The Aladdin Theater Welcomes Robert Randolph & The Family Band

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Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Robert Randolph & The Family Band“Robert Randolph is an American Original,” says Blue Note Records’ President Don Was. “He has mastered what is, arguably, the most complex instrument in the world and developed a unique voice that is equal parts street-corner church and Bonnaroo.”

Robert Randolph & The Family Band first gained national attention with the release of the album Live at the Wetlands in 2002. The band followed with three studio recordings over the next eight years which, together with tireless touring and unforgettable performances at such festivals as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, won them an expanding and passionate fan base. Randolph’s unprecedented prowess on his instrument garnered him a spot on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” list, and also attracted the attention of such giants as Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana, who have collaborated with him on stage and in the studio.

Robert Randolph brings his intensely driving live performance celebrating his latest release Lickety Split to The Aladdin Theater on Saturday, April 1 for an 8:00 pm show. Tickets are $25.00 advance through Ticketfly.com and $27.00 at the door day of show. This is an all ages event. The Aladdin Theater is located at 3017 SE Milwaukie Avenue.

 

The 2017 Walla Walla Guitar Festival gets (even) LARGER!

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Walla Walla Guitar Festival

Now in their sixth year, The Walla Walla Guitar festival has gotten even bigger than ever before. Combining forces with Feast Walla Walla, you’ll be treated to amazing national and regional acts, along with gourmet food and wine offerings. This multi-venue event will host approximately thirty bands performing in downtown Walla Walla starting with a jam on Thursday, April 6, with the main festival taking place Friday, April 7 through Sunday, April 9.

It all opens up at Sapolil Cellars on Thursday night with a pre-festival jam hosted by Randy Oxford and Robin Barrett.

On Friday, the festival officially kicks off with a 7:00 pm performance at Walla Walla Elks by Alligator recording artist and multiple Blues Music Award winner, including the 2013 BB King Entertainer of the Year, Curtis Salgado.

Friday will continue with The Friday Kick-Off Party, at The Eagles, The Elks, The VFW and Sapolil Cellars with performances from Junkyard Janes celebrating their 20th Anniversary, Shoot Jake, Brett “Bad Blood” Benton, Iguana Hat, Frog Hollow and Josephine Fox.

On Saturday, an acoustic showcase will begin at noon at The Elks with two acts; Chicago’s Jaik Willis and glass neck guitar master Ned Evett. Multi-platinum awarded master guitarist Pete Anderson will appear at The Elks. And the “Large Show” will be held in the Feats Party Tent with Robin Barret & The Coyote Kings featuring Tiph Dames, and The Mannish Boys All Stars with Sugaray Rayford, Kid Ramos, Anthony Geraci, Jimi Bott, Willie J. Campbell and Allan Walker. The Guitar Crawl begins at 8:00 pm at Sapolil Cellars with Debra Arlyn and Rafael Tranquilino, while at The VFW Post 992 The Thunder Brothers and Vaughn Jensen will hold the stage. The Walla Walla Eagles will host The Randy Oxford Band along with Polly O’Keary and The Rhythm Method. An all-star jam will be hosted by Vaughn Jensen from midnight ‘til 1:45 AM at the VFW to end out the night.

On Sunday Morning, the Downtown Gospel Brunch will feature a gourmet breakfast buffet while International Blues Challenge third place winner Rae Gordon will provide Southern Gospel performances, as you enjoy your Mimosas and Bloody Marys!

The Coyote Kings Invitational Walla Walla Guitar Festival is brought to you by Robin Barrett & Coyote Kings Tourism ,Walla Walla, The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation, The Walla Walla Blues Society, CH2M, The Washington Blues Society, The Cascade Blues Association, The Inland Empire Blues Society and the Blues Therapy Radio Show.

The WWFGF is a 21 and over festival. For tickets and additional information, please visit http://wallawallaguitarfestival.com.

2017 Experience Hendrix Tour Kicks Off In Portland !

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Jimi Hendrix

Jimi HendrixLauded by both critics and fans, the multi-artist Experience Hendrix Tour is set to return in 2017 to celebrate one of music’s greatest innovators: Jimi Hendrix. This latest edition of the annual tour will kick off on Friday, February 17 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland.

Now in its second decade, the tour celebrates the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix by bringing together a diverse array of phenomenal musicians. Billy Cox, bassist for both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys, anchors a rhythm section that provides the foundation for exciting renditions of numerous signature Hendrix favorites such as “Purple Haze” and “Little Wing.” Artists scheduled to appear in Portland include Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo, Zakk Wylde, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton, Mato Nanji, Noah Hunt, The Slide Brothers, and Henri Brown.

