Various Artists
Wolf Records

The Story of Piano Blues CD coverOh, what I wouldn’t give to have the opportunity to go through the recorded archives of some of the record labels offering blues music. Take the German label Wolf Records for example. They consistently come up with releases of some very obscure or lost recordings of both well-known and overlooked musicians, including some never heard before tracks or out-of-print albums that deserve to be heard once again. They have covered artists like Magic Slim, John Primer, Detroit Junior and many others over the years and sometimes put out compilations that are flat out superb. Their latest release is one of those compilations, gathering ten blues pianists offering solo and groupings in both live and Read more

Birds Above Guitarland
Little Dog Records

Pete Anderson CD coverPete Anderson is one of those guitarists with a tone that most players would die for. Never overstated playing, using just the right amount to address each song he presents. With a career deeply implanted with a twanging rock background, his music never really does stray too far away from his love for the blues. He has had his share of helping others, bringing artists like Lucinda Williams and Rosei Flores to the forefront and a long partnership performing with Dwight Yoakum, something that has crossed his work over several genres Read more

1234669_10201673668474215_605756335_nIt has become an annual holiday tradition to celebrate the season with The Strange Tones over the past few years and their Christmas Concert keeps getting more grand every time out. This year’s event will return to The Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd on December 14th and will include The Volcano Vixens, special guests and even a new original Strange Tones film.

The night will start off with a set by one of Portland’s most popular piano players, D.K. Stewart that is sure to get the crowd jumping. Following D.K.’s set sit back and enjoy a nearly-30-minute original film, “A Crime-a-Billy Christmas Carol,” created by The Strange Tones and described as “a holiday tale of fame, fortune, power…. and dreams forgotten.” After the film, The Strange Tones will take the stage along with The Volcano Vixens and appearances by Jim Wallace, Chris Alexander, Randy Yearout, Jim Toussaint, Tracy Fordice, Elvin Alfred Priesley, Santa Claus and more!

Tickets are available in advance at http://hollywoodtheatre.org/strange-tones/ and are $12.00 in advance, $15.00 day of show. This is a Cascade Blues Association co-sponsored event and members can receive a $2.00 discount on admission. Use the CBA member code “SANTA” when ordering on-line. Showtime is at 8:00 pm, doors open at 7:00 pm and this is a 21 & over event. Please bring a couple cans of food for The Oregon Food Bank to help prevent others from going hungry during the holiday season and throughout the year.

 

Howl Like The Wind
Self Produced

Tommy Hogan CD cover

As outstanding as Tommy Hogan’s debut recording was, this sophomore release, Howl Like The Wind, raises the bar a few feet higher. Listening to Hogan’s guitar playing you can tell that he is well versed in the music of those legendary artists who inspired him. There are sharp glimpses of Freddie and Albert King and a heavy dose of John Lee Hooker, and he takes us from Texas to the West Coast, but all the while he lays it out in his own voice.

Alongside Tommy Hogan’s exceptional guitar work, vocals and harmonica playing, he is joined by a more than formidable rhythm section of Scott Van Dusen on drums and Rob Read more

The 15th Annual Northwest Women Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert, produced by Sonny Hess, is a highlight of Portland’s holiday music season. This year there will be two opportunities to catch this amazing event featuring a combination of many of the Pacific Northwest’s foremost female artists. The line-up this year will include Duffy Bishop, Rae Gordon, Sonny Hess, Linda Hornbuckle, Ellen Whyte, Lisa Mann, June Howell, Vicki Stevens, Lady Kat, Theresa Lowe, Janice Scroggins, Arietta Ward, Claudia Knauer and Kelly Pierce. (Please note: Linda Hornbuckle is looking forward to performing at this year’s event, but this may depend on her own health considerations.)

Seven years ago Sonny Hess was diagnosed with cancer and was grateful for all the support she received, so she formed Musicians for the Cure as a means of “playing it forward.” Since that time, the concert has been a benefit for the Candlelighter’s for Children with Cancer for the past five years. Some of the women in the show have also battled (and are battling) cancer and all of them create an energy and camaraderie that make the occasion a joyous celebration of more than just the holidays. These women love music, love performing, and love each other. You’ll love watching!

The concert will be held at The Spare Room, NE 42nd & Alberta Streets, on Thursday, December 12th at 6pm and again on Sunday, December 15th at 5pm.  The venue offers a large space but with a “club” atmosphere to compliment the blues. Tickets are on sale on-line at www.northwestwomenblues.com or can be obtained by sending a check by mail to PO Box 571, Fairview, OR 97024. Tickets $12 each and $20 for 2 tickets. This is a Cascade Blues Association co-sponsorship, so members may receive a $3.00 discount on admission.

 

Over the past couple of years since their first concert was first presented, The T-Bone Walker Tribute Band has become one of the most entertaining and anticipated shows in the region. With only a handful of appearances behind them, including a Muddy Awards nominated set at the Waterfront Blues Festival, they will return to where it all began, Duff’s Garage on Sunday, December 8th.

