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

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Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, February 4th, 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Acoustic Set – Tim Connor
Second Electric Set – J.T. Wise Band

You can always expect another fun-filled night of great blues music when you come to The Melody Ballroom for the Cascade Blues Association’s monthly meetings. And February is certainly going to carry that traditionTim Connor - photo by Greg JohnsonOpening the night will be Tim Connor who fell in love with the down-home blues when he saw Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival when he was 15. “He was this big guy with this big, blond Kay guitar, and he wasn’t the greatest player but his energy blew me away.” He went on to explore the blues of Lightning Hopkins, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, and others, with a special interest in the Piedmont blues style. He plays fingerstyle, and, as Rob Cullivan observed in his article about last year’s Journey to Memphis competition, “Connor picks the guitar with the precision of a harpist plucking strings, creating clearly defined melodic lines.” He has played around the Portland area for several years, and has performed and presented workshops on blues guitar styles at Northwest Folklife in Seattle and the Spokane Fall Folk Festival.

Tim is a songwriter who tries to extend the blues tradition while staying true to the roots. “The blues isn’t just a chord progression, it’s a sound and a feeling—one person with a story. I’ve always thought of myself primarily as a songwriter. I’m not a traditional musician really, but American songwriting is a tradition in its own right, and the blues is at the heart of it.” Tim has been somewhat sidelined recently with a bout of carpal tunnel syndrome, but he’s recovered and ready to bring the blues to anybody who wants to listen, and he will be doing so for us at the February meeting.

For the second set of the night we will present the J.T. Wise Band. Wise is a singer/songwriter who brings a signature guitar sound to the band and he’s a graduate of The Musicians Institute with many years performing in bands throughout the NW. For their set, JT Wise Band - press photothe J.T. Wise Band have prepared a mix of original rockin’ blues mixed in with some old favorites. Rounding out the band members is singer songwriter and bassist Margaret Wise; as well as James Stein, a seasoned pro and 30-year musical partner of the Wise family, who is a stellar vocalist and plays rhythm and slide guitars; and drummer Ken Woodside from Shorty and the Mustangs.

At the break between sets we will announce the great events happening in the area for the month and have our popular free ticket drawing for CDs, concert tickets and more. We will also have another winner-take-all multi-CD package for only a $1.00 a ticket chance to take home this great collection of music. Don’t miss out. The CBA monthly meeting is always a great place to hear the blues and to spend time with good friends. See you there.

Sammy Eubanks Returns To The Lehrer- Jan. 17th

Sammy Eubanks is one of those special vocalists that only come around once in a blue moon. So smooth that he has been nicknamed “The Voice” and has received nine vocalist of the year awards from the Inland Empire and Washington Blues Societies, meriting Hall of Fame status with both. Sammy reached the semi-finals at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

sammy eubanks - photo by Greg JohnsonWhen you think of it, artists like BB King, Robert Cray, Little Ed and Blues Imperials, Philip Walker, Kenny Neal and anyone that plays the Blues has been honing their craft their entire lives. At the other end of the spectrum artists like George Jones, George Strait, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Lee Roy Parnell and anyone who has ever banged it out in a Honky Tonk have been honing their craft as well. Sammy can stand on either stage and has many times. It was recently stated,” Along the borderline between Country and Blues some genius arises. Delbert McClinton and Sammy Eubanks have the same borderline genre.”

Though living in Northern Idaho, Sammy Eubanks does not make it to the Portland area very often. But when he does, it is always an event to behold. With drummer Michael Hays and bassist Dave Nordstrom, this trio can put out a lot of sound and recently signed with Spokane’s Mission Control Records. Sammy Eubanks will be back in the area on Saturday, January 17th at The Lehrer, 8775 SW Canyon Lane, for an 8:00 pm show. Opening set by the Bottleneck Blues Band. Admission is $10.00. Definitely a not to miss show

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 group — 1980’s Seconds of Pleasure — the band provided support for most of the albums Lowe and Edmunds recorded in the late ’70s. After the rushed release of Seconds of Pleasure, the band toured one last time before splitting apart, largely due to mismanagement. (AllMusic.com)

The band nevertheless was inspirational for many musicians. Coming on Saturday, January 24th, a group of local musicians including members of The Sportin’ Lifers (Whit Draper, Erin Wallace and Steve Cleveland), Albert Reda, Jonathan Beyer and guests Jeremy Wilson, Steve Lockwood, Sean Flora and possibly Jim Wallace, will be presenting a tribute show to the band at Duff’s Garage,2530 NE 82nd. With this bluesy grouping you know it’s going to fun, so come out and hear some of those great old tunes like “You Ain’t Nothing But Fine,” “A Knife And A Fork,” “Pet You And Hold You,” “Teacher Teacher” and more than likely a number of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmonds solo material, too. Showtime is 9:00 pm.