Jimi Hendrix was a pioneer in both rock and blues; he expanded the possibilities of what could be achieved on his instrument and in popular music. Likewise, the Experience Hendrix Tour continues to expand as Jimi’s legacy grows. In 2004, the first tour came to fruition with a three-date string of shows on the west coast, starting in Hendrix’s hometown of Seattle. By 2008, the Experience Hendrix Tour had become a full-fledged, coast-to-coast expedition and continuing to date without showing any signs of slowing down. Audiences are presented the opportunity to see great artists paying homage to Hendrix while collaborating with each other in ways they’d never do in their own live shows.

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album Are You Experienced (released on May 12, 1967) as well as the follow up album Axis: Bold as Love (released in the UK on December 1, 1967). 1967 was also the year Jimi Hendrix rose to intercontinental prominence when he made his U.S. debut at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival, lighting his guitar on fire to a mesmerized audience. The repertoire from this stage of Jimi’s career serves as a cornerstone in Experience Hendrix Tour sets, as songs like “Fire,” “Manic Depression,” and “Are You Experienced” are played by various musicians on a nightly basis.

Experience Hendrix at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway Avenue starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets range from $42.50 to $95.00 and can be purchased online at TicketsWest.com or at the Portland’5 Box Office.

Every pair of tickets purchased comes with one (1) physical CD of the new Jimi Hendrix album, Machine Gun. You will receive an additional email with instructions on how to redeem your CD.

Portland FolkMusic Society Presents An Evening With Del Rey & Suzy Thompson

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An Evening With Del Rey and Suzy Thompson

An Evening With Del Rey and Suzy ThompsonOn Friday, February 17, the Portland Folk Music Society will present An Evening With Del Rey and Suzy Thompson two outstanding acoustic blues favorites at Colonial Presbyterian Church — Seattle’s resonator guitar and ukulele goddess Del Rey and Bay Area blues fiddler Suzy Thompson. Having worked as a duet since the mid-1980s, Rey and Thompson explore the upbeat, positive side of the blues in a show that is wise, womanly, witty, and well-played, always stirring things up with their masterful playing, show-stopping vocals, and humorous repartee.

A vital member of the Bay Area acoustic music landscape for 30 years, Suzy Thompson’s exuberant bluesy fiddling and vocals have made her the accompanist of choice for acclaimed roots musicians like Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, and Mary Flower.

Del Rey’s virtuosic resonator parlor guitar and ukulele playing embraces a host of old-time genres, including country blues, stride piano, classic jazz, and hillbilly boogie.

Their repertoire includes vintage and original numbers from blues icons like Memphis Minnie and the Mississippi Sheiks, mixed in with flapper-era instrumentals from Kentucky to Trinidad.

Please join the Portland Folk Music Society for this special night which starts at 7:30. Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church is located at 2828 SE Stephens Street. $18.00 for general admission, $15.00 for Portland Folk Music Society members, $9.00 for ages 12-18 and under 12 is free. Tickets can be purchased at SeatYourself.biz.

A Tribute To Melissa Etheridge

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Melissa Etheridge has established herself as a popular and influential rock performers since the release of her debut recording in 1988. Since then she has won two Grammy Awards and an Oscar, has performed on Broadway, and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known for hit singles such as “Bring Me Some Water,” “I’m The Only One,” “Come To My Window” and “Ain’t It Heavy” she continues to explore new boundaries with her latest musical foray honoring the artists of Stax Records.

Numerous musicians cite Etheridge for the inspiration her music has had on the direction of their own careers. Locally, blues guitarist and band leader Sonny Hess is one of those. In Etheridge’s honor, she has collected a group of the region’s finest female artists to hold a tribute show at McMenamin’s Mission Theater on Friday, February 10. Those musicians taking part along with Sonny Hess will be LaRhonda Steele, Lisa Mann, Leah Hinchcliff, Kathryn Grimm, Beth Willis, and Nayibe Rojas.

Show time for the Melissa Etheridge Tribute Night will be 7:00 pm. The Mission Theater is located at 1624 NW Glisan Street. This is a 21 and over event. Tickets can be purchased through CascadeTickets.com for $22.00 advance, or $25.00 at the door day of show.

Hot Tuna Returns To The Aladdin Theater

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Hot Tuna

Hot TunaFor the last 50 years, from their days playing together as teenagers, to their time as members of Jefferson Airplane, to their explorations in acoustic and electric blues with Hot Tuna, probably no artists have led American music more consistently than Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. The pair began playing together while growing up in the Washington D.C. area, where Jorma became enamored of the finger-picking guitar style practiced by the legendary Rev. Gary Davis. Jack, meanwhile, had taken an interest in the electric bass, at the time a controversial instrument in blues, jazz, and folk circles. Moving cross country the pair were a significant mainstay of the Jefferson Airplane while remaining loyal to the blues, jazz, bluegrass, and folk influences of the small clubs and larger venues they had learned from years before. Hot Tuna became a side project from the band, eventually developing into its own force that has been going strong with a devout fan base since its inception five decades ago.

Hot Tuna will be returning to Portland for a date at the Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Avenue, on Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $39.50 in advance and $42.00 day of show and may be purchased at Ticketfly.com. This is an all ages event.

