On Monday, September 14, King Louie Pain and LaRhonda Steele will release their first CD together, Rock Me Baby at the Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State Street, Lake Oswego. The CD features organist Louis Pain and vocalist Steele along with special guests saxophonist Renato Caranto, drummers Edwin Coleman III and Brian Foxworth, guitarists Doug Lewis and Dave Iula, and James Mullen on piano. Steele’s daughters, Lauren and Sarah Steele, handle the background vocals.

But with the exception of one track—a powerhouse rendition of “Phenomenal Woman,” dedicated to the late Linda Hornbuckle and Janice Scroggins, the CD features a stripped down, spontaneous sound highlighting Steele’s alternately soulful and playful vocals. Of the recording, Pain notes that while, “LaRhonda Steele is Portland’s best-kept secret — this CD may put an end to that!”

September 14 happens to be the birthday of Tracy Turner-Pain, Louis’ wife and co-owner of Soul Sisters Production, LLC, producer of this event, so this evening will be a celebration in more ways than one!

The cover charge is $15, with tickets available on-line at LakeTheaterCafe.com. Showtime is 7:00 pm.

Arleigh Kincheloe of Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds - photo by Tony KutterBrooklyn-based Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds proved to be one of this summer’s highlights at the Waterfront Blues Festival. With its saucy sonic brew of rock, blues, gospel, and soul perfecting their signature amalgam, the band consists of  vocalist Arleigh Kincheloe, who fronts the band alongside the driving force of her brother Jackson on harmonica, Sasha Brown on guitar, bassist Josh Myers, Dan Boyden on drums, Phil Rodriguez on trumpet and Brian Graham on sax. The band has appeared onstage alongside heavyweights such as Dr. John, Galactic, Trombone Shorty and Gov’t Mule and has performed at many of the biggest festivals of various genres across the country.

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds return to Portland on Wednesday, September 16 at Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. Show time is 9:00 pm and is a 21 & over only event. Tickets can be purchased in advance through TicketFly.com for $13.00 / $15.00 day of show.

Kevin Selfe CD cover - photo by Jim DorothyMake a point to keep Friday, October 16 open as Kevin Selfe will be celebrating the release of his long awaited new CD Buy Back My Soul, on VizzTone Records. The party will be held at The Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside Street at 8:00 pm. Special guest will include Jimi Bott, Allen Markel, James Pace, Steve Kerin, Joe McCarthy, Brad Ulrich, Chris Mercer, Don Shultz, Peter Moss, and more. Tickets can be purchased in advance at kevinselfe.com for $15.00 advance, with VIP tickets available for $100.00 for two including table seating, signed copies of the CD and a limited edition Kevin Selfe “Bluenicorn” T-shirt. This is a Cascade Blues Association event and card carrying members can receive a $1.00 discount off the $18.00 price at the door. For those members purchasing their tickets online, members can be refunded the $1.00 discount at the venue day of show when showing their pre-purchased tickets along with their membership card.

Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Set – James Clem
Second Electric Set – Drop Dead Red

If you look at all the activity going on around Portland and the Northwest this coming month, you’d hardly think that the summer season is coming to an end. Great touring acts, huge special events and outdoor shows are still happening. It makes you realize just how blessed we are to live in a region so rich with musical talent that we can see so many world-class artists on pretty much a nightly basis if we desire.

The Cascade Blues Association is proud to present another sensational offering to start the month out with our General membership Meeting happening on Wednesday, September 2, with two sets of first-class blues for our enjoyment.

James Clem - press photoFor our first set we will be bringing you a musician who has released not one, but two outstanding albums this past year, James Clem. Two unique releases they are, too. And both should be considered as some of the finest music put out recently by local artists of any genre. The first, Sugar Moon, is a ukulele-centered selection featuring songs from the earlier part of the past century, while the second, Roads Getting Muddy, is more of a traditional blues guitar recording of which James is more known for. Both have been receiving high praise and airplay on Pandora Radio. Expect James to thrill us with both instruments during his performance.

The second set of the night will offer one of our favorite cover bands performing outstanding selections of classic blues, Drop Dead Red. This exciting 6-piece band featuring top-notch musicians bringing decades of musical experience. The word quality exemplifies every aspect of this band, from their talent and well-orchestrated arrangements, to their top-of-the-line equipment.

Drop Dead Red - press photoThe members of Drop Dead Red have all extensive backgrounds in bands from Portland and elsewhere. Theresa Lowe fronts the band on vocals, “Grandma Funk” Joanne Mead lays down the bass lines, with Wilton Merritt providing the other half of the rhythm section. Long time area favorite Tim “The Deacon” Doyle  handles keyboards, Jon Tennis on guitars and Bob Anderson rounding out the act with rich saxophone tones. This is a band who easily draws dancing and smiles. Don’t miss out.

And you know the drill by now. Grab a free drawing ticket at the door for your chance to win CDs, tickets and other prizes. We’ll also have the multi-CD winner take all drawing with tickets for only $1.00 each, purchase as many as you’d like, every cent goes to keep the CBA functioning. And we’ll let you know what’s coming up in September and beyond. But best of all, it’s a great place to meet up with your blues loving friends in a laid back, all ages atmosphere. Come join us for the fun!

