such great memories on that bus. Our first trip we had 27 people crammed into that thing. It was really fun.

Do you guys write a lot on tour?

Well, there’s no set equation, you know. Sometimes [we write] on the bus at nighttime, or sometimes they just come out of nowhere. We’ve been writing a ton of songs, so I’m excited to start recording them.

I bet. And there are a lot of fans that can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Yeah, everyone’s been asking us if we’re nervous about how our next album will be, but no matter what, we’ll be ourselves. Who knows. We don’t even know what it’ll be like [until we start].

I know this all sort of started as a cleansing process for Alex, is that true for the rest of the band?

You know, this whole thing just happened. It wasn’t a conscious choice to get away from anything it was just …. Just a collection of people doing something very pure, like an art project almost, just people, really good friends, coming together to make music and have a good time. We recorded at [bassist] Aaron’s [Older] house, just having fun, having dinner and drinking wine.

I remember thinking, later, “Why is this feeling so good? Why am I enjoying this so much?” But [the whole process] was just so honest and pure. You know, it was like I could feel my cells growing.

We’re just really fortunate to have such amazing friends that happen to be really fucking talented. It’s fantastic.

Last year in December you guys started doing a 12-part video series [a theatrical movie-music video series called SALVO!], is that still going on?

Yeah, we’re still doing it. The fourth one’s coming up soon. We don’t know how long it’ll take to finish it all, it’s a big undertaking, but we’ll keep going, whether it’s a year or 5 months. But it looks like we’ll have some free time coming up here soon, maybe we’ll do some more recording.

“Kisses Over Babylon” is the second installment of the series (below):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Great, we look forward to everything you have on the horizon, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Actually, I have a question for you: There’s this great sushi place, I wanna say it’s in NE, and it’s only open at night and always has a line to get in. Do you know what it’s called??

Unfortunately, this OMN writer could not provide the answer, so if any readers out there know this sushi restaurant, please post the name below so that Christian can fulfill his craving.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros play with South American electronic duo Lulacruza on Wednesday, September 1st at the WOW Hall in Eugene, 7pm; Thursday, September 2nd (sold out) and Friday, September 3rd in Portland at the Wonder Ballroom, 9pm.

Blue Giant released their self-titled debut album on Tuesday, July 13 with an in-store performance at Music Millennium.  Performing the first half of the album in its entirety, Blue Giant began in 2008 as another project of the musical husband and wife duo Kevin and Anita Robinson (Viva Voce, The Robinsons).  Playing a style that’s much more Southern country than their previous works, Blue Giant has flairs of all out rock’n'roll, psychedelia and electric blues.  The album was recorded with Evan Railton (drums, percussion, keyboards), The Decemberists’ Chris Funk (pedal steel, assorted stringed instruments), and Seth Lorinczi (bass, keys), but due to scheduling conflicts, the current lineup (and the one that performed at Music Millennium) includes Dave Depper and Jesse Bates instead of Funk and Lorinczi.

After playing the first six tracks, the A-side to their new album, the audience’s applause encouraged Blue Giant to play one more song, “Wasted Time”–the “quietest song” on the album that is only featured as a bonus track.  The following day, Blue Giant visited Jackpot Records to play side B of the new album.  You can catch Blue Giant in September playing Sam Bonds Garage in Eugene (9/4) and Pioneer Square (9/11) as part of MFNW with The Decemberists, Laura Veirs, and Weinland.

Côr Godre’r Aran with conductor Eirian Owen

The 79th North American Festival of Wales (aka Gwyl Gymreig Gogledd America) will be held in Portland at the Doubletree Hotel at Lloyd Center from September 2nd through the 5th. Wales is famous for its music and to help celebrate the Welsh culture in song, the festival has invited the male choir,  Côr Godre’r Aran, to perform on Saturday, September 4th. The Côr Godre’r Aran is a male choir that hails from the village of Llanuwchllyn near Bala in North Wales.

Ceri Shaw spoke to Eirian Owen, the musical director of the Côr Godre’r Aran about the choir and its forthcoming visit. (This interview is posted with the permission of Ceri Shaw.)

Ceri Shaw: The Choir will be performing at the 2010 North American Festival of Wales in Portland, Oregon. Can you tell us how this came about? Have you ever been to Portland?

