Rolling into a hot weekend . . .

Ahh .... summer.

What's hot? I'll pass on what's not.

As usual, an excellent locals Thursday night for heading into the weekend. The Laurelthirst, Duffs, Biddys, Jimmy Maks, etc have the usual suspects for your listening pleasure. But add to the mix a 7 pm Freak Mountain Ramblers show at the Kennedy school and the fine flutes and pipes of Hanz Araki at Alberta Street at 9.

But for something different and not musical, check out the Ignite Portland event at the Bagdad tonight. Maybe a little geeky, but a lot of fun (the public speaking teacher in me loves this).

Friday
It's of the first night of three days of the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, which is a blues night with Duffy Bishop and Bill Rhoades. Always free, beautiful setting by the St John's Bridge and music tonight begins at 6 pm. And jazz on Saturday and Sunday with music starting at noon. Definitely try to check out the young bass player/vocalist phenom Kate Davis at 2 pm on Saturday. Kate's off to NY for college and has just a handful of remaining gigs before she's wowing them in Manhattan - catch her while you can.

Big music weekend at Edgefield starts with a sold out Death Cab For Cutie show tonight . . . 7 pm, $

But my preference is to head to the zoo for (my favorite band) Los Lobos along with Ladysmith Black Mombazo. . . . 7 pm, $20

Some fine jazz from Devin Phillips and The Bridgetown Sextet at Duff's to celebrate the CD release by the latter . . . 9:30 pm, $ ??

Happy hour at the Laurelthirst will be the monthly 3rd Friday set by Woodbrain. Joe McMurrian and the band will rock your shoes and socks off so you can go barefoot all weekend. . . . 6 pm, free

The jamming good time sounds of the Garcia Birthday Band will fill the Laurelthirst for the late show. These guys rocked about 1200 folks in Sellwood Riverfront Park on Monday night. Fun. . . . 9:30, $5

Laura Viers and the Old Believers will be at Mississippi Studios . . . Laura's upcoming CD is getting some good press on early listens . . . fine show at the studio . . . 9 pm, $15

. . . and Michael Jodell, Matt Candenelli, and Ezra Holbrook will be at the Press Club . . . 8:30, free

More tomorrow about Saturday and Sunday, including two benefit shows on Sunday.