A.J. CroceFrom his debut as a jazz-influenced, blues-based artist to his evolution into a pop music iconoclast, singer-songwriter A.J. Croce has traveled a circuitous musical road. The son of legendary singer-songwriter Jim Croce, A.J.’s career began with his first tour at age eighteen opening up for B.B. King. In the span of a twenty-plus-year career, A.J. has headlined festivals, concerts, and major listening venues worldwide. He has performed on shows including Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Austin City Limits, Good Morning America, E!, and CNN, and he has shared the stage with an innumerable list of eclectic artists from Willie Nelson to Ray Charles, Bela Fleck to James Brown, Lyle Lovett to Morphine, and Rod Stewart to Ben Harper. An ivory-searing New Orleans piano style established an essential juju, but his exploratory pop gems revealed a spectrum of influences from art rock to Americana and beyond. As the late Allen Toussaint described Croce, “It is a pleasure to witness triple uniqueness: pianist, songwriter, singer and at such a level. Who does he sound like? The answer is himself: A.J. Croce.”

A.J. Croce will be making a pair of stops in Oregon on his current tour. On Saturday, July 30, Croce will appear at The Birk, 11139 Hwy 202 in Birkenfeld, for a 7:00 pm show. Tickets may be purchased in advance through Ticketomato.com for $20.00 advance. Admission at the door will be $25.00.

Then on Monday, August 1, the tour will stop at The Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State Street in Lake Oswego. Tickets for this 7:00 pm show are $20.00 and are available in advance through the venue’s website, Laketheatercafe.com.

2016 Cascade Blues Association Board of Directors

Pictured above is the 2016 Cascade Blues Association Board of Directors: (L – R):

Merry Larson, Treasurer; Brenda Docken, Secretary; Wendy Schumer, Vice President; Fred and JoAnn Morgan, Membership Secretaries; Jody Gunn, Board At-Large; and Greg Johnson, President.

Various ArtistsAlligator Records 45 Anniversary CD cover
Alligator Records

When you write anything about Alligator Records, you might as well be writing the history of the blues itself during the past four-and-a-half decades. Bruce Iglauer created the label to provide an outlet to record blues musician Hound Dog Taylor, one of many artists who worked in the venues and along Maxwell Street in Chicago who were not receiving the recognition that they deserved. Taylor was Iglauer’s sole client at the time, but it was from that point that one of the greatest and longest lasting blues labels began, and it still rules today.

Literally, I am not fooling when I say the history of the blues. Every five years, Alligator offers a collection of its music to celebrate its anniversary, and all you have to do is open the latest collection to hear that history. On Alligator Records forty-fifth Anniversary Collection you’ll find legendary names of artists long held in the highest revere such as Johnny Winter, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Charlie Musselwhite, Albert Collins, Bonnie Raitt, Big Walter Horton, Mavis Staples, James Cotton, and Billy Boy Arnold, many of whom are no longer with us. But they also display just how much the label continues to bring forth the best and the brightest of the industry today with the likes of Selwyn Birchwood, Curtis Salgado, Jarekus Singleton, Moreland & Arbuckle, Toranzo Cannon, Tommy Castro, and Shemekia Copeland. Each of these artists could fill hundreds of pages documenting their individual contributions to the genre and Alligator could probably fill a warehouse to store the awards that their recordings of these and many others have reaped over the years.

But by no means does this signify the end of the label. As long as there are creative musicians with their visions of the blues, Alligator will continue to provide an outlet for there music even as it expands into other musical realms like gospel, rockabilly, and Americana. The blues may not get a lot of notice from other labels that receive high media attention. But as long as Alligator Records keeps going there will always be an open door, and may that door remain open for many more decades to come.

Total Time:  2:37:55

37 Tracks

Timothy James

Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., Portland
Wednesday, July  6 – 7:00 pm
Members always Free – Non-members $3.00
Opening Set – Timothy James
Second Electric Set – Ty Curtis Band

Yes, it’s July and the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival has occupied a lot of our time already. While we will hold our monthly membership meeting just a couple days after that grand event, make no mistake, this is still a meeting that you’re going to want to attend. The Northwest blues scene has long held a reputation as a jumping-off point for young musicians. So this month we’re going to present one whose career promises to take him to greater achievements, and one who is just beginning to gain attention in our local blues community and with good reason.

