For the 19^th year, Sonny Hess and the Northwest Women Rhythm & Blues will be gathering for a couple shows to help bring in the holiday with a little soul and blues. This year’s cast will feature a stellar line-up of some of the Northwest best, including Sonny Hess, Lisa Mann, LaRhonda Steele, Lady True Blue, Rae Gordon, Ellen Whyte and Kathryn Grimm, while the downbeat will be held together by Jim Hively and Kelly Pierce. These concerts are fundraisers for The Candlelighters, helping kids with cancer, something very close to Sonny’s heart as a cancer survivor herself.

The first show will be held Wednesday, December 6 at The Blue Diamond, 2016 SE Sandy Blvd and will feature Sonny, Lisa, Lady True Blue, Ellen and Kathryn. Show time is 7:00 pm.

Then on Sunday, December 10, the ladies will be joined by LaRhonda and Rae as they come together at the Carvlin Hall, 2408 SE 16^th for a 6:00 pm performance.

Tickets for both shows can be purchased in advance at nwwomenblues@gmail.com, ranging from $22.00 to $39.50. Help spread the good cheer and as they’ll tell you, “We’ve got the rhythm, you bring the soul.”

 

 

 

With a briefcase filled with awards, including three Maple Blues Awards naming him the best harmonica player in Canada, Vancouver’s Harpdog Brown has been called a blues evangelist — and that’s a very  fitting moniker. He delivers his messages in the traditional sound of early electric blues. Think of the old Chess Records and Sun Records of the late 40’s and early 50’s. Harpdog tells us that “blues has a healing power. It’s a beautiful celebration of our perfectly flawed lives. We help people forget about their issues of the moment and then they realize that we all have our issues, and that’s ok.”

Andy Grigg from Blues Revue calls Brown, “the bona fide, totally authentic purveyor of heart and soul, down-in-the-alley blues. And, believe you me, Harpdog Brown is a purveyor with pedigree.”

Called the best blues band in Canada, which is no overstatement, Harpdog Brown & The Travelin’ Blues Show will be bringing their classic blues to Catfish Lou’s, 2460 NW 24th Avenue, for a special Play It  Forward event to raise funds for United By Music on Saturday, December 2. Harpdog is the first Canadian mentor for the program who will be doing an opening set at Catfish Lou’s. The United By Music North American band is made of both neuro typical and neuro diverse musicians with professional mentors such as well renowned artists like Janiva Magness, Bobby Rush, Tommy Castro, Northwest musicians Dave Fleschner, Lisa Mann, Ben Rice and many others.

Admission for this show is $15.00 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Tickettomato.com for $10.00. Show time is 8:00 pm.

If you want to throw together a dance party featuring local blues artists, then you cannot do much better than bringing in Kevin Selfe, Lisa Mann and Jimi Bott. These three award winning musicians combine for a true powerhouse trio that is certain to bring the crowd up to their feet. It’s a rare opportunity to catch them all together as they’re more than likely working with their own bands or touring somewhere around the country or even the world.
Get your dance shoes and head on over to The Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State Street, Lake Oswego, on Monday, December 4 for this 7:00 pm party. General admission is only $12.00. And they’ll be clearing the space in front of the stage so there’ll be plenty of room for dancing.

Every year around Christmas, Music Mondays presents a Holiday Showcase titled “Sugar & Spice – A Holiday Treat.” Two of the Portland area’s favorite vocalists, LaRhonda Steele and Julie Amici, have been honored with multiple Cascade Blues Association Muddy Award nominations and wins. They will be showcasing various styles of jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and of course a touch of Christmas. Supporting these two amazing voices will be a stellar grouping of Alan Hager on guitar, Dean Mueller on bass and Dave Fleschner on piano.

Sugar & Spice will take place on Monday, December 18 at The Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State Street, in downtown Lake Oswego. Show time is 7:00 pm and tickets can be purchased in advance at laketheatercafe.com for $20.00 general admission, with VIP tables available in the lower section closest to the stage for $100.00 for seating for four.

Nashville-based  Matt Brown returns to his hometown of Portland to play at one of his favorite venues, The Alberta Rose Theatre. Matt Brown is an old soul, and that is evident in the music he creates. With a voice seasoned by influences such as Ray Charles and Bill Withers and guitar styling steeped in the tradition of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brown’s artistry is filled with as much blue-eyed soul as his baby blue Fender Telecaster, “Stella Blue.” Brown, backed by his trio, will play songs off his album that will be released in early 2018 and perhaps even a Nat King Cole song for the holiday spirit.

This special homecoming holiday performance will take place on Thursday, December 21, starting at 8:00 pm. The Alberta Rose Theatre is located at 3000 NE Alberta Street. Tickets are $12.00 in advance purchased at albertarosetheatre.com or $15.00 at the door day of show. Minors are welcome when accompanied by a parent of guardian.

Seattle native, Susan Galbraith, will be opening the show.