Friday, October 26, 2012

Fwd: Big Send Off

One for tonight ... I'll let my buddy Rich Layton explain below ...

A personal note from Rich:

Hello to all and my sincere apologies for abandoning all of you on the mailing list. In case you had not heard, I had to stop performing at the end of May this year when the ringing in my ears went off the charts during our gigs, and I feared I was doing more permanent damage to my hearing. After bouncing around the medical community, I was diagnosed in July with a condition called Superior Canal Dehiscence. SCD causes sound to exit the normal hearing channel and "rattle around in my head." It causes the ringing to ramp up painfully when I am singing or talking for extended periods. Same with playing harmonica.

Faced with walking away from music, I am going to undergo surgery in December. The fix involves cutting a 2-inch square "access panel" through my skull, lifting up my brain (assuming they find one) and patching the base of the skull /sealing the ear canal with bone cement. It's typically a 3-day hospital stay, then several quite weeks at home. Could require some therapy to recalibrate my balance system, depending on what they find. Hopefully back onstage in 2-1/2 to 3 months and at the baseline tinnitus level I have been able to manage for 20+ years. Oh, and I get a bill for $12,000 for what my insurance doesn't cover.

To help with the cost, friends have lined up for a benefit show for this Friday and set up additional options for contributions. This weekend, we are going out with a bang at Duff's Garage on Friday and Knucklehead's on Saturday. These will be the last shows with Reverend Mark Sexton on guitar, but also feature original bass player Robert Lefebvre back in the lineup. I will take a three-month hiatus for surgery and recovery, then we'll be back next Spring with a few tricks up our sleeve. Will keep you posted via the website and FaceBook page. The mission of worldwide swamplification will continue.

Thanks for all your support!

Rich




More info on the fundraising effort here




Thursday, October 25, 2012

If you're headed out tonight ...

Here's a few for Thursday night...

Early music ... there's the always entertaining Lewi Longmire and band happy hour set at the Laurelthirst ... one of the best early starts to your weekend ... 6 pm, no cover

It's an early dance party at the Kennedy School with the retro soul of Brownish Black ... 7 pm, no cover

Also at 7 pm (and no cover) is Bouy LaRue in the middle of a week long gig in Al's Den at the Crystal Hotel ... 

Need a little western swing? Check out the Barn Door Slammers at the Secret Society .... 6 pm, no cover

Speaking of the Secret Society, I mentioned earlier in the week Greg Trooper  ... here's my post on his show ... 8:30 pm, $20

After Lewi at the Laurelthirst, it looks like a fine late show with Mike Coykendall, Matt Bauer, and Evan Way (of the Parson Red Heads) ... 9:30 pm, $5

And there's a great jazz show at Jimmy Maks with the fabulous New Orleans trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. This show is part of the continuing PDX Jazz @ Jimmy Mak’s series ... 2 shows @ 7 and 9:30, $25 reserved seating or $20 general

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Hobart Brothers w/Lil' Sis moved from Alberta Rose to Kenton Club

So we've got a venue change for a recommended show ... tonight's scheduled Hobart Brothers (Jon Dee Graham, Freedy Johnston, Susan Cowsill) show at the Alberta Rose has been moved to tomorrow night at the World Famous Kenton Club! ... 9 pm, no cover (yes! really!)


Monday, October 22, 2012

Heads-up! One more to consider for this coming Thursday

From concert producer Matt Miner ... I highly recommend this one for Thursday night ....

Greg Trooper in Concert

With special guests Jon Koonce and Dan Weber
 
Thursday, October 25, 8:30PM,
Secret Society, 116 N.E. Russell St. 

Tickets: $15 advance through brownpapertickets.com or $20 at the door.

"Greg Trooper writes great songs, including one of my very favorite songs in the world, Little Sister. On top of all that, there's his voice - an instrument I have coveted for 15 years." - Steve Earle
 
Greg Trooper is a New Jersey native who has created a "catalogue of superbly crafted albums."  His music is touched by Memphis soul, Greenwich Village folk and Nashville twang. Billboard magazine calls him "an artist of considerable insight and passion."  Today Trooper is considered a "songwriter's songwriter" by industry insiders. Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Maura O'Connell, Vince Gill, Robert Earl Keen, Lucy Kaplansky and numerous other artists in the U.S., Canada and Europe have recorded his songs. Having toured extensively for the last twenty-five years, Trooper has established a reputation as an exuberant performer whose wit and vigor have charmed audiences across the country and Europe. www.gregtrooper.com or http://www.reverbnation.com/gregtrooper
 
One of the great American songwriters" - Bob Harris, BBC Radio
 
Two strong local singer-songwriters, Jon Koonce and Dan Weber, will open for Trooper.  Koonce is an Oregon Music Hall of Fame member for his early work with Johnny and the Distractions.  Since the 70s Jon has built parallel careers fronting rock bands and singing his own songs solo on acoustic stages across the country.  His gritty blue-collar approach to rock carries over in his solo work with strong unabashed statements about right, wrong, truth and justice, supported by clean, clear energetic guitar work. http://www.jonkoonce.com.
 
