April 2015 Bandstand

Lloyd Jones

Here’s some fun for everyone!

April 25, at Duff’s Garage—2530 NE 82nd Ave.—we’re bringing out the full band extravaganza with The Atlas Horns. For the first time this year, we’re in Portland for a Birthday Celebration with friends and guests of all kinds sitting in.

We will be showing off some new songs before the concert season takes us back out on the road again. We’ll be going up through Canada, then off to Denmark, Sweden and Norway in June and July. To find out more details please sign up to our email list on the website www.lloydjonesmusic.com.

Last year we partied in Reno as guests of the Reno Blues Society on my birthday. They were soooo kind and welcoming—we were honored and delighted. Giant thank you’s to The Reno Blues Society!

This year, I’ll be returning home from Hawaii and recommend festive garb. I mean push the envelope…do that thing you been wanting to do for so long but were waiting for the right time and place. When I say fun, I mean they will have to close Duff’s for two days to clean up the mess!

Remember, we had my 1,000th birthday at Duff’s a couple years ago, so I’ll be 1,029 this year…in dog years….“Treat Me Like The Dog I Am,” baby!

Lloyd Jones
“Groove Merchant”
www.lloydjonesmusic.com

Pin and The Horn-its

Hi to all of our “Old Friends” out there!

For those of you that don’t know,  Pin & The Horn-its was originally formed in 1986 by locals Larry Pindar, Mike Cross and British Blues pioneer Chris Mercer. The band started out as 9 pieces, was a mainstay of The Waterfront Blues Festival for the first decade as well as appearing at The Mount Hood Jazz Festival and The Rose Festival many times. In that period the band released a Cassette of the 9 piece called One Shot Deal in the late 80’s and later in the early 90’s the 10 piece released a CD entitled Stingin’ The Blues. After that the band just sort of faded away and co-leader/business manager Mike Cross moved to Pocatello, ID, to attend to family matters.

Mike’s back now for good and just like Jake and Elwood we got the old band back together! We ARE living the cliché!

This time we went even bigger, adding 4 more pieces from the original 9 to 13. We have added a permanent trombone player, John Gordon for a minimum of 6 horns.  I’m playing guitar and singing a few, as is Mike. We have added percussionist Vinnie Bargas and a female lead and background singer by the name of Holly Cole.  Of course our partner in crime and co-leader Chris Mercer is arranging and leading the horn section as our musical director.  John Granger, Rick Rier, Brad Ulrich, Mike Klobas are back and we welcome bassist Ed Coture, trumpet/flugelhornist Joe McCarthy, and “Hood” icon Leslie White on keys/organ and vocals.

We had the first concert debut of the “new” band at The Crystal Ballroom recently to a packed house at the Too Slim benefit and our “club” debut at The Lehrer March 5. Club dates already “on the books” are all at Duffs, all on Saturdays: April 18, May 23 and June 27th. Hope to see you all there!

Larry “pin” Pindar
PIN & THE HORN-ITS

LaRhonda Steele

In celebration of Easter weekend the Lake Theater & Cafe, (106 N State St., Lake Oswego,) will be featuring an evening of gospel music with LaRhonda Steele. Beginning with her first solo performance in church at the age of 13 and now as the choir director for the Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir, she is uniquely gifted to bring magic to such an event. For many years LaRhonda has been part of the Waterfront Blues Festival’s “The Old Time Gospel Hour” featuring Linda Hornbuckle and Janice Scroggins. For this special post-Easter Music Monday on April 6 she will call on some of her friends who were also often part of that memorable program including Arietta Ward, Nafisaria Scroggins, MaryEtta Callier, Ron Shoals, and Mary Tucker. This premier collection of gospel voices will be accompanied by husband Mark Steele on keyboards and Tyrone Hendrix on drums.

The Lake Theater offers a highly acclaimed dinner menu and full bar. The show starts at 7:00, doors open at 6:00, and all ages are welcome. Ticket price is $15 and they are available at the Lake Theater & Cafe website: http://laketheatercafe.com/#music-mondays