Entries by Wendy Schumer

Bring Your Sweetie (not required) and Dance Shoes to The Lehrer for the CBA’s Sweetheart’s Dance – Feb. 15th

Hello CBA members! It is February already and time for the annual Sweetheart’s Dance. This year the event is being held at The Lehrer, which is at 8775 SW Canyon Lane, Beaverton. If you haven’t been there yet, this is the perfect time to check out one of the best new West Side venues around. You might say “Westside, all the way out there?” But wait, it’s not that far off the beaten path! Just take the Canyon Road exit off Highway 26. Just as you get to the business area, you take the first road to your right, and …

Modern Blues Hybrid Band G. Love & Special Sauce Hit the Crystal Ballroom- Jan 29th

Twenty years after the release of their self-titled debut and eight years since their last live performance together, the original lineup of G. Love & Special Sauce return with their first album in nearly a decade titled Sugar. Built on the trio’s signature hip-hop blues sound, the album finds vocalist/guitarist/harmonica player G. Love (aka Garrett Dutton), upright bassist James “Jimi Jazz” Prescott, and drummer Jeffrey “The Houseman” Clemens breathing new life into their groove-heavy, Chicago-blues-infused brand of stripped-down rock & roll. “The goal for the album was to make it really raw and immediate, with live takes and live vocals …

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Applications Now Being Accepted For 2015 Journey To Memphis

The Journey To Memphis is the Cascade Blues Association’s regional competition to select the acts that will represent our organization and region in the next year’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN that will be held in early 2016. Up to 250 acts from around the world converge on Beale Street to perform before the music industry looking for new talent, with the chance to win recognition and prizes that include major festival performances and more. But the only way an act may participate is to win a regional competition held by one of The Blues Foundation’s affiliated societies like …

Local Musicians To Play Rockpile Tribute At Duff’s – Jan 24th

During the late ’70s, Rockpile was the touring band for both Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. Like Edmunds, the band was passionate about traditional rock & roll. Like Lowe, the band played with a reckless, trashy abandon. Driven by the powerful rhythm section of drummer Terry Williams and Lowe’s bass, guitarists Billy Bremner and Edmunds were free to spit out crushing rock, blues, rockabilly, and country licks. With their fierce live energy and unpretentious rock & roll, the band fit easily into the post-punk new wave at the end of the decade. Although they only released one album as a …

In The Pocket Makes Portland Debut With IBC Fundraiser – Jan. 9th

In The Pocket press photoIn The Pocket is a blues band in the true sense of the word “BAND!” Based in the Medford and Ashland area, they are striving for collective excellence with their music. This soulful band is creating a unique, sometimes “swampy,” niche in the world of blues and they will be making their Portland debut at Duff’s Garage on Thursday, January 9th with a 9:00 pm showtime.

In The Pocket features J. “Billy Rock” Smith and Leonard Griffie writing original music that lyrically speaks from the heart – often with a touch of life’s dark humor. With Leonard out front …

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What’s on Tap for January General Membership Meeting . . .

Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, January 8th, 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Set – Julie Yanko & Dean Mueller
Second Electric Set – Jesse Samsel

Hey everybody, hope you noticed that date for the meeting right off so you do not show up a week too early. You should be home with family, watching football, recovering from partying too much the night before or whatever you like to do on the holiday, so the meeting is pushed back one week.  But we guarantee that that extra week will be well …

2014 Journey To Memphis Applications Now Being Accepted

Have you ever dreamed of playing in Memphis, Tennessee on Beale Street? The storied location that has seen the rise of many of the most prominent blues artists of all time such as BB King, Howlin’ Wolf, Bobby Bland, Muddy Waters.  Now imagine having industry representatives from around the blues world in attendance: record labels, festivals, venues, media, agents, promoters and blues societies. You will never find so many seeking out new talent all in one place at the same time. Well, that opportunity just may be yours. It all begins with your application to take part in the Cascade …

Dante’s Presents The North Mississippi All Stars with Lightnin’ Malcolm – Jan. 25th

North Mississippi All Stars - photo by Josh MintzWhen it comes to Mississippi blues today, perhaps no one outfit spreads the sound around the world as much as the North Mississippi All Stars. Since breaking out in the late ‘90s they have taken the tradition of artists such as Fred McDowell, Otha Turner, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and the likes, expanding it into their own feel and brought it forefront into the 21st century. But they had the proper upbringing for this flavor of music. After all Luther and Cody Dickinson are the sons of the late Jim Dickinson, one of the South’s most distinguished producers and …

New Music To Note March:

A listing of new music received at the CBA office or purchased personally this past month that should be noted:

Bill Blues – Mojolation (Warmfuzz)
Billy Thompson – Friend (Soul Stew Records)
Bottleneck John – All Around Man (Opus 3)
Brett Wellman and The Stone Cold Blues Band – All I Had Was Gone (Stone Cold Music)
Charlie Musselwhite – Juke Joint Chapel (Henrietta Records)
Dan Burien – Empty Roads (Self Produced)
Dave Keller – Soul Changes (Tastee Tone)
Deb Ryder – Might Just Got Lucky (Bejeb Music)
Hank Mowery – Account To Me (Old Pal Records)
Leonard Griffie – …