Eirian Owen: I believe that the invitation to perform in the 2010 North American Festival of Wales came through a member of our choir who has contact with an official of the Festival. Côr Godre’r Aran previously visited Portland in 1971 and in 1974. I was, in 1971, newly married and the choir’s tour to USA and Canada was my honeymoon – shared with, of course, my husband – and 25 other men! A diary of that trip shows that we stayed overnight at the Royal Inn (is it still there?) , that the concert was held in a chapel and that we arranged an extra concert for the following afternoon because many people were unable to get tickets for the previous night. The chapel was full to capacity on both occasions. My 1974 diary tells that I was very impressed with the shops in the Lloyd Centre and that I decided not to go ice skating with some of our group for fear of breaking an arm and being unable to play the piano. I was at that time the choir’s accompanist and would have faced the death penalty – or worse – had I sabotaged the tour by breaking a finger or arm.

Ceri Shaw: When was the choir founded? Can you tell us something about its history?

Eirian Owen: The choir was formed in 1949, primarily to compete at the National Eisteddfod which was, that year, held in Dolgellau. It was at that time a “penillion singing/ cerdd dant” group of about 20 young men from the village of Llanuwchllyn. The conductor was Tom Jones and the choir soon gained a strong reputation as one of the chief exponents of this traditional Welsh genre. Tom Jones retired in 1975 and I was chosen as the new conductor/ music director. I had recently graduated in music and had taken up a teaching post at a local high school. I continued along the same path that Tom Jones had established but, I soon began to feel that “penillion singing” lacked the opportunity for musical and vocal development and that the choir had the potential to succeed in other genres. Therefore, a gradual change of direction took place as I included more and more “male choir” repertoire in our programmes. Nowadays, Côr Godre’r Aran concentrates entirely on the male choir repertoire.

Ceri Shaw: What is your repertorie? Is there a particular piece that you all enjoy performing more than others? Do you have a signature piece or one that’s more often requested by audiences?

Eirian Owen: We sing a varied repertoire, from opera to musicals, part-songs, motets, popular music, hymn tunes. One of the favourites in Wales at the moment is Eric Jones’ “Y Tangnefeddwyr” . Audiences in the UK nowadays seem to appreciate a variety of male choir repertoire although, old favourites, such as “Myfanwy” are probably not performed as often.

Ceri Shaw: You have toured all over the world ( Scotland, Ireland , Portugal , Canada / U.S.A., Australia , New Zealand, Tasmania, Hong Kong , Singapore and Patagonia ) What are your most memorable experiences whilst on tour? Is there any one performance that you are particularly proud of?

Eirian Owen: Every tour has its special memories. Singing to the inmates in a prison in New Zealand was an emotionally charged occasion; singing as we marched down a street during a St Patrick’s day parade in Ireland was fun. Performing in Patagonia felt like singing in rural Wales as there were so many members of the audiences who spoke Welsh and the warmth of their welcome was unforgettable. Australia and New Zealand provided us with our biggest audiences – we regularly performed to 2000 people. I remember being overwhelmed by the emotion of one of those concerts and coming off the platform crying! Whilst we were in Portugal, the whole choir was invited to the British Ambassador’s residence for drinks and canapés one Sunday; his staff were rushed off their feet carrying food and drink , as the vultures from Wales gobbled everything down as soon as it appeared. We did sing for our food , though……! We have not visited the USA and Canada since the early 70’s. We were then totally inexperienced, naive and very wet behind the ears. The food was different, cars were as big as buses and drove on the wrong side of the road, the buildings touched the clouds, rivers were as wide as lakes , we jay-walked without a care and gazed in awe at all those magnificent sights.

Ceri Shaw: The choir has won prizes at the National and Llangollen Eisteddfoddau. Care to tell us a little about that?

Eirian Owen: Winning at these Eisteddfodau is always a thrill. Choirs come to Llangollen from all over the world and we never know who the opposition might be until just before the Eisteddfod. There is a feeling of camaraderie between choirs at Llangollen – each one is supportive of the other. I believe that competition brings out the best in a choir.

Ceri Shaw: The choir won the BBC Radio Cymru competition for Male Voice Choirs. Can you tell us something about the competition and your experience of it?

Eirian Owen: This competition ran over several months . There were several rounds , each recorded before hand and one choir would be eliminated every week. Three choirs reached the final round which was a live performance before an audience.

