Tag Archive for: Karen Lovely

Fourth Annual Blues 4MS To Be Held At The Aladdin Theater- March 2nd

2014-PosterSm[1]

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Portland’s (MSSP) fourth annual Blues 4MS concert is coming up on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at the Aladdin Theatre.  Great thanks to the Cascade Blues Association for co-sponsoring the event and an even greater thanks to CBA’s President Greg Johnson for putting together a spectacular line up.

The fun starts at 3 pm with The Fabulous Bad Cats. This five-piece outfit offers original and classic rock, funk and blues. These guys have one aim in mind, that’s to get you onto the dance floor and show you a good time.

Soul Cookin’ is an all-star line-up that has been hosting Wednesday nights at Blackwell’s for the past couple of years. Led by Oregon Music Hall of Fame members Lloyd Jones and Carlton Jackson on guitar and drums respectively, alongside bassist Dave Kahl (Paul deLay Band, Fiona Boyes) and keyboard master Louis Pain (Paul deLay Band, King Louie & Sweet Baby James). Expect to hear some funky cool tunes and steamy blues as this group sets the groove.

The Robbie Laws Band is the resident act for Blues For MS, having performed every year at this event. Cascade Blues Association Muddy Award winner twenty-one times over, including nine times for electric guitar player of the year, Robbie Laws is a true icon of the Northwest Blues scene. This performance helps celebrate the band’s latest release, Between the Lines.

The Rae Gordon Band is fresh back from a successful showing at The International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, where they advanced to the semi-finals. Rae was also named the recipient of the 2013 Duffy Bishop Female Vocalist of the year at the Muddy Awards and her latest CD Blue Lemonade was named one of the top CDs in the State of Oregon for the year by 1859 magazine.

Since taking second place overall at the International Blues Challenge in 2010, Karen Lovely has been on a steady rise toward the top of the blues world. With three Blues Music Awards nominations, appearances at some of the largest blues festivals and tours throughout the United States, Canada and into Europe, Karen is about to unleash her third CD to a highly anticipating audience. Her shows feature top-shelf musicians and cover not only her own material, but often what she terms as Prohibition Blues, exploring the female artists of the early years of the blues.

And to close the evening, be prepared to party New Orleans style, as one of the city’s most funky bands, The Roseland Hunters, promises to get you out of your seat and setting your backside into motion, Another all-star conglomeration that stretches across genres from Portland’s musical grab-bag of talent, with guitarist Michael Quinby leading the pack on guitar and vocals, alongside the talents of percussionist/drummer/vocalist Brian Foxworth, bassist Damian Erskine, keyboardist Chris Phillips and drummer Reinhardt Melz. This is a dream band that starts a party every time they perform.

A $10 suggested donation is encouraged.  Donations will remain in Oregon to support the local MS community.  MSSP seeks to improve the quality of life for those living with MS, including family members and caregivers.  We help take care of the here and now needs.

This year, we are raffling a fabulous Normandy electric guitar, hand signed by the Doobie Brothers.  Raffle tickets will be sold at $5 each or 6/$25. The winning tickets will be selected following the last set on March 2nd and the lucky ticket holders need not be present to win.

Come prepared to have a great time listening to some of the best blues talent around.  In the meantime, go to www.blues4ms.org or call 503 297-9544 for more information.

Karen Lovely & Sagittarian Birthday Celebration at Duff’s Nov 23

 

Karen Lovely photo by Greg Johnson

Karen Lovely photo by Greg Johnson

On Saturday, November 23rd, Karen Lovely will be celebrating her 54th birthday and the 5th Annual Sagittarian Birthday Bash with a special show at Duff’s Garage. Karen states that she is celebrating another year doing what I love and loving what I do by throwing a Big Party with special guests including Robbie Laws and “Mr. E.” Also, in honor of sharing the same birthday as the late RL Burnside, she will be performing some of Burnside’s tune

Karen believes that though she is celebrating her own birthday, in the spirit of it is better to give than to receive, all attendees will receive cards good for a free digital download from her forthcoming record, 10 Miles of Bad Road, co-produced by Curtis Salgado and Tony Braunagel, and Curtis was the inspiration for the title track.

Duff’s Garage is located at 1635 SE 7th and admission is $15.00. This is a Cascade Blues Read more

Our Members Choices For Muddy Award Nominations: All Receiving Votes

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We recently posted this list on the CBA Facebook page. It received a thankful response from so many that we thought we would run it in the BluesNotes, too This list is a compilation of regional musicians who were nominated for the 2013 Muddy Awards. Though the final ballot is limited to only a few in each category, all of the following artists were recognized by our members in the ballots returned to us for nominations in the first round.

Read more

Hager/Fleschner Duo

Live From The Vault
Self Produced

Hager Fleschner CD cover This is an engaging live recording by two of Portland’s most talented musicians, keyboardist Dave Fleschner and guitar master Alan Hager. Both have extensive backgrounds in the local and national blues scene, but pairing the two together was simply a stroke of genius. Recorded at The Vault at O’Connor’s in Portland’s Multnomah Village neighborhood, the duet strolls through eleven numbers covering a wide variety of music history and they place their own unique touch on each.