The Aladdin Theater Welcomes The Wood Brothers- Jan. 22nd

From early in their childhood in Boulder, CO., Chris and Oliver were steeped in American roots music. The brothers bonded over bluesmen like Jimmy Reed and Lightnin’ Hopkins, but their paths, musical and otherwise, would diverge. Oliver moved to Atlanta and joined Tinsley Ellis’ band, before fronting his own unit called King Johnson working blues, country, R&B and funk as a touring act. Chris attended school at the New England Conservatory of Music studying bass, then became a founding member of Medeski, Martin & Wood performing jazz and abstract music.The Wood Brothers - press photo

The brothers joined forces in 2006 and have been working together over the ensuing years with their dialed-in vocal harmonies, Oliver’s gritty acoustic guitar, Chris’s virtuosic upright bass, and warrior poet lyrics. The band was made complete with the addition of multi-instrumentalist and drummer Jano Rix, touring endlessly exciting audiences with their Americana and blues music.

The Wood Brothers will be appearing at the Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., on Thursday, January 22nd at 8:00. Tickets are available for $20.00 advance and $22.00 day of show through TicketFly.com. This is a 21 & over only show.

Cancer Benefit For Tim “ Too Slim ” Langford To Take Place February 15th

If you were not already aware, one of the Northwest’s most favorite blues artists of all time, Tim “Too Slim” Langford, recently had surgery for cancer and is now recuperating. As a working musician who tours consistently year-round, he needs assistance in making ends meet for the medical expenses this surgery has incurred. So a group of friends have come together to lend him a helping hand to raise these funds. Oh, did I mention that there are so many friends that three benefit shows will be taking place simultaneously in three different cities? That’s right, Portland, Seattle and Spokane will all be holding benefit shows on Sunday, February 15th, featuring an astounding array of the Northwest’s best musicians.Tim Too Slim Langford - photo by Carla Ciuffo

The show in Portland will take place at The Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside and take a look at some of the fantastic friends of Tim’s that will be appearing: Big Monti Amundson, Bill Rhoades Harmonica Blow-off, Bobby Torres, Chris Mercer, Dave Kahl, D.K. Stewart, Jim Mesi, Joe McMurrian, Lisa Mann, Lloyd Jones, Louis Pain, Mary Flower, Mitch Kashmar, the Norman Sylvester Band, NW Women in Blues, Peter Dammann, Rae Gordon, Robbie Laws, Sonny Hess, Steve Kerin, Ty Curtis, and the debut of the recently reunited Pin & The Hornits! And that’s just a start. Expect to see more surprising artists added to the line-up because Tim has many, many friends throughout the region who all want to offer their help.

Keep an eye on the Cascade Blues Association website and Facebook page, and February’s BluesNotes for further details. And if you’re unable to make it to the show, but would still like to help out, visit Tim’s crowd sourcing fundraising page at www.giveforward.com and enter in the search engine Tim “Too Slim” Langford’s Cancer Fund.

 

 

Blues Will Be Hot In February At The Aladdin Theater – Get Tickets Now!

Things are really going to be heating up at the Aladdin Theater through the month of February into early March as a handful of fantastic blues shows will be on their calendar. Act fast, all of these shows have tickets available now through the Aladdin Theater box office at 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave, their website at www.aladdin-theater.com or www.TicketFly.com. Here’s who will be coming to town: Thursday, February 5th – Marcia Ball; Friday, February 6th – Electric Guitars: Eric Johnson & Mike Stern; Sunday, February 8th & Monday, February 9th – Lucinda Williams; Friday, February 20th – The Robery Cray Band; and Sunday, March 1st – Lucky Peterson.