For those who have been in attendance since Rae Gordon began doing her weekend all ages jams a few months back at the Trails End Saloon you will have noted one young guitarist of note, Timothy James. This fourteen-year-old triple threat (guitarist, singer, and songwriter) has an incredible feel for the guitar with adeptness that belies his age. He recently competed in the Cascade Blues Association’s Journey To Memphis competition against the adult musicians and clearly held his own.

Timothy JamesFrom Mulino, Oregon, Tim just completed 8th grade at Molalla River Middle School, active in both choir and band where he plays the saxophone and guitar. His first performance was at the 2011 Mulino Blues Festival. He was a finalist in both the Dustbowl Records singer/songwriter contest finishing second and the Clackamas County Fair talent show. You just know that he is going to be a sensational talent that we will be following for years, progressing through the same path that we have witnessed with past young musicians who have led successful musical careers such as Ben Rice, Mac Potts and our second act of the night ….

Ty Curtis was barely out of high school in 2006 when he released his first recording, Stubborn Mind. So impressive that the Cascade Blues Association entered it into The Blues Foundation’s Best Self Produced CD competition that year. A mere three years later, Ty had already won the CBA’s Journey To Memphis competition and took off for Tennessee where he competed against 100 or so other bands and took home second place overall at the International Blues Challenge.

Ty Curtis - photo by Greg JohnsonWith multiple Muddy Awards, five discs under his belt that have charted with numerous radio stations around the world and appearances across the country, Ty now splits his time between Oregon and his second home of Austin, Texas where he has been establishing himself quite nicely in that city’s renowned blues scene. He often makes trips home to Oregon and when he does his performances are almost always sold out. He has developed into a gifted songwriter, a vocalist of note and an innovative guitarist. It has been a while since he last played for a Cascade Blues Association meeting so we expect a full house as he brings his band of Jerry Jacques on drums and its newest member, Tony Valdez on bass.

Yes, it’s a going to be a showcase of young guitar slingers at the CBA meeting in July. More fun than one can resist after a long festival weekend, so don’t miss out. There will be a lot coming up during the summer and we’re going to let you know about many of those future shows for July. Plus we hold our popular free ticket drawing for your chance to win CDs and concert tickets. See you there!

Ramblings On My MindGreg Johnson, CBA President

One of the greatest things about living in the Northwest during the summer is the opportunity to get outside. Sure, people from other places think that all it does around here is rain every day. But we know that our summers are precious and the weather, usually starting right around the time of the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, is sunny and warm. Warm? Well as long as it doesn’t get blistering hot like it did last year. Then again, it does seem to come earlier every year. We even hit 90-100 degree weather in May this year!

But the very best thing about warmer, sunnier weather is that there are a lot of music happenings going on outdoors. Festivals, concerts in the parks, amphitheaters, fairs, farmer’s markets, wineries, shows at the Zoo, house parties and many local restaurants opening their patios to music, too. And quite a bit of those happenings are blues shows. Oh, did I mention the Cascade Blues Association membership picnic? Yay!

I have said it before and will repeat it over and over, we are blessed by the abundance of world-class musicians we have living in the Northwest. And we get to take in a great number of them. We can head out on any given weeknight in July and August and catch such artists as Curtis Salgado, Ken DeRouchie, Karen Lovely, LaRhonda Steele, Hank Shreve, Andy Stokes, and many more all for free! Check out the Concerts in the Park link on the City of Portland’s website for a full list.

Festivals are always in abundance during the summer. Be they large caliber like the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, Mt Baker Blues Festival, the Bronze Blues & Brews, or Winthrop Music Festival, to the smaller affairs taking place for a day or afternoon, they’re scattered all over the Northwest and into Northern California from now into September. Even though some may be a bit of a drive away and may require spending a night or two out of town, you know it’s worth the time and effort. Especially when you consider the backdrop of many of the locations, be it in the mountains, alongside a rolling river, next to the Pacific Ocean, or even with a city skyline behind.

A lot of great musicians on the road are heading our way, too. Not all are outdoors, but many will be. Check out people like Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy with Jeff Beck, Marcia Ball, Sugaray Rayford, the Golden State Lone Star Revue with Mark Hummel, Anson Funderburgh & Little Charlie Baty for just a few.

Take a drive to the coast or into the mountains, visit venues or parks you wouldn’t normally go to, check out various chamber of commerce websites, you just may be surprised at who might be playing out and about. But even if you don’t have the chance to sit on a patio or on a lawnscape to enjoy the sun, get out to your favorite venues and catch some blues wherever you’re able. Even if it is a dark nightclub and it rains a little on your festival, a day of listening to live blues is still the best thing going. So take advantage of the opportunity and get your blues on. You can count me in!