Ceri Shaw: The choir is based in Llanuwchlyn near Bala. Can you tell a little about the area?

Eirian Owen: Llanuwchllyn is a village of about 700 inhabitants , almost all of them Welsh speakers. Many of the families have lived in the area for generations. There are, amongst the members of Côr Godre’r Aran, sets of brothers, fathers and sons, cousins, uncles and nephews. The son, grandson and great-grandson of the founder, Tom Jones, are present members of the choir. Llanuwchllyn and the surrounding area (Penllyn) is rich in heritage and culture and is a stronghold of the Welsh language. The area is rural and is favoured by tourists who come to enjoy the beauty of Bala Lake and the peace of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Ceri Shaw: How does someone join the choir, what is your selection process? What kind of commitment do your choir members make, what’s expected of them?

Eirian Owen: Membership is by invitation and all prospective members go through a very informal audition . Quality of voice is the only criteria – the ability to read music is a bonus, not a necessity. Members are then expected to attend weekly rehearsals and concerts regularly. There is an average of 2 concerts a month. There is, generally, no problem with commitment , although I occasionally have to remind individuals of their obligation to the choir!

Eric Owen: Where can people purchase your music?

Eirian Owen: Our CD’s are available online through Sain. Our latest CD, “Cofio” is available through the choir’s website www.corgodreraran.og.uk

Ceri Shaw: Do you have any final comments for the readers and members of Americymru?

Eirian Owen: We look forward to meeting you all. Our members range in age from 26-70 ; we’re all young at heart and love going places and meeting people.

Schubert wrote his String Quartet in G in 1826, which was two years before he died in 1828 at the age of 31. Not published until 1851, this piece was regarded by many ensembles as extreme chamber music because of its length (ASQ’s performance clocks in at just under 44 minutes) and technical difficulty.

The American String Quartet (Peter Winograd, first violin, Luarie Carney, second violin, Daniel Avshalomov, viola, and Wolfram Koessel, cello) gives Schubert’s work an outstanding performance with incisive playing that is well-balanced and emotionally engaging. The piece often has an edgy feeling, especially when Winograd etches a thread of high pitched tones that move about like someone with frayed nerves. The second movement has several passages that end with really odd, upturned, short two-note phrases as if Schubert were asking an annoying question. The fourth movement constantly shifts from major to minor as if Schubert couldn’t make up his mind.

Berg’s String Quartet Op. 3, written in 1910, is an atonal piece in two movements that combines sonata and variation forms in an innovative way that harkens back to Schubert’s last quartet. Berg’s work also seems to have no home key, which reminds some scholars of the major versus minor restlessness in Schubert’s piece. Still, it is difficult to hear the connections between Berg and Schubert’s music, even after repeated listening.

Things don’t get easier with Webern, who wrote the Fünf Sätze (Five Movements) Op. 5 in 1909. The music is very abstract and seemingly disjointed, However, Daniel Avshalomov’s liner notes point out that Webern uses some ideas from the scherzo in Brahms’s Piano Quintet Op. 34, which have a direct link to the finale in Schubert’s Quintet in C. Then, Webern’s scherzo continues with violins and violas that “play the same rhythm as the first unison gesture in the finale of the Quartet in G. In fact, the first violin’s pitches in Webern are the same as Schubert’s in all four parts! No accident.”

So Schubert’s music echoed into the Twentieth Century, and it may reverberate even further if composers continue to find inspiration from his sonic ideas.

—

Extra note, Daniel Avshalomov is the son of Jacob Avshalomov, who was the music director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic for many years.

“They love each otha’, they hate each otha’, they’re afraid of each otha’, ‘cuz they wanna screw each otha – doo-dada-doo-dada-doo-dada-doo-dada-doo-dada-doo – we love each otha’…..“

James Milne is "Lawrence Arabia"

“This is anotha,’ ….song,” he uttered as he immediately begun playing the next cheeky tune. ”I was feeling a bit pissamistic about the weetha’” he described, sounding exactly like F.O.T.C.’s Jemaine Clement.

Folky “Talk about the Good Times” featured a bit slower pace with upbeat “lalalalala’s” reminiscent of an ABBA classic. ”Gracias.” “…For the spanish speakers,” he added in his distantly sarcastic tone. “Wow, a chorus of ‘de nada’’s,” he announced with a chuckle in his subdued excitement, repeating what could not be heard in the farther lawn seats, adding “…Very polite, didn’t get that from the ‘thank you.’”

