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

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Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, December 4th, 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Set – Shae Lee & Jon Edmondson
Second Electric Set – Garry Meziere

After last month’s annual extravaganza, The Muddy Awards, that surely left a lot of fantastic memories, it is time to get back to normal business again. But normal business for the Cascade Blues Association just means having our monthly meetings downstairs at The Melody Ballroom with two fun sets of music and our regular free ticket drawings in between.

Shae Lee and Jon Edmondson - press photoWell, it’s not really a typical meeting, as every December we also hold our elections for the Board of Director’s Officer positions. So make sure you attend and bring your membership card to get a ballot and help select those who will help run the Cascade Blues Association for the next year.

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What’s on Tap for the October General Membership Meeting . . .

Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland

Wednesday, October 2nd, 7:00 pm

Opening Acoustic Set – Robert Richter

Second Electric Set – Barbara Healy & Her Groove Too Band

 

It is that time of the month again, to head on over to The Melody Ballroom for our monthly membership meeting. Two sets of great blues music to start the month out right, and we’ve got a terrific pair of performances for you that should bring an exciting and fun night for all.

Robert Richter (press photo)

Robert Richter (press photo)

Opening the night will be singer/songwriter/guitarist Robert Richter. An energetic performer creating music that blends different genres from folk to blues to rock to Celtic played with passion and energy as solo, duo or with his band. His credits include hosting his own radio show on KUMZ-FM in Salem called “Local Roots” that features the music of Northwest musicians on all genres; appearing on Tom May’s nationally syndicated NPR program “River City Folk;” teaching slide guitar at NW Folklife; his music was played on Sirius XM’s “Bob Dylan Radio Hour;” he released a live CD in 2012 titled A Change Of Heart; and in the summer of 2013 Richter was filmed performing live as part of a documentary film produced by a German television network. The documentary filmed in Read more

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

Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland

Wednesday, September 4th, 7:00 pm

Members always Free – Non-members $3.00

Opening Acoustic Set – David Pinsky & Phil Newton

Second Electric Set – Simplistic Soles

Alright, so we’re rolling into the Fall after a fantastic summer filled with all sorts of great blues music. But there’s no reason to stop going out to see blues music because the weather may be changing. In fact, it should be even more in mind. And living here in the Pacific Northwest, our own little blues mecca, we can certainly catch superb blues musicians just about every night of the week if we’d like. As usual, the best way to start each month off is with your friends down at The Melody Ballroom for the Cascade Blues Association’s General Membership Meeting. Each and every month we bring to you two sets of terrific blues music, whether presented by old friends or new acts you’re just getting to know. The talent in our area is beyond approach and you’re most likely going to enjoy those we have to offer.

David Pinsky and Phil Newton photo by Greg Johnson

David Pinsky and Phil Newton (photo by Greg Johnson)

This month we’ll be bringing up a couple of good friends from Southern Oregon with the acoustic duet of David Pinsky & Broadway Phil Newton. Both are very accomplished artists in the own right with various bands, but together they bring a truly flavorful blend of blues on guitar and harmonica. David has been the band leader for The Rhythm Kings, one of the most popular bands around the south part of the state. He formed the group twenty-five years ago and they’re still going strong, but lately David has focused more on his acoustical side with projects like Read more

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What’s on Tap for the August General Membership Meeting . . .

Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland

Wednesday August 7th, 7:00 pm

Members always Free – Non-members $3.00

Opening set – Papa Rocket

Second set – Martin Henry & The Blues Benders

You can always count on some smokin’ hot blues happening each month at the Cascade Blues Association’s general membership meetings and this month will certainly be no exception. Normally we offer a set of acoustic to open the night followed by an electric set. But this month we’ve changed things up a little bit, as we do on occasion, and will have two bands performing.

Papa Rocket press photo  Opening the night will feature some old friends that have played in a couple of the most popular bands from the past, Papa Salty and the Hudson Rocket Band. Papa Rocket is fronted by the “Papa” of Papa Salty himself, Tim McAllister on guitar and vocals. He will be joined by three former members of the Hudson Rocket Band, Mike Taylor on bass, Ron Solomon on keyboards and saxophone, and founding member of the band Ken “Honeybucket” Johnson on drums and vocals. This is sure to be an exciting set, featuring classic blues tunes, fresh material and more than likely some of your favorite numbers from Papa Salty and Hudson Rocket.

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

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What’s on Tap for July’s General Membership Meeting . . .
Melody Ballroom – 615 SE Alder St, Portland
Wednesday, July 3rd – 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Act – Tevis Hodge, Jr.
Second Electric Act – Joanne Broh Band

Tevis Hodges Jr.

Tevis Hodges Jr.