Patrick Haley

Hi Blues Fans,

We all enjoy seeing our favorite blues acts in the Portland Metro area. So much talent, so many venues. Truly a hotbed of the blues. But y’all need to know that there’s a great blues and roots music scene out in the Columbia River Gorge, too.

A lot of local musicians out there are keeping the flame burning, and performing at small local venues playing original blues and inspired interpretations of our favorites.  Hood River, White Salmon, Bingen and The Dalles have embraced the truth and basic simplicity of roots and blues music.

I just completed a performance at Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River with a side project band called Bluesbridge.  Next I’ll be performing at Growlerz Pub in Bingen and at the White Salmon Farmers’ Market.  Come on out to the Gorge and sample our style of blues music. Look for other great artists out there like Eddie Corduroy, Ben Bonham, Mark Daly, Polly Norris, Kerry Williams, and Willy and Nelson.  And listen to Squrl’s Blues Review on Friday nights on 92.7 KMSW.   Hope to see you soon.

Patrick Haley
www.reverbnation.com/patrickhaley

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Randy Oxford’s All-Star Slam

Since I started my own Band back in 2003 I have always enjoyed featuring a variety of singers and instrumentalists at each and every show. Having no less than a 6 piece Band with at least 3 vocalists at all times has been a successful formula for the Randy Oxford Band.

Knowing so many fantastic Musicians here in the pacific NW and all around north America has inspired me to present a series of All-Star shows in 2016. I started testing this concept last December at shows in Alberta, Canada and Montana, then more recently at the Walla Walla Guitar Festival in April. Festival director Robin Barrett suggested I call this show “Randy Oxford’s All-Star Slam” and the name stuck for the 2016 Festival season.

In July we are bringing in Legendary Soul/Blues singer (from Minneapolis) Wee Willie Walker for shows at the Highway 99 Club on July 15, Jazzbones on July 16 and the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues festival on July 17. Wee Willie was nominated this year for 3 Blues music awards through the Blues foundation out of Memphis, TN. His latest release “If nothing ever changes” is highly acclaimed and we’ll be featuring songs from this CD and much more.

The All-Star Slam Band for these shows will be bursting with talent with the likes of CD Woodbury, Willy Straub, Eddie Mendoza, Patrick McDanel, and a 3 piece horn section reunited from my days with Little Bill & the Blue Notes with Brian Kent and Hadi Al-Saadoon. Joining this ensemble for the Winthrop show will be Peter Dammann, Jim Pugh and Angelo Ortiz making it a 10 piece All-Star Slam Band! OH THE HUMANITY!

More All-Star Slam shows can be seen at The Rockcut Blues festival, Jazz in the Valley, the Seattle waterfront concert series, the Rendezvous festival, the Everett Waterfront concert series, the Flathead Valley Blues festival, the Poverty Bay Blues festival, Pig out in the Park and many more dates TBA. In addition to the above lineup we will add even more Musicians for these shows that include Aury Moore, Lissa Ramaglia, Geoffrey Castle, Robin Barrett, Tiphony Dames and several surprise guests too.

As a Band leader I am in heaven having this opportunity to feature so much talent. I have future plans to feature a variety of more Musicians from around the country and from my past Randy Oxford Band lineups as well. More information on all of these shows at therandyoxfordband.com and oxfordentertainment.com.

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Bottleneck Blues Band

The summer has be moving fast for the Bottleneck Blues Band!  Ben Rougeou, the bass player, developed an illness and had to leave the group, he is going to be fine.  Seth Zowader, keyboards, obtained a new job that would not allow him enough time to fulfill our dates so the band decided it was time for a big change.

Randy Monroe from the Linda Hornbuckle Band was recruited for the bass.  Franklin Spicer from Return Flight was added to play keys and Pete Moss, on sax who has been jamming with the band since Spring, was made a full time member.

The new lineup of veteran performers is ready for a summer full of shows in the Northwest.  The band has a long list of festivals they will be appearing at The Taste of Tacoma, The Waterfront Blues Festival, The Wallace, ID Blues Fest, Cathedral Park Jazz Fest, Illwaco Seafood and Blues Fest, The Crawdad Festival on Mt. Hood, and The White Salmon Concert Series. The Bottleneck boys have also added several new clubs to their rotation in the area.