Ending with “Apple Pie Bed,” the quirky and upbeat song (below) full of “ooooo-ooh’s” and a twangy sounding guitar, Lawrence Arabia definitely left an impression.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Between bands, show-goers mingled and made conversation with their neighbors, making friends with fellow fans over the excitement of the show. Wandering the grounds, families stocked up on the featured delights: McMenamins burgers and brews along with giant ice cream cones and root-beer floats, enjoying the lingering sun; the lines dying down as time wore on closer to start-time. Individuals stepped carefully as they trekked back to their seats as they carried their beers filled to the brim, knowing that any misstep down the ever-so-slightly-inclined bumpy and uneven grassy knoll would result in the loss of precious drops of refreshing McMenamins ale.

All at once, with instrumental notes not all that distinguished from the between-set background music, there was a stir in the air; a recognition. It was time. “There he is,” whispered long-time fans as lead vocalist and guitarist, Neil Finn, stepped foot on stage, trailing the other three members. Curly-cued letters reminiscent of the magazine cut-outs used in childhood collages spelled out ‘Crowded House’ on a pumice-stone wall behind the band with colors swirling over it in an ever-changing array of lights.

Performing their hits from the 1980’s as well as many new songs featured on their new album, Intriguer, the band featured a much more rock sound than the easy-listening feel one might incur while reminiscing with old albums. Partially due to their always-moving-forward attitude, the minor change likely occurred with the addition of two new members when original members Finn and Seymour reunited in 2005. Drummer Matt Sherrod had never listened to a Crowded House song before joining the group, a major possibility in the changed, and modernized, sound.

Though there is no doubt the sappiness of the ’80’s influence has lessened, the band’s classic sound is still present and distinct. The crowd had no trouble recognizing their 1987 hit “World Where You Live,” echoing Finn as he sang out, “ohhhhh-oh,” the world where we live, “yeahhhh-ah” with the crowd’s and back-up vocals all combining in an extended harmony reminiscent of U2.

In a serene early evening moment, while the sun was still glowing through the trees, Finn took a moment and commented on what a great place (Edgefield) was, looking around at the kids playing in an open area southwest of the stage, being swung about by their dads. “Can you swing me (as well)?” he asked the dads as a whole, adding, “Are you a chiropractoh’?” which brought up a whole amusing discussion about osteopathy, including the variations of pronunciation, and putting a younger male in the seating area in front of the stage on the spot about the possibility of becoming an osteopath.

Finn and Seymour entertaining with their witty charm between songs

Seemingly out of nowhere, Finn’s thoughts escaped through his mouth. “It would be a great night for a running race,” he said, seemingly as a passing comment. Though this fleeting thought did not escape his mind, in fact becoming more solidified. After several songs, he announced that it was time for a race. Becoming full-blown event planner, he called for participants to race against Sherrod, who was unaware that he was being volunteered so that there would be “no scalduggery.” Finn continued inciting excitement by promising that there would be prizes… a pretty good prize, to which he called out, “Kin we get sim prizes oh-ganized??” Directing keys/guitar player Mark Hart that he was responsible for the race music, he had to clarify his wishes for something more bubbly after the first attempt did not meet expectations. Ending up sounding like a tune straight out of an old-timey silent western featuring a flapper being wronged by a gun-slinging Saloon robber, it was hardly what anyone would think of as “race music,” but Finn was satisfied; it was fast-paced and sounded like panic, so it did the trick. Finn was enthused with the “extraordinary turnout” and, after initially declaring a winner, stated that there were no winners or losers; “The race was the winner of the day.”

After playing several more of their older songs, such as “Fall At Your Feet,” and “Don’t Stop Now,” they played the classic “Four Seasons in One Day,” asking the crowd, “will you sing it with me?” Without hesitation the audience quietly chimed in, singing out “Blood dries up like rain, like rain. Fills my cup, like four seasons in one day,” in hushed tones, reflecting the feeling of the song. Watch the video of their 2006 performance of the song, shown below, to see the same audience reverence.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They seemed to get more energy as the show went on, or maybe the set list was arranged that way on purpose but they showed no signs of tiring as they played “Private Universe,” which ended with what sounded like sound effects of some kind. As the familiar lyrics began: “there is freedom within, there is freedom without…” the crowd, now chilled to the bone, instantly perked with recognition as the spotlight turned onto the lawn. “We know…. theyyy. won’t. win,” the monotonic uni-voice rang out from the darkness. Finn yelled out, “it’s only natural!” at the end of the song of the same name, extending his guitar jam-sequence making it end-of-the-show worthy and jumping around on stage with boundless energy before the quartet bowed and exited the stage.

