Friday, February 22, 2008

Feb 22 Live Music Recommendations

Need to be fast today . . . but there's some great shows this weekend to check out. Remember it's also the second weekend of the Portland Jazz Festival.

Friday
There are some impossible choices tonight . . . four shows stand out for me:

First Ashleigh Flynn's CD release show at the Doug Fir. Her rootsy new CD, American Dream (wonderfully recorded and co-produced by Mississippi Studios' Jim Brunberg), is garnering some great local press and should get national notice soon. Will be a great show from one of our finest local singer/songwriters. 8PM, $12

Second, Sierra Leone's Refugee Allstars is a band that grew out of a small group of musician's response to a decade of civil war in their country. Two years ago a film was made about them and their struggles from forming in a refugee camp to making their first recording. Now touring internationally, the band will bring their sparkling afrobeat sounds to Berbati's tonight. 9 PM, $20

Next is the second of three days of fundraising shows at the LaurelThirst Public House to purchase a new sound system for this key local music hangout. . . . Some of our best local bands and 'Thirst regulars are donating their services. Tonight's lineup includes Casey Neill and the Norway Rats, Little Sue, and the Freak Mountain Ramblers. Fun music all evening beginning with happy hour at 6. Free before 9, $10 after.

Finally, Reggie Houston brings his history of New Orleans music show to Jimmy Maks. Reggie is one of our New Orleans transplant treasures and one of the busiest guys in town. 9PM, $10
I'm just trying to figure how to make it here, to the LaurelThirst, Berbati's, and Ashleigh's show simultaneously. Think I'll have to make a choice.

oh, and one more . . . .
The folk/pop sounds of Nick Jaina will grace the stage for two shows at Mississippi Studios at 7 & 10 PM, $10

Gotta be something tonight for everyone!

Saturday
The LaurelThirst fundraiser continues with the Piano Throwers, Lewi Longmire, Pete Krebs and Billy Kennedy.

The Lowe Beats (Scott McCaughey and friends from Minus 5 and the Young Fresh Fellows) will spend the evening playing songs of Nick Lowe at Dante's. Casey Neill and the Norway Rats are on the bill too . . . 9:30 PM, $6

The Everybodyfields wrap up their McMenamins Great Northwest Music Tour with a show tonight at the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove. 7 PM, Free

Monday
Berbati's will host the reggae sounds of Jamacia's Gregory Isaacs. This guy has been turning out fine work for over 30 years - one of the best of the island. 9 PM, $23

. . . all for this week . . . get out to some live music!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Music picks for Feb 14

Besides the Portland Jazz Festival shows this weekend, what looks promising on the radar?

Tonight . . .
Amelia (Teisha Helgerson and Scott Weddle in duo configuration) at Mississippi Studios (8 PM, $12)
Mel Brown's B3 Organ Band with special guest "Sweet Baby" James Benton on vocals at Jimmy Maks (8 PM, $8)
Lauren Sheehan at the Muddy Rudder (8 PM, free)

Friday . . .
The Drive By Truckers and the Felice Brothers at Roseland (9 PM, $17.50)
Eclectic roots rock band from Austin, The Gourds at the Doug Fir (9 PM, $15)
LiveWire Radio taping at the Aladdin Theater with China Forbes (from Pink Martini) and The Everybodyfields (8PM, $15)
The Portland Soul All-Stars at Jimmy Maks (8 PM, $20) - this year's show is a tribute to the soul music of Memphis and Muscle Shoals - Booker T, etc . . . oh that sounds good!
The rhythms and sounds of Cuba for your dancing pleasure with Melao de Cana at Mississippi Pizza (9 PM, $7))

Saturday . . .
Lloyd Jones at Macadams (9:30 PM)
A Tribute to Billy Holiday with Liv Warfield at Jimmy Maks (8 & 10 PM, $15)
Terry Robb, Lauren Sheehan and Paula Sinclair at Vino Vixens (7:30 PM, $?)

