March Bandstand
Lisa Mann
March is going to be a busy month! It starts out Sunday, March 1, at Trails End Saloon with a benefit for my cousin, Aly, who’s still battling brain cancer. The last benefit helped the family get through several months of bills, but now it’s time to throw a big party and help them get through the next few months.
Then I’ll be out of town for the rest of the month. Ben Rice was kind enough to ask me to join him at Bonita Blues Fest in Florida, the first weekend of March. I had a gig scheduled at Tigardville Station, but Rae Gordon stepped forward and will be leading my troops into battle. That’s Saturday March 7–we’re calling it the No Mann’s Band, be sure to come out and support Rae and my bandmates.
Then the second week of March I’ll be in the Northeast doing a series of shows with vocalist/harp player Diane Blue, as well as guitar goddess Lydia Warren. We’ll be doing shows in Springfield, MA, Laconia, NH, Woonsocket, RI, and Newburyport, MA. If you have any pals in that region, let ’em know.
The third week of March, I join my husband, Allen, in NJ and NY to visit family (and eat bagels!) And then as soon as we come back, (10 lbs. heavier,) the band and I are packing the van and heading out for a mini-tour: Friday, March, 27, we’ll be at Sapolil Cellars in Walla Walla; Saturday, March, 28, we play the Couer D’Alene Blues Fest; and Monday, March, 30, we play in Boise at the Sapphire Room. Then the first week of April we head to San Fran, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Guinda, and Upper Lake, California.
For details on all of these shows, please visit www.lisamannmusic.com. Thanks everyone for your support, and for joining the Blues Foundation to vote for me, (as well as Jimi Bott and Curtis Salgado,) in the Blues Music Awards. Keep heading out and supporting live music!
Lisa Mann
Tracey Fordice and the 8-Balls
Hello CBA Members, and those of you not currently a member but who should become a member.
This year has started out with a BANG for us. We traveled to Memphis and participated in the International Blues Challenge, representing the Ashland Blues Society. The trip proved to be a great one for many reasons. The amount of talent on Beale Street during the event is unbelievable, and we were only able to sample a small part of it, but what we experienced was incredible! The city of Memphis is full of rich musical history and much more, and we did find time to visit some of the historical sites, e.g., The National Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel (which we visited during the celebration on Martin Luther King Day), The Museum of American Soul Music at Stax Records, Graceland, and of course. Sun Studio. Walking on the streets of Memphis is truly an experience worth doing.
Although we did not advance beyond the quarterfinals in the IBC, we played our hearts out for two nights at The Rum Boogie Café and made many new friends from all over the country and around the world. This year the Pacific Northwest talent was also featured in a showcase at Club 152, so we performed there, along with all of the acts from Oregon and Washington. All in all, the experience was very positive and we enjoyed the opportunity to represent the Pacific Northwest in this great event.
Meanwhile, our CD project was placed on the back burner during all this bluesing and schmoozing, but since we have returned, the recording activity has gotten back into full swing. We are finishing tracks and adding some icing on the cake, thanks to some other local talent that will be putting their musical textures on our original material. We will be performing some of the new material at this month’s monthly membership meeting.
Our weekly Hot Jam at The Lehrer on Tuesdays has been going great, and the amount of musical talent that continues to show up regularly has been overwhelming. In the weeks to come we are stretching our show boundaries beyond the Portland Metro area and performing in venues throughout Oregon in Albany, Lincoln City, and Silverton, as well as in Vancouver, WA. We hope to see you out on the town!
Blues to you,
Tracey Fordice and the 8-Balls
James Clem
Hi friends,
Here is information on a very special event for me. On Saturday, March 28, I will be having a CD Release Party at Fleur De Lis Bakery & Cafe in the Hollywood District of NE Portland. The show starts at 7:30 pm and I am happy to say that Mary Flower will be sharing the bill with me. I am releasing two CD’s at once (a crazy idea in retrospect) and Mary played on several tracks. We even do a couple of vocal duets. One CD is a guitar oriented album with a mix of acoustic blues and Americana and the other is a swing/blues based ukulele recording. Both have a full acoustic band backing recorded live in the studio. An all analog recording by Ron Rogers. Musicians on the album include Ken West, Craig Snazelle, Johnnie Ward, Darka Dusty and more.