While the lights were dimmed and the crowd stood clapping, cheering, and whistling, the four members of Crowded House slowly snuck back on stage. With a deep “HUHH!” by Finn, the band returned the energy level to where it left off, with the high-tempo, “(feelin’) Locked Out,” and slowly moving into a ‘cool-down’ set with “Something so Strong,” and bringing Lawrence Arabia on stage for “Weather With You.” After almost 2 hours of performing, there were no signs of tiring as Finn, Seymour, Hart and Arabia strutted across the stage, calling out the lyrics enthusiastically. Finn paused his own vocals as the crowd carried the chorus, singing out, “everywhere you go-oooh, you always take the weatha’ – with you,” in a continuous loop as Finn interjected jokingly asking, “Nobody knows it do they? Does it just go on?” before leading a repeat-after-me yell to end the song. “Oh yeah. No-no. Yeah-yeah. With you!”

Quickly saying their last thanks to the crowd for being so warm, Finn asked for their help on one last song before they “call the fucking curfew…excuse my French.” Assistance was, again, gladly given, singing along to “Better Be Home Soon,” without missing a note against the sounds of organ music. Finn held the note on “hooooooooooooooooooooome” for what seemed like a full minute before closing with a soft, “You better be hoooome soon.”

“We love you” someone called from the lawn through the cheers and applause as the beloved band stood together in a line, bowing deeply in unison before their happy, satisfied fans.

Watch:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Later, after playing a brilliant set, they announced, facing the audience, that the next tune would end the night. When they launched into “Moroccan Jig,” there was a faint light over the mountain behind them. As they played, the moon peeked out from behind the mountain and slowly rose so that by the end of the tune it was fully revealed. The audience was astounded.  The musicians had to be informed that the moon had joined the band.

It looked like this shortly after they started:

The moon peeking out from behind the mountain. / Photo by Karen Fox

And then by the end of the tune:

The moon revealed near the end. / Photo by Karen Fox

By the way, this is “Moroccan Jig”

Click here to view the embedded video.

I realize we’ve written a lot about them lately. First the interview with Bela and Courtney prior to their sold-out CD release show. It is apparent that only the closest of  friends can or should behave the way they do in the above video. And then the story about the show itself. But they have never played better than they are now. If you have a chance to catch them, even if you’ve seen them a million times and you think you’ve heard all their old tunes before, you will be amazed at how those familiar tunes have developed and taken on new life.

The new tunes are wonderful, also, but to be out there playing some of the same material for 13 years and have it sound so different, so much more developed and challenging is a tribute to the imagination and talent of the band.

And they make the moon rise.

Thomas and China at the Oregon Zoo

Even with bounties of wine and cheese available and silver-haired couples cavorting around, Pink Martini’s sold-out, second night at the Oregon Zoo, on Friday, August 27th, was a family affair–Sesame Street included.  Families of all ages spread out on the green grass to take in their splendorous variety–and a linguistic lesson including their first-ever song in Arabic–of Portland’s most popular offspring as the little orchestra of Pink Martini worked–and they do work hard–through honeyed jazz and poignant classical compositions, cosmopolitan rumba and sultry Latin with lead singer China Forbes seducing in all the romantic languages, missing only Romanian.  From French to Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, MC Thomas Lauderdale peppered the audience with tales and tidbits about each song while graciously introducing the players, giving special attention to the groom-to-be, trombonist Robert Taylor, who ties the knot today.

Exquisitely tight, PM finally coaxed a steady flow of dancers of all ages to the open space before the stage with “Bitty Boppy Betty.”  No matter the delicious context, one can’t help but bob and bop to the washboard rub and four-part harmonies from the barbershop quartet.  Followed up by a two-part tale, with Lauderdale sharing the piano with Taylor for the Schubert intro, the first half was Forbes’ feisty tango “And Then You’re Gone,” but Timothy Nishimoto immediately responded to her demands on the plucky, big band amendment “But Now I’m Back.”