As everybody knows, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is the biggest blues event of the year in Portland happening annually over the 4th of July weekend. So every year I am asked when the Cascade Blues Association’s general membership meeting will occur? Here is my rule of thumb. If the festival is a five day event, meaning it runs during the first Wednesday in July, then we move the meeting to the second Wednesday. If it starts on a Thursday, then the meeting is held that first week. We do so to offer an opportunity to those coming into Portland for the Waterfront to get a taste of the organization and a little more focus on some of the wonderful performers who reside in our area. And I routinely try to schedule a strong line-up for this meeting. This month is no exception.
Opening the meeting will be one of the strongest young acoustic players in Portland, Read more

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

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Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland

Wednesday, June 5th – 7:00 pm

Members always Free – Non-members $3.00

Opening Acoustic Set – The Hitmen

Second Electric Set – The Fat Tones

 

With some of the weather we had in May, you’d think that it was already deep in the summer months. Well, we’re about to get started there and a good way to start it out is by attending the Cascade Blues Association’s June General Membership Meeting. Whether the weather changes back to cold or continues to cook, one thing is guaranteed, you’re going to have things heat up every month at our meeting with two sensational acts to check out.

This month’s meeting brings “The Hitmen,” this duo of Ron Rocci (The Hitman) on drums and Bill Hyland (Froggy) on Lap steel, vocals, acoustic guitar and various harmonicas are heading up from the Eugene/Springfield area. Froggy of course is the host of perhaps the longest running jam at one venue in Oregon with his Sunday afternoon shows at Albany’s Calapooia Brewing Company. “All things spring from the ‘Pooia,” says Froggy, whose jam has been termed as the friendliest around, not plagued by endless guitar wanking. Everybody gets to play.

 

The duo were the brains and heartbeat of the Vicki Stevens Band which made the semi-finals at the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis (along with Lisa Mann), where they later that same week took second place in the prestigious Beale Street Kings contest. “We really appreciated Lisa’s Read more

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Ramblings On My Mind

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Ramblings on My Mind by Greg Johnson - CBA PresidentI’d be lying to you if I said that I didn’t enjoy my recent trip to Memphis to assist with The Blues Foundation once again at the Blues Music Awards. I arrived Wednesday morning around 9:00 am and Deputy Director (and one of my closest friends) Joe Whitmer had me working as soon as I stepped foot through the office door. And it didn’t end until the awards show ended late Thursday night (or should I say Friday morning). But I loved every minute.

My main role at the Blues Music Awards the past three years has been working as a stage manager with Paul Averwater. Paul is one of the best in the MidSouth and always in demand. We spent all day Thursday doing line-checks with the performers and then returned less than an hour-and-a-half later to run the stage for the show for the next six-to-seven hours. It is my job to make sure that all the artists are ready to go on stage well in advance and have them in place so when one act ends, the other starts immediately. Kind of like the way the Waterfront Blues Festival runs the two main stages in the bowl, alternating back and forth. But this is one large stage divided into two parts, and I am running back and forth to opposite sides, changing acts every ten minutes. Always great sets delivered by the showcased acts. If I had to pick and choose my favorites this year I would have to top it off with Victor Wainwright’s extraordinary solo piano that brought the entire audience to a hush to listen closely. The Heritage Blues Orchestra was sensational, even more so when they had Eric Bibb sit in for a number. Joe Louis Walker has always been a favorite and having him trade guitar licks with Murali Coryell was superb. As was Mud Morganfield backed by one of the tightest Chicago all stars bands running. Curtis Salgado burned the house down with his soulful set. As did John Nemeth. And Royal Southern Brotherhood was the perfect act to close the night leaving the audience wanting more after a terrific cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” had them on their feet.

 Aside from the Blues Music Awards, I was fortunate to catch many fantastic artists that I do not get a chance to see too often like Greg Nagy, Gina Sicilia, Diunna Greenleaf, JW-Jones, EG Kight, Lisa Biales, Paula Harris, Dennis Gruenling, John Primer and more. Of course there are long-time friends I always try to catch up with like Jeff Jensen, Brandon Santini and Eric Hughes.

 But the best times are always those spent with close friends, not necessarily at a show. Being able to hang out with Henry Gavaldon . . . these are the people who make memories special. Big thanks to Joe, Sara, Jay Sielman, Priscilla Hernandez and Cindi James for making me feel as part of The Blues Foundation family. Cannot wait to head back again.

 But back to home, and the first matter of business is the Journey To Memphis competition. We have another strong line-up this year, so we hope to see you come out to the Trails End the first full weekend of June to help us select our next International Blues Challenge representatives and to raise some funds to help them get back to Tennessee. This is always one of the most fun events that the CBA holds, so hope to see many of you there. The summer just does not start right until the Journey To Memphis begins.