Dan Weber is the classic mid-life overnight sensation.  At the tender age of 43 he's been picking up songwriting awards and filling his calendar with appearances in clubs all across the country.  During his latest recording session, legendary banjo and slide player Tony Furtado asked Dan how long he'd been working on this project. Dan said "I answered '43 years, 10 months, 6 days and 2 hours'. I was probably only off by an hour or two." http://www.danwebermusic.com
 
Tickets are $15 in advance from brownpapertickets.com or $20 at the door. Seating is limited.  Best bet is early purchase of advance tickets.
 
More information from Matt Miner at 503-484-8196 or mattminermusic@gmail.com.  Learn about other upcoming shows at http://mattminermusic.wordpress.com/.
 

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Saturday, Sunday and beyond ...

Hey all ... here's a few you might want to check out for the weekend and coming week ...

Around town tonight ...
Early music ... catch the "swing nouveau" of Everything's Jake at the Secret Society ... 6 pm, no cover

Looking for jazz and vocals... There's a few fine choices tonight ...
You can hear the sublime voice of Rebecca Kilgore, backed by Tom Wakeling, David Evans, and Randy Porter at Ivories ... 8 pm, $10

The Blue Monk celebrates their 10th anniversary with David Ornette Cherry and LaRhonda Steele ... 9 pm, $10

And Tony Starlight's week-long "Sinatra Fest" concludes tonight with a tribute to the Rat Pack ... 8 pm, $16

Switching genres, but keeping the vocalist theme, Anne Weiss is at Artichoke Music with her special guest, Steve Cheseborough ... 8 pm, $15

At TaborSpace you can catch Thad Beckman and Jerry Keefe  ... 7 pm, $10

Feel like dancing? Head to Duff's for DK Stewart with the Soul Survivor Horns ... 9 pm, $??

A Portland-friendly indie band from my hometown in Queens, NY, Freelance Whales, are the Doug Fir ... 9:30 pm, $18 (includes a download of their newest CD)

Sunday
Two excellent touring shows tonight, though quite different. If you're in the mood for a thoughtful, heartfelt, singer-songwriter, you should head to the Alberta Rose for Lucy Kaplansky. This is a CD release for her latest, Reunion.  ... 7 pm, $20

Looking for an adventurous sonic experience? The desert southwest, country, rock, Latin, percussion, horns, roots music ... so many influences meld into something unique in the sound of Calexico, it's hard to describe, so just listen ... and head to the Aladdin. They are touring behind their brand new CD, Algiers ... 8 pm, $22.50

The always loose and fun, Country Side of Sunday (Steve Bradley, Jon Koonce, Bob Love, Kurtis Piltz, Jeff Woodcock and Thad Beckman) happens tonight at O'Connor's in Multnomah Village ... 7:30 pm, $5

Beyond ...

Got one for Tuesday for ya ... at the Alberta Rose it's The Hobart Brothers featuring Lil' Sis Hobart ... okay there are actually no Hobarts, but simply the combined songwriting and performing talents of Jon Dee Graham, Freedy Johnston, and Susan Cowsill. Together they are a most entertaining trio of friends, who recently put together a fine CD, At Least We Have Each Other ... 8 pm, $15

Friday, October 12, 2012

Got some recommendations for tonight and beyond ...

So, where's Jim? Obviously I've been a bit absent from the blog as of late. Some travel, but mostly because a new full-time job has me kinda consumed. Sometimes you gotta dive in and let other things wait. Like making music recommendations.

But here I am and here's what I have for you today ...

The NW Film Center's 30th Reel Music Film Festival kicked off last night and runs until the 27th. As usual, looks like a great set of films about the history and art of creating music.

Also this weekend is the annual Apple Tasting at Portland Nursery ... with free music all afternoon on Saturday and Sunday (next weekend too!) ... check it out.

For early music tonight, you can catch Woodbrain at the Laurelthirst, Pete Krebs & His Portland Playboys at the Secret Society, or The Hamdogs at Duff's ... all at 6 pm.  Wherever you go, you can stay for late music too - Rae Gordon and Boogie Bone at Duff's, Redray Frazier and The Quadraphonnes at the Secret Society, and the Garcia Birthday Band at the Laurelthirst ... or mix and match by taste!

The Blue Monk hosts Devin Phillips ... 9 pm, $??

Last chance until December to catch the James Low Western Front at the Spare Room ... The band is headed off to Ireland and England next month for their first international tour. Cool! ...  9:30 pm, $5 ... you can also catch James on Sunday at Edgefield swapping songs with Lewi Longmire ... 5 pm, no cover.

Looks like an excellent show of "garage soul" at the White Eagle with Radio Raheem and Brownish Black. Good write up in this week's WW ... 9:30 pm, $6

More coming for the weekend .... (hopefully) ... but if not - Atomic Gumbo/Too Loose Cajun Band at Duff's, Kelly Joe Phelps at the Alberta Rose, Bill Champlin at Jimmy Mak's, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby at Mississippi Studios, 3 Leg Torso at Tony Starlight's, and Rodriguez at the Wonder Ballroom all look like great choices for Saturday night!

Get out to some live music!