T-Bone Walker without doubt is one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time. Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix and BB King are among the artists who claimed Walker as a major inspiration to them and many of his songs have become standards recorded by numerous musicians, including “Call It Stormy Monday,” “T-Bone Shuffle,” “Glamour Girl” and “The Hustle Is On.”

“What makes this project exciting to us and hopefully attractive to the public is the ability of these musicians to play his music with the same grits, groove and gravy that he brought to the stage,” remarks bassist John Mazzocco. “We believe that the fans of T-Bone deserve a full evening and frankly we need that long to cover his deep book of songs.”

The band for this performance will be Franck Goldwasser, Vyasa Dodson and Chris Carlson on guitars, John Mazzocco on bass, Jim Wallace on guitar and harmonica, Steve Kerin on keys, Reinhardt Melz on drums and the powerhouse horns of Chris Mercer, Joe McCarthy and Brad Ulrich.

Duff’s Garage is located at 1635 SE 7th. Show time is 8:00 pm. Admission is $15.00. This is a CBA co-sponsored show, so bring your membership card to receive a $1.00 discount at the door.

A listing of new music received at the CBA office or purchased personally this past month that should be noted:
Allen-LAmun Band – All In The Numbers (Mad Left Music)
Andra Faye & Scott Ballantine – Laying Down Our Blues (Self Produced)
Bart Walker – Waiting On Daylight (Ruf)
Birdlegg – Birdlegg (Dialtone Records)
Cyril Neville – Magic Honey (Ruf)
Grace Curran & The High Falutin’ Band – Proof Of Love (Vizzable Music)
Harper & Motor City Josh – Bare Bones (BluHarp Records)
Jonny Sansone – Once It Gets Started (Shortstack Records)
Mike Zito – Gone To Texas (Ruf)
Ray Goren & The Generation Blues Experience – Live (R Music, Inc)
Steve Krase – Some Day (Self Produced)
Sunday Wilde – He Gave Me A Blue Nightgown (Socan)
The Capone Mob – Devil Have The Blues (Hole In The Ground Music)
The Fabulous Thunderbirds – On The Verge (Severn)
Tommy Hogan – Howl Like The Wind (Self Produced)
Toronza Cannon – John The Conquer Root (Delmark)
Trudy Lynn – Royal Oaks Blues Café (Connoray Music)
Various Artists – The Story of Piano Blues: From The Country To The City (Wolf Records)
Voo Davis – Vicious Things (Butter & Bacon Records)
Watermelon Slim & The Workers – Bull Goose Rooster (NorthernBlues Music)

It’ll be a meeting of the Northwest premier slide guitarists at Duff’s Garage on Friday, December 20th as Washington’s Rod Cook and Mark Riley travel down from Seattle to share the stage with Oregon’s Monti Amundson and Henry Cooper. Each guitarist in their own right is a master at laying down sizzling slide licks having all worked extensively throughout the region for the past few decades. But together, as The Sultans of Slide, this is certain to be an astounding night of ferocious guitar playing guaranteed to heat things up. And to help push that temperature even further, they will be joined by renowned Seattle rhythm wizards Chris Leighton on bass and Jon Bayless on drums.

Showtime for The Sultans of Slide is 9:00 pm and admission is $12.00. Cascade Blues Association members can receive a co-sponsorship $1.00 discount at the door by showing their current membership card. Duff’s Garage is located at 1635 SE 7th Avenue.

By Laurie Morrisey

The Portland Metro area is an amazing place for young musicians. The locals are proving that the blues will never die and future generations will carry on the proud traditions of the culture. One of those musicians is Jonathan Chase.

Jonathan began working as a professional musician since he was sixteen years old.  “I got my first bass guitar at the age of fourteen and found my first professional gig by accident. I was called to fill in with a blues band in a rehearsal, even though I only knew one blues song and it wasn’t one they played.  A week later they gave me a list of gigs and never even Read more

British Blues Explosion_2013In the early 1960s, while the blues languished in obscurity here in the U.S., teenage guitarists all across England were wearing the grooves out of scratched 45s by Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley and dozens of American blues artists. The first wave of the British Invasion was led, not by The Beatles, but by working class bands that first put their own stamp on classic blues covers, and then tapped the blues idiom for a new generation of original rock ‘n roll.

The British Blues Explosion pays tribute to those English lads who kept the blues flame alive until we discovered it was right here all along.

The original Brithish Blues Explosion in 2012 was sold out before the show even started. To kick it up a notch in 2013, the night will feature British sax legend Chris Mercer,  a charter member of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers.  Also on this special event will be Rich Layton & The Troublemakers, Jon Koonce, Greg Georgeson, Robbie Laws and Steve Kerin. Music by the likes of Eric Burdon & The Animals,  The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Kinks, Savoy Brown, Cream, The Who and much much more is to be expected.

It all happens on Friday, November 22nd at Duff’s Garage, 1635 Se 7th, starting at 9:00 pm. Admission is $15.00.