 Alas, as I did last month with the passing of my good friend, drummer Pete Muir, it is my unfortunate position to let you know that we lost another friend and musician right at the BluesNotes deadline arrived. Most people may remember Henry Gavaldon as the longtime bassist with Boogie Bone and those who knew him will forever remark what a kind, wonderful person he truly was. Henry passed following complications from surgery. Godspeed Henry. It surely is only the best who seem to be taken away from us way too soon. Sending my deepest condolences and best thoughts to Henry’s family and friends.

 

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

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Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, June 5th – 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Set – The Hitmen
Second Electric Set – The Fat Tones

With some of the weather we had in May, you’d think that it was already deep in the summer months. Well, we’re about to get started there and a good way to start it out is by attending the Cascade Blues Association’s June General Membership Meeting. Whether the weather changes back to cold or continues to cook, one thing is guaranteed, you’re going to have things heat up every month at our meeting with two sensational acts to check out.

This month’s meeting brings “The Hitmen,” this duo of Ron Rocci (The Hitman) on drums and Bill Hyland (Froggy) on Lap steel, vocals, acoustic guitar and various harmonicas are heading up from the Eugene/Springfield area. Froggy of course is the host of perhaps the longest running jam at one venue in Oregon with his Sunday afternoon shows at Albany’s Calapooia Brewing Company. “All things spring from the ‘Pooia,” says Froggy, whose jam has been termed as the friendliest around, not plagued by endless guitar wanking. Everybody gets to play.

The duo were the brains and heartbeat of the Vicki Stevens Band which made the semi-finals at the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis (along with Lisa Mann), where they later that same week took second place in the prestigious Beale Street Kings contest. “We really appreciated Lisa’s support at the contest, and we’d like to get back and make a dent in the Catfish, Ribs, Fried Chicken and Waffles. Oh yeah! And the music competition too!”

The Hitmen will be performing a preview of their Journey to Memphis contest performance scheduled for June 8th. Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter Froggy has been doing lots of solo work recently, and the relentless beats of The Hitman keep the tunes moving along with a wide range of tempos and rhythms. Along with their J2M set, they’ll be showcasing tunes from all three Froggy CDs, homages and some brand new tunes for your listening pleasure.

The second set of the night will feature The Fat Tones. Since their inception in 2002, this rockin’ blues trio has enjoyed a steady stream of success. After releasing six hit albums of original music and being recognized for multiple categories of regional awards, winning practically every award offered by The Inland Empire Blues Society in Spokane for their annual Empire Awards. This band is very much one of the hottest bands around!

Skilled guitarist Bobby Patterson leads the band with his world class talent and versatility. Ever passionate, Bobby exudes perfection and professional musicianship in every note he strums. Next we have the backbone position of live music, bass player Bob Ehrgott. He effortlessly lays down the groove and contributes greatly to the bands’ vocals and writing. Zach Cooper is our drum and percussion specialist. Zach boasts an impressive career as a blues drummer having toured internationally with regional and national acts. He also rounds out the vocal harmony of this phenomenal trio. Together these three experienced artists create a symphony of sound that pleasure senses in every way. The Fat Tones play rockin’ blues style music that is packed full of harmonic melodies and fresh lyrics. Their act is danceable and fun, perfect for any venue from private parties to national festivals. Jump on the bandwagon and hear this fabulous group today!

Make sure you receive a free drawing ticket when you enter the venue, for your chance to win CDs and other great prizes. We will also hold our special winner-take-all drawing for a multi-CD package put together just for the meeting. The multi-CD tickets are $1.00 each and go to help support the CBA in their monthly expenses.

Come on out to The Melody Ballroom and mingle with friends while we hear great blues. It is the perfect way to start out the month and the summer. See you there.

 

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

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Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, May 1st, 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Set – Still Water Vibes
Second Electric Set – Tree Top Tribe

The year keeps rolling along and we are more than blessed with such quality musicians on-hand in our region. We continually try to bring some of the best to you to start each month out at our General Membership Meeting. I mean, what a surprise April was! Lucy Hammond brought in a huge line-up of class A players and knocked our socks off; only to be followed by a stand-out set from Tracey Fordice & The 8-Balls. Well, we’re not going to let up now or anytime during the year, so we have yet another great pair of acts for you in May.