Ty Curtis Unplugged

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Ty Curtis Unplugged

Ty Curtis UnpluggedTy Curtis has been frequently splitting his time between Portland and Austin for the past couple years, but if there was one reason to check out one of his shows don’t miss out on Monday, February 13 at The Lake Theater & Café. Ty Curtis Unplugged will be a rare all acoustic showcase, proving that Curtis has a lot more up his sleeve than setting the place on fire with his Gibson electric. The music presented will be all Ty Curtis original material, including selections from all six of his discs, plus some new songs and some blues finger-picked guitar. Joining Ty for this unplugged evening will be his regular drummer Jerry Jacques and a special reunion with bassist Dave Kahl.

Show time for Ty Curtis Unplugged is 7:00 pm. The Lake Theater & Café is located at 106 State Street in Lake Oswego. Tickets can be picked up in advance online at Laketheatercafe.com for $15.00.

Adia Victoria – Nashville’s Haunting, Truth-Telling Rising Star, to Perform at Mississippi Studios

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Adia Victoria

Adia Victoria is a fresh reference point on the musical landscape. From blood-born howls to idiosyncratic phrasing, she is the big red dot saying “You Are Here.” The Nashville-based artist travels the lands of rock, afro punk, and country, while staying squarely situated in the continent of the Blues.

Adia VictoriaAsk about her artistic goals and the songwriter/vocalist will say, “I want to shine a light on the unseen, and speak the unspeakable.” Adia Victoria is a truth teller. She admits, “I don’t necessarily paint myself in a flattering light. This isn’t the pop version of pretty or the strategically posed pretty-ugly. Sometimes I’m just ugly. There’s a brat in some of these songs, selfish, nave, vengeful, but there’s also a tender eye that just wants the listener to feel seen and understood.”

The Village Voice called her an “eerie, intriguing songwriter, with bone chilling guitar riffs and lyrics topped with candid scorn.” Oxford American calls her as “rich and unpredictable as ever.” Rolling Stone featured Adia Victoria as one of “10 New Artists You Need to Know.” She is soon to be on everybody’s radar as an artist not to miss..

Touring in support of her debut recording, Beyond The Bloodhounds, Adia Victoria will be playing in Portland at Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Avenue on Monday, February 27. This 21 and over event will start at 9:00 pm. Admission is $14.00 at the door and tickets can be purchased in advance for $12.00 at Ticketfly.com.

Opening the show will be Amenta Abioto, whose music ranges from soul shaking gospel to smooth jazz and then onto hip hop rhythms wrapped in West African beats.

Lake Theater & Café Hosts Blues Dance with Kevin Selfe, Lisa Mann, and Dean Mueller

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Three of the areas most respected and exciting award-winning blues musicians, Kevin Selfe, Lisa Mann, and Dean Mueller, will be performing together in the intimate setting of the Lake Theater & Café on Monday, January, 23. For this show, the theater will be clearing space up front for dancing, and the music will be geared more for dancers. This is a rare opportunity to see Kevin and Lisa perform together, as they are usually out performing with their bands. This will also be the next to last show that Kevin will be playing in Portland before his hiatus from music, returning to Virginia to help with his family.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at laketheatercafe.com, or the day of the show. The Lake Theater & Café is located at 106 N State Street, Lake Oswego. Show time is 7:00 pm.

Mary Flower & The BBQ Boys At The Lake Theater & Cafe

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Mary Flower & The BBQ Boys

Mary Flower & The BBQ BoysGuitarist, singer, and songwriter Mary Flower is that rare breed of American roots artist. Flower is fluent and masterful in the artistically tricky Piedmont style of acoustic guitar that requires a deft touch, intricate picking, and an innate sense of subtle harmonics wrapped in a rousing good time. Yet she is equally rooted and schooled in Mississippi blues, especially when rendered on a vintage lap-slide. Add to this her love of swing, ragtime, folk, and hot jazz, plus a healthy dose of her own song craft, and you have a modern artist with an ear for the traditional who brings an immediate vibrancy and dynamism to any concert hall and stage performance.

The BBQ Boys are a four-piece jazz, blues, and jug band that has performed with many well-known artists such as Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, Maria Muldaur, John Sebastian, David Grisman, and Dan Hicks. The band consists of Stew Dodge on fiddle and vocal, Spud Siegel on mandolin, mandola and vocals, Doc Stein on dobro, guitar and vocals, and Mark Vehrencamp on sousaphone.  In 2013 they joined forces with Mary Flower as a jazz and blues infected jug band (sans jug) and have created new masterpieces of old standbys and originals by Mary and Spud, adding rich harmonies and searing solos.

Mary Flower and The BBQ Boys will be performing on Monday, February 6 at The Lake Theater & Café in Lake Oswego. Located at 106 N State Street, the show will start at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at Laketheatercafe.com for $15.00.