Sunday . . .
The Everybodyfields at the Kennedy School (7 PM, free)
Mary Flower at the McMenamins Edgefield (5 PM, free)

Monday . . .
St Vincent (Annie Smith) at the Doug Fir - very interesting and compelling experimental pop from this young veteran of The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens' band. (9 PM, $12)

All for now . . . . get out and see/hear some live music!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Some cruise thoughts . . .

Back now for over a week from the Sandy Beaches Cruise . . . back to house, work, life in Portland . . . and have been slow to get back in the swing of this thing. I'll keep this (relatively) short with a few photos and thoughts on the 14th annual Sandy Beaches Cruise with Delbert McClinton and friends.

What I most love about the cruise isn't the music or being on a really big ship (a weird experience in and of itself) . . . it's the connecting with some wonderful people who have become very good friends. Don't get me wrong, the music is very important, but the experience wouldn't be the same without the returning cast of characters that I've become part of.


This is Flaire and I mugging for the camera with Matt, Stephanie and Marlene - three people who were among my very first cruise friends back in 2001. Three people that I've forged delightful friendships with over the years. (actually, I knew Matt casually from when he lived in Portland back in the early 90s - but that's part of another story about my first cruise).

It was cool that a very good friend from Portland, Dave Johnson, decided to go this year. All week he was was never without a smile -- couldn't believe the music he was hearing and the people he was meeting. Cruise virgin. It reminded me of how I felt on my first. But being on my seventh, the feeling is a bit different - there's a familiarity and comfort to the entire experience. What now stands out are the small things - bits of conversations, sharing a meal with friends, a particular performance, some sun at the pool, a moment with my sweetie (Flaire unfortunately spent half the trip sick, but tried very hard to keep up, trooper she is). The highs aren't quite so high anymore, but that's okay with me. It's not about the novelty (if so, I would have stopped going after 3 or 4).

What performances stood out? Who did I hear that was new to me? James Hunter was a real surprise - British r&b singer with a crack band and a soulful sound. Reminded me of Sam Cooke. So how do the Brits do it? When he spoke, I thought I was in the middle of Guy Richie movie, but when he sang . . . bang . . . I'm in Memphis with a voice as timeless as the delta . . . Wow.

One of the disappointments of the trip was that Stephen Bruton had to cancel due to illness. But he sent his band with Austin singer Malford Milligan to front it. Powerful vocalist. Amazing energy. They did some of Malford's tunes and Stephen's . . . . and the band was just cookin' . . .

I had my first opportunity to hear Raul Malo perform. I guess this was the year of new vocalists (for me), as the former lead singer of the Mavericks showed why, as one reviewer put it, he could sing the phone book and you'd want to listen.

As usual Delbert, Teresa James, Jimmy Hall and Marcia Ball did solid performances - Delbert's first show of the week was killer and I don't think Teresa is capable of doing a less than stellar set.
Amazing pipes. One of the highlights performances for me was during the final show of the cruise (a general jam of everybody) when Jimmy and Teresa did a soul-drenched duet of Stand By Me. Mingo Fishtrap, Al Anderson, and Paul Thorn turned in crowd-pleasings sets all week. The Mingo horns seemed to be working with everyone, too. And it was a pleasure to have Portland's own Lloyd Jones return after a few years hiatus.
His good time funky blues connected with the crowd in a big way - people were really happy Delbert invited him back. Me too!
This is Lloyd with Jimmy Hall

There was even more - jazz from NY drummer Mike Clark, cajun from Jo-El Sonnier, the songwriters sessions (always packed), Fred Eaglesmith (don't know if there's a more insightful or funnier social critic masquerading as a country singer from Ontario), jump blues from Big Joe Maher with a cruise all-star pickup band, late night jam sessions, etc . . . .

The week flew by, and way too quickly we we're saying our goodbyes and back on land in San Diego. We're not sure if we'll be back next year. Frankly, the biggest part of that decision is that the route will be very similar. I really would prefer the Caribbean to the Pacific coast of Mexico in January, so it might be wait until 2010 and see if we'll return to the warmer east side waters.

So an end to the boring missive . . . . I'll put up a link to my edited cruise photos when I finished . . . . but next some recommendations for music this weekend . . .