Emilio Delgado

The real family entertainment began as PM welcomed Emilio Delgado, who has been living on Sesame Street for 40 years as Luis, sang his SS-medley complete with the show’s theme song, “Rubber Duckie,” “Tu Me Gustas (I Like You),” and “C is for Cookie,” closing the first set in a duet with a Forbes.

Returning to the stage after intermission, PM kicked off a more mature set with “Una Notte A Napoli” and “Tuca Tuca,” complete with Forbes and Lauderdale’s wonted and wanted “touching” dance.  These little traditions are what makes Pink Martini timeless–always bringing the same basic routine, their performances charm all the first timers while the seasoned fans relish in the familiarity, coming to expect and adore the cutesy, choreographed moments with bliss.

Sharing a song in Mandarin from their upcoming holiday album, Forbes and Nishimoto sang a duet originally recorded by a brother-sister duo, but not before Lauderdale could relay that even after swearing he’d never do a holiday album, every musician has his price… and Starbucks came a-knockin’.  The album, commissioned by Starbucks, is out on November 16th.

With Forbes’ classy elegance and Lauderdale’s showy extravagance on the piano–his wispy, dramatic hands glided across the keys all night long–Pink Martini is always a treat; when they jam during the jazzy breakdowns, it’s a chance to see some of the most talented musicians in the world ply their craft.  Their impeccability inspires a little flame of happiness, a lilt in the step, of all that watch and hear (regardless of age) as every song is accessible and punctuated with an emotional high.

Waving her arm goodbye, Forbes got everyone singing and waving along for the torn Russian/Italian man on “Dosvedanya mio bambino” before thanking Portland for their constant support and bidding farewell to all, even “goodnight gorilla.”

The party starts at Mt Tabor Theater on Tuesday, August 31, continues there four four days and ends up in Salem, 103 Pine St. NE, on Saturday, September 4 at The River Front Nightclub.

Details are sketchy online but…

$8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets or at all TicketWest locations. More information.

Kanye West is reportedly set to perform at this year’s (10) MTV Video Music Awards – 12 months after disgracing himself by storming the stage and ruining Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech.

The rapper/singer left the star-studded audience at last year’s (09) ceremony cringing after he jumped on the stage in protest at Swift’s win for Best Female Video – insisting the prize belonged to Beyonce for her hit, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).

Read the whole report.

Read the MTV report.

Errick Lewis

Funk, Soul, Gospel, Hip Hop bassist Errick Lewis has just come off-stage after opening the first set at Someday Lounge with the Doo Doo Funk All-Stars’ Dookie Jam. The crowd was just starting to build at 10:45pm, but it was building well, some even coming in from the Hip Hop show up the street at Backspace Gallery.

Lewis has been in Portland just three years but he has established himself as one of the go-to bass players in a town of go-to bass players. This from a self-taught twenty-seven year-old brought up in Compton, CA. on church music where he started playing every Sunday at the age of eight.

He was a drummer first but switched to bass, going on his first tour at 13 with gospel stars Kurt Carr, and Hesikiah Walker playing both drums and bass.  Later on he became a part of the L.A. Hip Hop scene, first as a dancer and musician at age 16 for Tyrese.

He has worked with artists ranging from, according to his bio:

Jay-Z, Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and most recently toured with Wu Tang Clan. He has also worked with R&B and Neo Soul artists like Stevie Wonder D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Raheem DeVaughn, and is currently working with up and coming artist Mike Phillups. IN 2008 Errick was featured on the Gospel Chops Volume 4 DVD with fellow bassists Andrew Gouche, Jon Resherd, Justin Raines, Marcus Phillips, Dewayne Wright, Damien Erskin, and Robert Lewis.

Drummer Denis Dove was outside Someday with Errick. Doo Doo Funk’s leader Tony Ozier, stepped outside too. I had run into Lewis at the Glen Moore/Dan Gaynor/Gary Hobbis concert last Sunday and at first wondered what one of the top Funk bass players in town was doing at this Jazz concert. Then I realized what a stupid question that was.

I asked Lewis to step away from the music coming out of Someday’s  door and talk with me for a few minutes.

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Here are some samples from that new album, due later this Winter.

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Here’s a rare glimpse of Lewis  having fun with a new Minnieweather bass.

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And with Doo Doo Funk bandmate Dennis Dove

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Showing his gospel roots and chops with Janice Scroggins

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