Cascade Blues Association’s Red, White and Blues Dance – Feb. 14th

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Keep the date Saturday, February 14th open. Yes, that is Valentine’s Day and traditionally the Cascade Blues Association has held an event over this weekend for more than ten years now. That has not changed, though the name has. No longer the Sweetheart’s Dance, we have renamed the event the Red, White and Blues Dance. Too many people felt that they were not welcome to attend the event in the past if they did not have a sweetheart, and we never wanted that to be the case. So now, it’s a friendlier and welcome name for all.

This year, the Red, White & Blues Dance will be held at The Trails End Saloon in Oregon City. Please watch our website and Facebook pages to learn more about who will be performing at this event and showtime More information will also be available in the February BluesNotes. The Trails End Saloon is located at 1320 Main Street. Admission for this event will remain as always, $10.00 person / $15.00 couples.

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

G Love - press photoTwenty 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 and everybody playing so that it all comes together in that intangible way,” says G. Love. “That’s what our music is all about.”

Love & Special Sauce will be bringing their new music for a sure-to-be exciting night at the Crystal Ballroom, 1335 W Burnside, on Thursday, January 29th for an 8:00 pm, with opening act Mike Costa. This is an all ages event and general admission tickets may be purchased at etix.com for $22.50, plus service charges.

Big Head Todd & The Monsters Black Beehive Tour Comes To Portland- Jan. 16th

Big Head Todd & The Monsters - press photoFor the past 25 years, Big Head Todd & The Monsters have built a strong reputation and following with their blues-flavored rock performances and releases. Their latest album, Black Beehive, continues to explore their rootsy blend of blues, folk and rock that has developed their distinguishable unique sound. The new album features noted blues greats saxophonist Eddie Shaw and guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks (who has often toured with Big Head Todd), as the songs speak of modern social issues and also pay tributes to the passing of artists Amy Winehouse and Hubert Sumlin.

Big Head Todd & The Monsters are embarking on a multi-city winter tour celebrating the release of Black Beehive and they will be making a stop in Portland on Friday, January 16th at the Crystal Ballroom. Showtime is 8:00 with tickets available through etix.com for $32.50 advance (does not include service charge), $35.00 day of show for general admission. This is a 21 & over only show. The Crystal Ballroom is located at 1332 W Burnside.

Special VIP Monster Ticket Packages are also available exclusively at the band’s website, bigheadtodd.com. For $82.50, it will include 1 ticket to the show, pre-show meet & greet with the band, an exclusive 2015 VIP laminate with lanyard, an exclusive limited edition, hand-numbered print signed by the band, and a photo op (have your camera ready, the venue only allows point & shoot cameras with no flash, professional cameras not welcome without first obtaining permission from the band ahead of time). See the Crystal Ballroom website for full details.

David Jacobs-Strain To Record Live Performance At The Alberta Rose Theatre- Jan. 9th

David Jacobs-Strain - photo by Tara Laidlaw-David Jacobs-Strain is a fierce slide guitar player, and a song poet from Eugene, Oregon.  He’s known for both his virtuosity and spirit of emotional abandon; his live show moves from humorous, subversive blues, to delicate balladry, and then swings back to swampy rock and roll.  It’s a range that ties Jacobs-Strain to his own generation and to guitar-slinger troubadours like Robert Johnson and Jackson Browne.  “I try to make art that you can dance to, but I love that darker place, where in my mind, Skip James, Nick Drake, and maybe Elliot Smith blur together.”

Those of us in the Northwest have watched David Jacobs-Strain grow from a teen-aged blues guitar prodigy to the sensational musician he is today, touring across the country and from Australia to Switzerland. He has performed at many of the most prestigious festivals and venues including The Kennedy Center, MerleFest, Telluride Blues Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival and has worked as an instructor at both Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch and Centrum Port Townsend.

David Jacobs-Strain will be returning back to his home state in January where he will be performing at the Alberta Rose Theatre, on Friday, January 9th, for a 8:00 pm show. Tickets are $15.00 advance and $17.00 day of show and may be purchased at www.albertarosetheatre.com. Minors are welcome when accompanied by a parent or guardian. To make this an even more special event, David will be recording this performance for an up-coming live album and will be joined by local artists Bob Beach and Anne Weiss. Opening the night will be New York-based folk and blues solo artist Ara Lee.