Wayne Nicholson & John Campbelljohn Elmore’s Blues Grindstone Records Reviewed by Greg Johnson Though the names may not be familiar to blues fans in the United States, in their homeland of Canada they’re musical icons. Wayne Nicholson has one of the country’s most notable voices, strong and gritty that he has developed with more than 50 […]
New Music of Note August 2020 August 2020 New Music Releases There is so much good music out there. To help sort through it, we recommend starting here. CD Woodbury – World’s Gone Crazy (Self Release) Dave Fields – Force Of Will (FMI Records) Dion – Blues With Friends ( KTBA Records) Duke Robillard – Stretchin’ Out Live (Stony Plain) Eliza Neals – […]
Mary Jo Curry Band Front Porch (Self Produced) Review by John Taylor People tell the damnedest stories out on the porch, and Mary Jo Curry’s got a few you’re gonna want to hear. So pull up a chair, grab a lemonade or a beer out of the cooler and get ready for some genuine house-rockin’ blues. “Front […]
Lockdown Sessions – An International Down Home Blues Revue Various Artists CrossCut Records Review by Greg Johnson The idea wasn’t a hard one to come up with. Due to the Covid-19 virus music had pretty much come to a standstill in the ways of performances for musicians world-wide. Still in a creative mind, European harmoniuca great Roger C. Wade (Little Roger & […]
Jose Ramirez Here I Come Blind Racoon Reviewed by John Taylor Costa Rican native Jose Ramirez, the second-place finisher at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, has brewed a wicked concoction of straight-ahead blues, passionate soul, and tasty R&B with his debut release “Here I Come.” Ramirez is joined here by famed producer and bandleader Anson Funderburk, who adds some fiery licks […]
Johnny Burgin No Border Blues Delmark Records Review by Greg Johnson If you take a look at the touring itinerary that Johnny Burgin carries on a yearly basis it surely shows what a road dog he really is. Whether touring with well-known Chicago musicians such as Billy Boy Arnold or on his own with local musicians thrown together, Burgin always brings forth the […]
2020 Journey to Memphis Postponed This is a message that we were truly hoping that we wouldn’t have to announce, but for the first time in over twenty years, the Cascade Blues Association will be postponing our Journey to Memphis competition for 2020. As the summer rolls forward and Covid-19 shows no signs of letting […]
2021 Best Self-Produced CD Competition Entries Now Being Accepted Since 2005, The Blues Foundation has annually held a competition to recognize excellence in independent blues recordings. The Best Self-Produced CD competition is open to affiliated blues societies from around the world to submit one entry each, preferably selected by a regional competition. The Cascade Blues […]
General Membership Meeting Cancelled August 2020 As we approach another month in this time of Covid-19, we do not seem any closer to being able to have a live membership meeting. Portland still sits in phase one, with phase two not allowing groups of more than 25 people still to come. We just do not […]
Performance Venue Project Progress Report 7/28/20 The shutdown of businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected musicians and venues particularly hard. As we re-open the economy we can see independent music venues struggling; some are trying to balance physical spacing and capacity limits and some are no longer offering live music, while others will stay closed. […]