They are hoping to get into the studio soon to begin working on their 2nd album.  The songs are written, now it’s time to arrange them and get them ready to record.  Bottleneck is also working on a new website to be released this summer so keep a look out for that!

You can always find us at bottleneckbluesband.com  Come out and dance and hear us again for the first time.  Thank you CBA!

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Ashbolt Stewart

Hello Portland Bluesters! I just returned from a successful mini-tour of the Bay Area where I headlined the Club Fox Blues Jam. I had the same fellows from Greaseland Studios that played on my latest CD, Beats Workin’, which included Kid Andersenm, Steve Ehrmann, Terry Hiatt and Aki Kumar, with additional drummer Dennis Dove. I was upfront as the lead vocalist, doing the same show we did at last year’s Waterfront Blues Fest. Local diva Rae Gordon was in the crowd and came up and lit the place on fire during the jam part of the evening. I also headlined at Lil Lou’s BBQ. It’s great to be back in my home town Portland, Oregon. You can catch me doing massage at the massage booth at this year’s WFBF, noon-3:30pm on July 1, and 11am-3pm on July 4. Also, Kid, Aki and Steve will be playing at this year’s WFBF. Check ’em out and please continue to support live Portland blues. You can purchase my CD’s at CD Baby and Music Millennium and at my local gigs. Keep the Peace!

Ashbolt Stewart

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Michael Hawkeye Herman

I’m happy to report that the Samuel French Publishing Co. has licensed for publishing and production the play “El Paso Blue,” by Octavio Solis/with music by Michael “Hawkeye” Herman. The play, with music, is now offered in the Samuel French Publishing catalog for both sales of scripts for classroom use, as well as for productions.

The first offering of the play via the Samuel French Publishing agreement is currently running at the Gala Hispanic Theatre in Wash. D.C.  The play premiered in San Francisco at The Intersection Theater in 1994, and has seen successful runs in major theaters around the United States over the past 22 years, including in Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City/off-Broadway, Washington, DC, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the University of Northern Arizona.

Solis’ riff on the Oedipus Rex classic is a wild and comic tale of lust, revenge, identity and the Blues.  Al leaves his wife Sylvie in the care of his father before serving a prison sentence. Upon release, he discovers that his beloved and the old man have fallen in-love and run away.  The epic chase that ensues across El Paso pits together the funniest cast of characters ever assembled on a sprawling manhunt.

For more information about “El Paso Blue” check out the following links: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/a-winningly-intense-el-paso-blue-at-gala-hispanic-theatre/2016/06/07/158e41c0-2cd2-11e6-9de3-6e6e7a14000c_story.html

http://www.galatheatre.org/Event.php?cmd=loadEvent&id=225

Cheers and Best,
MHH

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Ben Rice

Hey Everyone! It is finally Blues Fest time again! It is definitely my favorite part of the summer A GIANT BLUES FESTIVAL with great music all day in our backyard! This year has been a bombardment of fun and exciting musical adventures! Traveling all over the world to play music and meet new people. Rather than talk about all that, I want to talk briefly about a couple sets I am excited for! On Sunday I’ll be on stage with vocal powerhouse Karen Lovely and the crazy band she’ll have with her which consists of Lisa Mann (2x Blues Music Award for Bassist of the Year), Mark Bowden, and Dave Melyan. We’ve all played together in other festivals around the US but we have never had the opportunity to perform together in Portland, it will be awesome!

I am really excited that on July 4 I’ll be performing with my band for the Cascade Blues Association Journey To Memphis at 1:30pm. This band will consist of my normal trio that I play with around town and out on the road, Calen Uhlig on bass and Dave Melyan on drums. In addition to my usual lineup I asked my friends Mac Potts to join us on keys and Jim Vermilya to join us on Saxophone. We have a lot of fun and are sounding killer, these guys seriously bring it! The Journey to Memphis is a contest put on by the Cascade Blues Association to select who will represent them in the International Blues Challenge a blues festival held in Beale Street in February. This year four bands will be bringing their all to the competition and every year it is a great chance to see what new acts are coming up in the Portland Blues scene.  Shout out to my friends in the other bands Rae Gordon, The Thunder Brothers, and Beacon Street Titans, Good luck ya’ll!