Dave Fleschner’s piano work shows exceptional range, whether it’s a stride, New Orleans boogie or a Otis Spann-styled Chicago number, he can do it all with precision and flair. He Read more

Island Park Blues Festival

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Kenny Neal

Kenny Neal

The inaugural Island Park Blues Festival will be held on the banks of the beautiful Willamette River in Springfield, Oregon, on August 9 and 10, 2013.  This event is a fundraiser for FOOD For Lane County. Headliners appearing on the Rooster’s Main Stage will include Lydia Pense & Cold Blood on Friday night and Kenny Neal on Saturday.  You’ll be immersed in all styles of blues music — from roots tunes on handmade instruments up through high voltage progressive tunes.   Multiple generations of performers will join us with elders like king of the buskers Eagle Park Slim and 14 year old sensation Savanna Coen. Beer, wine and hard cider will be available, along with delicious food and non-alcoholic beverages and “Artisans Row” will offer up all sorts of art work and crafts.

After-hours performances will also take place at Mac’s Night Club Stage, at 1626 Willamette Street, featuring the original Rooster’s Blues Jam both Friday and Saturday night, hosted by Skip Jones and Bryon Case, from 9:30 pm to 1:30 am with no cover Read more

Bill Kirchen to Highlight a Series of Nights to Celebrate Promoter Joey Scruggs’ Birthday

Bill Kirchen press photoThe “Titan of the Telecaster” and original guitarist for Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Bill Kirchen returns to Duff’s Garage as the main event in a series of three nights celebrating local promoter Joey Scruggs’ 60th birthday.  One of the best guitar pickers of all time, and perhaps best known for his incredible guitar work on the hit song “Hot Rod Lincoln,” the Grammy-nominated Kirchen will also be celebrating the release of his newest CD titled Seeds & Stems.

Bill Kirchen will be performing at Duff’s Garage (1635 SE 7th) on Friday, August 2nd at 9:00 pm. Tickets are $21.00 and available through www.tickettomato.com. Opening the night will be Oregon Music Hall of Read more

Robbie Laws

Greetings friends! Hope all is well in your world. I can hardly believe festival season is upon us once again. I have been very busy with teaching, writing, recording, gigging and somewhere in there, finding some balance at our beautiful new home in the country. From all of this hard work does come the fruits of our labor and I am so happy to let you all know about what’s been going on.

Start your Waterfront Blues Festival day out right on Thursday, July 4th where you’ll find the Robbie Laws Band on the North Stage from 1:15-2:30 pm. It’s always such an honor and a thrill to perform at the best blues festival around and I look forward to seeing you there. We’ve also got an amazing event happening at the outdoor amphitheater on top of Mt. St. Helens (Johnston Ridge Observatory) on Saturday, August 3rd from 3:30-8:30 pm. This is a special benefit concert for the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater. The SLC is a great resource for schools, education groups and researchers interested in taking field trips and doing research at Mt. St. Helens. We’ve got quite a special line up for you with the Robbie Laws band featuring Dover Weinberg and Willis Moss, the fabulous Karen Lovely and one of our longtime favorites, Lloyd Jones. The mountain setting is unbelievably spectacular and this is a day you don’t want to miss, so come on up to the mountain and have a great time with us.

In other big news, I am super excited about the recent launching of my brand new website at www.RobbieLawsMusic.com. Of course you’ll find the standard fare of a music website, but what I’m most excited about is the introduction of ‘Online Live with Robbie Laws’ one-on-one web guitar lessons in addition to several new guitar classes and workshops held at my private studio in SE Portland. I’ll be holding a Songwriting for Guitar class every first Sunday of the month as well as several options for one day guitar workshops at the studio. Please do me a favor and check out the new site and let me know what you think. I want to give a special shout out to my man Chad Boston of designsbyboston.com for doing such a great job on the site. Highly recommended!

Lastly, the final touches are happening on the new album and we’re coming into the home stretch (“Thank God”). Between all of our hectic schedules, it’s been challenging at times to get this project completed. Fingers crossed, it looks like we’ll have an August release date later this summer, so keep your eyes out for that. I am feeling really good about this one.

I look forward to seeing you out and about enthusiastically supporting live music at our great local venues. Have a great time at the Waterfront Blues Festival!

Robbie Laws
www.RobbieLawsMusic.com

Blues Divas Gina Sicilia and Karen Lovely in Super Double Bill

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The Alberta Rose Theatre presents a very special night, bringing two of the most amazing up and rising blues divas today together for one show. Both are past Blues Music Award nominees, representing both sides of the country, with exceptional musicians playing with them.

Philadelphia’s Gina Sicilia has been described as “…Sounding like a Petri dish mixture of mature Maria Muldaur and mature Bonnie Raitt, Sicilia is going to force the blues world to take notice as she adds the rhythm to the blues and brings on the soul. A vocalist with real chops that just keep getting honed sharper, contemporary blues vocal fans will find indispensable.” Celebrating the release of her fourth recording, It Wasn’t Real, on the VizzTone Records label, Gina is touring the country extensively, joined by guitarist and fiancé Dave Gross.

Also, on the show will be Portland’s own Karen Lovely. 2010’s second place winner of the International Blues Challenge and three-time BMA nominee as Contemporary Female Artist, Contemporary Album and Song of the Year.. Karen has recently toured Canada and Europe twice. Karen always features a crack-sharp band, including guitar master Leonard Griffie.

This dynamic double-header will start at 8:00 pm on Friday, June 21st. The Alberta Rose Theatre is located at 3000 NE Alberta St. Minors are okay with a parent or guardian. Tickets are available through www.albertarosetheatre.com, $15.00 general admission.