While the concert starts at 7:30 pm the cafe is offering a three course gourmet dinner at 6 pm prepared by master chef Craig Mistell. The meal includes appetizer, entree and dessert and the cost is $40 for the dinner, but that price includes the $10 cover charge for the show. Small plates will be available during the concert and they have a great beer and wine selection and a limited bar. Age 21 and over. The concert itself runs 7:30 to 10 pm with a $10 cover. Reservations for the dinner or concert are by email only (no phone reservations) to jennifer@fleurdelisbakery.com. Tickets are going fast so reserve early. Hope to see a lot of you out that evening. Should be a fun night.
Cheers,
James Clem
www.jamesclem.com
Soul Cookin’
Wednesday music at Blackwell’s, 1815 NE 41st Avenue, has been going for about four years now, with most covered by the combination of Lloyd Jones, Carlton Jackson, Dover Weinberg or Louis Pain, and David Kahl–also known as Soul Cookin’. It’s taken some work, but, thanks to the patience and commitment of owner Jan DeLorme, we’ve established a pretty consistent night of revelry and communion. Alas, however, there is some sad news–and some good news.
Drummer and vocalist extraordinaire, Carlton Jackson, is moving on. Carlton has brought a depth that encompasses more than just being a fantastic musician; his knowledge is diverse enough to qualify him as a Renaissance man and his influence will be certainly missed. A lot of the soul in Soul Cookin’ will go with him. We wish him nothing but the best, but we are graced to welcome a new preacher to the pulpit, another member to the congregation, and a sweet, sweet soul to share our musical communion.
Brian Foxworth, repeatedly described as a “force of nature”, now joins us. Brian is probably best known for his work with Curtis Salgado, but he’s been a key influence on too many notable bands to list. His drumming is impeccable and his voice is sweet as it gets. He is sure to take Wednesday nights into other directions, while holding to what has made them a delightful destination for many–just playing, in every sense of the word. Welcome to your new home, Brian. We are honored to have you.
While we’re at it, we’d like to acknowledge just a few of the people who have brought some measure of success to our little offering and who have made it something that we all look forward to every week. Of course, there’s the owner and staff of Blackwell’s. Musicians like Mitch Kashmar, Curtis Salgado, LaRhonda Steele, Arietta Ward, Dave Mathews, Randy Monroe, John Mazzocco, Les Hutchinson, and many more have helped to round things out. All of this, however, wouldn’t mean nearly as much without you, the audience. You make it all the more joyous. Thank you.
Blackwell’s is located in the heart of Hollywood, just across Sandy Blvd. from the Hollywood Theatre. They’ve got great food and drinks, a friendly staff, plenty of close parking, and convenient access to I-84. No cover ($5.00 minimum purchase). Music starts somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 and runs until at least 11:30 pm.
Ben Rice & Lucy Hammond
Hey BluesBabies!
What an amazing time we had in Memphis for the 31st Annual International Blues Challenge! All the incredible Pacific Northwest blues artists truly showed Beale St. and beyond what a deep talent pool we have out here.
It was great to have the chance to attend the VIP party for Greg Johnson and Jenn Ocken’s Blues on Beale Street book release. So many IBC magic moments captured in its pages. Participating in the Pacific Northwest Showcase and the National Women In Blues Showcase was great. We had an absolute blast sharing the stage with CBA duo Pinsky & Newton. Having the opportunity to meet and make friends from all over the world and hear so much world class talent in one spot is what makes the IBC such a unique event.
Making it to the finals was surreal in the best possible way. Performing on the historic Orpheum Theater Stage truly is life altering. We’re so grateful for all the support we had along the way from so many of you back here at home. Thank you! It meant so much to feel like you were with us every step of the way.
Looking forward to a very busy festival season ahead. Glad to be joining many other great acts for the Winter Blues Festival to kick it off. Stay tuned to our website and social media sites for all our upcoming shows. See you soon!
Ben & Lucy
Dean Mueller
Hello friends and blues fans! The Lake Theater & Cafe has kept me busy booking and promoting shows for Music Mondays. I have been fortunate enough to expand my horizons and be able to play with many of Monday nights’ excellent acts.
March is no exception as I will be joining Grant Dermody and Henry Cooper for a night of groove-based acoustic blues the first Monday of the month. Later in the month I have the honor of once again bringing the Julie Amici Trio to the theater. This will feature the beautifully talented Julie Yanko on vocals and myself on the big dog. Rounding out the trio will be the ever so tasty Dan Gildea on guitar. Dan joined us for the holiday showcase at the theater and we are excited to be performing with him again on March 16. There will be lots of other great shows at the Lake Theater every Monday, so check out the calendar and be sure to make it down to one of the best listening rooms anywhere.
Best,
Dean Mueller