Ramblin Jack Elliott - press photo“Nobody I know, and I mean nobody, has covered more ground and made more friends and sung more songs (than Ramblin’ Jack Elliott). He’s got a song and a friend for every mile behind him.” – Johnny Cash

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is an American icon and folk music legend who has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, and won for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2009 for the disc A Stranger Here. With six decades of performing he has quite a lengthy and noted resume. In his early years he worked the roads as a troubadour alongside his buddy Woody Guthrie and became a huge inspiration for future musicians including Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and just about anybody who has picked up a guitar to play folk and roots music.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott will be performing in Portland at the Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta Street, for an 8:00 pm show on Wednesday, September 30. Admission is $16.00 advance, $20 day of show and  $25.00 for preferred seating in the first five center rows. Tickets are available at albertarosetheatre.com.  Minors are welcome when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band - photo by Birch MillerRoaring out of the southern Indiana foothills comes Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band playing a brand of Americana and Blues that stands alone – Delta blues and a hillbilly fervor combine with a musical acuity sharp as razor wire – best know, this trio is a force to be reckoned with. The growl of a good truck engine, the fiercest passion for his country home and family and an uncanny ability to breathe new life into old forms of music give them a pedigree many Americana acts would kill for and an ironclad work ethic keeps them on the road 250 dates a year, playing for the people with hurricane force.

The Rev. J. Peyton, his wife Breezy and Ben “Bird Dog” Bussell are known for their incendiary shows and celebrating their most recent release, So Delicious, they’ll be heading to Portland with just the right place to put forth their music at Dante’s on Saturday, September 26. Tickets are $10.00 and available in advance at ticketbiscuit.com. Dante’s is located at 350 W Burnside St. Showtime is 9:00 pm. 21 and over only.

If you would like to have the Cascade Blues Association consider your CD for submission in The Blues Foundation’s Best Self-Produced CD competition, please send your disc to BSPCD c/o Cascade Blues Association, PO Box 6566, Portland, Oregon 97228-6566. You may also turn your submission in at the September or October Cascade Blues Association General Membership Meetings. No discs will be accepted later than October 7.

All discs submitted must have been released after November 1, 2014. A committee set up by the Cascade Blues Association’s Board of Directors will listen to each submission and like the Journey To Memphis will rate each on a series of categories (blues content, instrumentation, vocals, art work and liner notes). Entries are only accepted by acts within the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Idaho and Washington). We must receive your entry no later than October 7. Please note, the entry that we submit to The Blues Foundation will require that we send them four copies of the disc for their judges. We will notify the appropriate act for the extra copies needed to send.

A BIG Blues THANK YOU to all the Volunteers* who helped out at the CBA Merchandise Booth during this year’s Waterfront Blues Festival! This is our largest annual fund raising activity and helps us spread the news about the Blues. We truly could not have done it without you!

Ron Beed; Bob Berland; Barry Blackwell; Stephen Broderick; Jane Broderick; Glen Cannard; Will Crowe; Bonita Davis; Brenda Docken; Judy Ellis; Sandy Forst; Robert Freeman; Dan Geren; Barry Gorden; Julie Goss; Kathryn Grimm; Jody Gunn; Shelly Hallsted; Carol Hamley; Lynette Hawkins; Jeff “Drummerboy” Hayes; Rick Ivie; Gary Jaskowiak; Kendall Kalimper; Cheryl Kalimper; Jinx Kuehn; Richard LaChapelle; Alice LaChapelle; Richard Lazere; Beth Lucchi; Rush McAllister; Priscilla Miller; Jimmy Miller; Randy Murphy; Kate Naiman; Jolene Nolan; Bryan Olsen; David Pepin; Al Raines; Tom Rich; Barb Sandoval; Wendy Schumer; Andrea Stellar; Angelo Suran; Susan Suran; Sandie Wilkins; Margaret Wise; Kim Wrubel

*please forgive us if we missed anyone or misspelled your name!

Here’s a list of new music received at the CBA office or purchased personally this past month that should be noted:

Albert Cummings – Someone Like You (Blind Pig)
Ben Rice Trio – Live @ The Purple Fox Loft (Self Produced)
Eddie Taylor Jr. – Stop Breaking Down (Wolf Records)
Hank Shreve Band – Loosen Up! (Boogie Boss Records)
Harlis Sweetwater Band – Put It In Dirt (Self Produced)
Jim Singleton – 8 O’Clock In The Afternoon (Self Produced)
Mick Kolassa – Ghosts Of The Riverside Hotel (Swingsuit)
Mitch Mann – Blackwater Creek (Crazy Chester Records)
Roseland Hunters – This Time (Renfreaux Records)

“Los Angeles based bluesman Lightnin’ Willie has developed a particularly intriguing wrinkle on the genre, one that’s cool, airy, with a sinuous groove that infiltrates his audience’s consciousness and invariably gets them on their feet. He has no quarrel with mixing dance with the blues.” – LAWeekly.

The band Lightnin’ Willie & The Poor Boys consists of Lightnin’ Willie on guitar and vocals along with Dennis Gurwell or Michael “Fireball” Murphy on keyboards/ bass and the pocket master Jerry Olson on drums. They are winners of two California Blues Challenges (Southern California and Ventura County) and Semi-Finalists in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. They play blues the way aficionados of the genre like it: hard, raw, and with a taste of the roadhouse. It is delivered with an honest integrity and love for the music, which is  reminiscent of some of the legendary Texas and Chicago blues heavies. Lightnin’ Willie’s music is “real,” which is one of the best things you can say about an Americana / Bluesman.

Lightnin’ Willie & The Poor Boys will be performing at Duff’s Garage, 2530 NE 82nd, on Thursday, September 24, opening for fellow California bluesman Harlis Sweetwater. Admission is $7.00, and this is a Cascade Blues Association co-sponsored event, so show your membership card at the door for a $1.00 discount.

On Sunday, September 27 in Salem, Lightnin’ Willie & The Poor Boys will be playing at the Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival at the Deepwood Estate, 1116 Mission Street SE, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Admission is $10.00 and available through Eventbrite.com. Friends of Deepwood members are only $8.00 for admission. All ages are invited.