“More than meets the eye” is definitely a great way to describe Still Water Vibes who will be playing the opening set. Starting from the front, you’ll never guess that those incredible vocals came from Nick Wixom. At first glance he is a young, small, red-headed kid that probably has no business in a band let alone in front of a blues band. But give him 5 minutes and a soulful rendition of a classic BB King tune or a funky original song and he’ll sit you down in your chair and have you focused all night. Nick is one step away from becoming a household name in the Willamette Valley. Remember not to let your eyes deceive you, if you see a short red-head take the microphone, you’ll be in for a treat.

But the fun doesn’t stop at the vocals. One of the most important factors in a good blues band is the lead guitar. Brandon Logan fills that all important role with ease. Great tone and the smarts to know when to go overboard and when to sit back and groove, Brandon’s guitar playing is the kind that gives you goose bumps and has you begging for one more song.

What good are a great singer and an incredible guitar player if they don’t have a solid foundation? Jarred Venti on Bass and Brian Wixom on drums fill out the lineup with one of the best young rhythm sections anyone could ask for. With backgrounds in funk and rock and roll, they give Still Water Vibes an edge over the competition. Fans everywhere will certainly agree that if you don’t have a tight bottom end and skilled percussion then dancing is nearly impossible. So it’s no secret that when they put together the rhythm section they didn’t hold back and got some of the most talented young players the area had to offer.

Still Water Vibes doesn’t have the look of your traditional blues band, but that’s one of the best parts of the band. A great band sounds great when your eyes are closed, when they can take your attention away from the physical and bring out emotions with their music. Still Water Vibes is a great band.

After Still Water Vibes, we will take a short break to conduct our monthly announcements of blues events coming to town as well as having our free ticket drawing for your chance to win CDs, tickets and other fun items. Do not forget to get your drawing ticket at the door when you enter the venue.

For the second half of the night we will feature Tree Top Tribe, who performed for us before for our acoustic set at a meeting. This time, they will be throwing down with a bit of electricity. Led by guitarist Mick Schafer and violinist Tom Esch, with different supporting casts, Tree Top Tribe has been performing locally since 2005. Their album, Blackberry Jam Sessions has gotten local radio airplay and made it to Pandora.

Over the past year, the band got a sizable boost from a new rhythm section, bass player Brian Link and drummer Joe Howard. Brian Link has been a professional musician since high school in Virginia. Introduced to the band through their previous drummer, Matt Ramsdell and it didn’t take long before Brian sat in and blew everybody away. Mick and Tom heard Joe Howard play for the first time on a really good jazz demo and later Mick heard him live at Coyote’s jazz jam. The acid test was putting Joe and Brian together. That sealed it.

Tree Top Tribe’s keyboard player is Colin Hogan, who also fronts her own band, the Colin Trio. Here’s an interesting story from her feistyfolk.com site: “In January 2006 her demo found its way into the hands of New Orleans legend Dr. John, who was so captivated by her rendition of Bill Withers “Ain’t No Sunshine” that he requested that Colin join him onstage during his Hampton, VA show. The impromptu duo sang a memorable rendition of the classic “Makin Whoopee.”

Tree Top Tribe is a fine amalgamation of talented musicians. Mick Schafer was once approached by keyboardist Tim Doyle one night at Coyote’s and stated, “You guys are really good. Where do you find these amazing young musicians?” Mick told him…… for a non religious person, he prays a lot. Well you won’t need to do any praying at the meeting, but you just mind yourself giving thanks for the great talent we have in town.

Hope to see you all there.

Greg Johnson

President, Cascade Blues Association

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What’s on Tap for April’s General Membership Meeting April 3

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Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland

Wednesday, April 3rd, 7:00 pm

Members always Free – Non-members $3.00

Opening Acoustic Set – Lucy Hammond’s NW Roots Uprising

Second Electric Set – Tracey Fordice & The 8-Balls

It’s the first of the month, so you should know by now where to be on that first Wednesday. The Melody Ballroom of course. You always want to make a point to join us for the Cascade Blues Association’s monthly membership meeting, where you’re sure to run into long-time friends and maybe make a few new ones, all while hearing two great sets of blues.

This month we’re going to open the acoustic set featuring a new project of the sensational vocalist Lucy Hammond’s titled “NW Roots Uprising.” With the assistance of co-producer Kevin Nettleingham at his award-winning studios, Nettleingham Audio, Lucy is bringing a diverse combination of songwriters and artists together to put together a collaboration CD. This will give fans a chance to hear new material from some of their favorite artists, while perhaps being exposed to somebody they may be altogether unfamiliar with in the process. The artists will get an opportunity to explore, experiment, work and create new material with one another in means they may choose to feature on their own individual projects. Funding for the project is fan-based through www.rockethub.com which is a win/win for both the musicians and the fans. It will provide production costs, requisite airplay print promotion and mini-tours while the backers receive creative rewards from the artists.

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