I also HIGHLY recommend stopping by the Hotel Rose either before the fest for their brunch sessions with United By Music, they’ve got Happy Hour Music going too 4-6pm with sets by the very funky Lloyd Jones, in town from Austin Ty Curtis, and Leo “Bud” Welch. Hotel Rose is my favorite after hours spot too with some epic late night jams going!

Anyways, Bandstand, I guess I should talk about more than just the festival. Portland has music every night of the week and I am lucky to host Tuesday nights out in Gresham at a place called Spud Monkeys (1716 NW Fairview Dr.)… It’s a potato place! There on Tuesdays you can catch me with a house band tearing it up from 8pm to Midnight. The first set is a house band with a rotating special guest then we open it up to jamming. Towards the end of July we’ll have my blues buddy from SoCal Mike Hammer as a guest! On Wednesdays out in Newberg OR there’s a weekly jam session I host at a funky bar called Voodoo Martini which is pretty fun and relaxed! The first and fourth Thursdays of every month you can catch me with some friends in the Roy Rice Band. Melanie Roy and I decided to get together to play some funky up-tempo dance music at Clyde’s a couple times a month. It has been really fun and a great way to play songs I normally wouldn’t get to play!

Thanks for supporting live music and checking out Blues Notes! This is a great way to keep track of who’s playing where and where because we are blessed to live in a city where music is everywhere all the time! For more info on myself and my musical endeavors visit www.BenRiceLive.com, if you send me an email I’ll send you a song or two! Thanks!

Thunder Brothers

By Laurie Morrisey

The Thunder Brothers are one of the final four bands competing in the Journey to Memphis competition during the 2016 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival. This is a group that has played with others locally and in other configurations, but joined together to compete this year. The finals will be held on Monday, July 4 on the Front Porch Stage, beginning at 11:30am.

“High energy, expertly executed, funky blues! We all have a blast playing this music…emotion–very simple…music is emotion…no fake stuff…all passion…and pure Thunder,” that’s how the Thunder Brothers describe their music. But you have to check them out yourselves to fully appreciate their sound that will have your toes tapping and your head bobbing.

Band Members

thunder brothers Photo by Ross William HamiltonThe Thunder Brothers include: Michael Quinby on guitar; Doug Rowell on guitar; Edwin Coleman III on drums; and Timmer Blakely on bass. All of the band members take their turn at vocals.

Michael Quinby—I have always wanted to be a musician. My father is a professional musician and a music teacher, so I come by it “honestly.” I’m a self-taught musician—in spite of my father’s best efforts. He really allowed me to learn my own way.

I played my very first professional gig at the age of 14 (seventy million years ago) at the Vintage Inn in Ashland, OR. I have been working to support myself as a musician ever since that debut.

I’ve played with Doug and Timmer several times over the last two years in support of Karen Lovely. Edwin subbed one time, three years ago, for the Roseland Hunters.

Doug Rowell—I have been performing professionally over 40 years. I knew at an early age that I wanted to be a guitarist. As a boy I had classical piano lessons. These laid a foundation for my “self-taught” guitar method. My training came from the bars and roadhouses I began playing at when I was 18 years old. I have been blessed to have made a living in the entertainment industry in many capacities.

I have performed in several different bands with Timmer over the past five years and with Michael in different settings for a couple of years. Edwin is the newest member, joining us a couple of months ago.

Edwin Coleman III—Growing up I wanted to be a professional boxer, football player or musician. Looks like music won. I studied piano and cello for many years but am self-taught on drums. During the day I work for PGE and also as a freelance cartoonist.

Before The Thunder Brothers, I played A few gigs with Quinby, but this is my first time with badass Timmer and badass Doug.

Tiamer Blakely—I’ve been playing professionally for nearly 38 years. I took piano lessons at the age of 5, band in high school and college, and years of learning anything anyone would teach me. Ironically, teaching has taught me a lot. Continuously explaining the theories and concepts through the teaching process inadvertently causes you to really see and understand how everything works together in music.

When I began performing at 12, I knew then that music would be my life.  I also teach bass, guitar, music theory, and overall musicianship at the Rhythm House in Vancouver and my private studio in Hillsboro. And I work freelance with a number of local, regional, and national bands.

Doug and I first worked together professionally a few years back with Franco and the Stingers. Then again last year with Karen Lovely. I met Michael playing with Karen as well. Michael introduced me to Edwin and The Thunder Brothers is my first project with Edwin.

Influences

Michael explains that the musical influences in his life were his father, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Nick Daniels III.

Doug cited his #1 influence as The Beatles. “As a child, their music was the inspiration for me to play music. The English Invasion exposed me to American blues. Led Zeppelin, Cream, early Fleetwood Mac all made an impact on me. The first time I heard Jimi Hendrix cannot be described in words. My introduction to the blues was through this window of artists covering the now legendary blues masters. I remember hearing Albert King and thinking he stole all of his stuff from Eric Clapton. Then I noticed the recording date,” he said, laughing.

Edwin says his professional jazz musician parents (Dad is a bass player, my mom sings) were his big influences. “I grew up listening to Dad’s blues, jazz and Afro Cuban records. He played with top Afro-Cuban bands, and my favorites being John Lee Hooker, Satchmo, Count Basie, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, and James Brown.”

Timmer says The Beatles were the main starting point for him. “My list of influences includes the usual suspects like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, SRV, Robben Ford, etc. I think that my biggest influences were all of Portland’s great bassists like the late Phil Haxton, Dave Kahl, Andy Strange, John Mazzocco, Jim Solberg, etc. I spent night after night listening to those guys. I’m sure that I stole most of my riffs from them.”

CDs

The Thunder Brothers will be releasing their debut EP at the 2016 Waterfront Blues Festival. They intend to add material to the EP for a full length CD to be released by the end of the summer.

Upcoming Shows

For more information on upcoming shows visit The Thunder Brothers on their Facebook page.

This year’s Waterfront Blues Festival will again welcome the United by Music North America Band. They will perform July 4 at 2:15p on The Front Porch Stage, July 1-4 from 11-1 at Hotel Rose, and on the July 3 “Sail on Sister” DME Blues Cruise.

UBMNA_CBA_United By Music_Jordi de JongeThe UBMNA Band is part of the international performance-based United by Music North America program offering the opportunity for exceptional musicians with intellectual challenges and developmental delays, such as autism, to be selected as UBMNA Artists and coached by UBMNA Mentors to expand their musical talent and learn how to perform as a professional band.

As producing director and co-founder Amanda Gresham explains; “through the equalizing power of music and mentorship provided by the UBMNA program, the artists transcend their challenges, feel worthy, identify as successful, achieve goals, make friends, and know they are valuable and as a result lives are enhanced and transformed daily.” President and co-founder Barbara Hammerman adds that “in North America, the core of our model is collaboration with other similarly-missioned groups to develop opportunities in performance.”

Please contact co-founders Barbara Hammerman and Amanda Gresham at 253.225.7655 or visit their website at www.UBMNA.org for their complete story and information on how you or someone you know can become part of the United by Music North America family. You may also view their entire roster of UBMNA artists, mentors, and details on open mic auditions and upcoming performances.UBMNA United By Music LOGO 1-13-14 CS4

The artists of UBMNA invite you to visit with them, along with their presenting sponsor, in the The Delta Music Experience Louisiana Pavilion and learn more about the band and the program.

New Music to Note-September 2021

Here’s a list of new music received at the CBA office or purchased personally this past month that should be noted:

Barbara Healy & Groove Too – Been There Done That (McKenna Records)
Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore – House Party At Big Jon’s (Delta Groove)
Gabriel Cox – I Surrender (Self-Produced)
Mr. Stress Blues Band – Live At The Brick Cottage 1972-1973 (Smog Veil Records)
Paul Johnson – Twenty-Three Years (Sir PJ Music)
Shawn James – On The Shoulders Of Giants (Self-Produced)
The Mighty Mojo Prophets – Record Store (Mojo King Music)
Various Artists – The Alligator Records 45 Anniversary Collection (Alligator)

FLYING-HEARTCALL FOR BLUES ARTIST SUBMISSIONS: Portland independent label Flying Heart Records is planning a second volume of the “Taste of the Blue Rose” sampler of Portland-area blues artists.  The first CD, “A Taste of the Blue Rose,” featured Mel Solomon, O.C. Thomas, Bob Shoemaker, Johnnie Ward, along with several others, and was very well received. We are looking for ORIGINAL material from established or unknown Portland-area blues artists.  If you are interested in having your song (or two songs) on the next Blue Rose sampler, please send a CD or cassette to Jan Celt, Flying Heart Records, 4015 NE 12th Ave., Portland OR 97212.  Or email Jan at jancelt@hotmail.com and put “BLUE ROSE” in the subject line. All entries will be considered; a few will be chosen.