“It started in August 2011. On our first date, a huge meteor fell right over the Willamette River as we were going for the first kiss. Not kidding! So, we took it as a sign and started making music together that very night,” said Missi Hasting of Mojo Holler. Some may remember them as Missi & Mister Baker, but since 2016, they’ve been known as Mojo Holler. “It was really just a name change. We wanted a name that was easier to remember and that would allow us to broaden to more band members,” Missi said.

Mojo Holler performs as both a duo and trio. The duo consists of Missi Hasting as lead singer, on rhythm guitar, or on washboard, and John Baker on vocals and on lap steel and guitars. As a trio, they add Eric Shirazi on vocals and bass guitar. “His addition to the mix increased our ability to explore bluegrass harmonies. His bass guitar adds an infectious groove.”

Missi describes their music as “roots Americana, but it’s a weave. There are a lot of threads: Mississippi Delta blues and Appalachian folk, southern outlaw country, rhythm and blues, and plain ol’ rock-n-roll. We like to believe we’re also weaving in some magic by trying to stay focused on love and respect. We see our shows as a chance for folks to let go of the frustrations and negativity that seem to be prevailing in our culture, and just enjoy the music and remember to love each other.”

The pair released their debut album, Where Black Ravens Flew, in late 2014, and were tapped to showcase at South By Southwest in 2016. Its founder, Louis Black, said of the pair: “Why Missi had to move to Portland from Austin in order for The Bakers to channel their inner Mississippi Fred McDowell, I do not know. But she did, and they did.” The album combines complex rock guitar and country stylings with rich vocals that hearken Joplin and Fleetwood Mac.

Missi and John are both Oregon transplants. Missi was born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee. She later lived in Austin, Texas, where she raised her children, then she moved to Portland in 2011. John was born and raised in Upland, California, forty miles east of Los Angeles, and he moved to Portland in 1991.

John and Missi were destined to become performers. Johns says, “I became infatuated with pop music, particularly Elton John, around the fourth grade. I was obsessed with him—not just the music, but also his delivery. I started taking piano lessons and did pretty well, not because I was learning theory, but because I could imitate Elton. At the end of sixth grade, I was voted ‘Most Likely To Be Elton John’ in the yearbook.”

“I played rock guitar in high school. But in 1987 I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about Robert Johnson, and that was a huge turning point for me—suddenly, the origins of rock and roll were clearer. I went that day to Rhino Records and walked away with a stack of Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf LPs.”

“The slide was my language. I knew that voice and I could speak it, too. I came to Portland in ‘91 and was at the Blues Fest that year checking out Paul deLay. I embraced the blues scene immediately and started playing in bands here and there.”

“In 2001, I made a replica of a Hawaiian-style lap steel guitar called a Weissenborn. Ten years later, I met Missi and started listening to her songs, and I thought, they’re tailor made for that guitar. We constructed our initial sound around the slide, and it has become a signature for us.”

Missi talks about her first love of music, “From early on, I remember listening to Casey Kasem’s American Top Forty every Sunday for three hours. God’s honest truth: I whispered ‘I’m gonna be on there someday. I’m gonna be on there someday,’ while I listened and sang along.”

“So, for much of my childhood, my exposure to music was through radio and my parents’ LPs. My father was a fan of rhythm and blues, and I was deeply enamored with Gladys Knight. After my parents’ divorce, my mom married an acoustic guitarist with a fabulous talent for vocals and harmony. I sat at the feet of some amazing musicians in our living room who played folk and southern rock, and that’s where I learned to harmonize.”

“Later, my stepfather made a change and entered seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. I was immersed in church music, and spent twenty years singing in religious projects. Gospel music, combined with a lot of country/western and Americana, really paints my voice the color it is. I’ve got Tennessee and Jesus in my DNA, and you can hear it.”

“I have performed in some form or fashion my whole life, whether in music, improvisational comedy, musical theater, public speaking, or as a fill-in radio host on a tiny AM gospel station.”

“Austin, Texas taught me respect for blues music and musicians. In Austin, live music is everywhere, and I learned a lot by just sitting quietly (and sometimes even crying) while listening to these diverse, legendary artists like Jon Dee Graham, Pinetop Perkins, Marcia Ball, and Slaid Cleaves. There they were, playing for dimes in small rooms, and I got to be right up close and personal. I learned, by watching them, that making music is something you have to commit to do, whether you make some money or not. So I just wrote my songs and waited for the day my kids were grown up so I could live on less money and do music without harming anybody else in the process.”

John lists his musical influences as Ry Cooder, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, Son House, and Reverend Gary Davis.

Missi said, “I’m a big fan of Mississippi Fred McDowell and his wife, Annie McDowell. Annie doesn’t get a lot of attention because she stayed behind the scenes. But the woman could really sing the blues and gospel, and her voice was like a beautiful cat’s. Fred was playing gospel in the mornings and blues at night. Annie was singing a lot of those gospel songs along with him.”

“Patty Griffin’s 1996 album Living With Ghosts shook me to the core from a songwriting perspective. She taught me that I can tell the whole truth if I’m willing to wail and not be afraid of myself. Sometimes, the truth ain’t pretty, but it needs to be told. I’ve had some shit happen (including a child who was in prison for many years) and writing songs and singing lets me tell my stories without being interrupted,” she said.

A new album is in the works for 2018. Missi says the new songs are acoustic. “Our last album was plugged in with a lot of electric vibes. This one is more porch style.”

This is an act you need to put on your list of “must see.” For more information and a listing of upcoming shows, visit www.mojoholler.com.

The Randy Morrison Band is one of the best in the Portland area. They proved that by being one of four finalists in the 2017 Journey to Memphis competition. The band consists of Randy Morrison on guitar and vocals, Steve “Midnight” Anderson on guitar and vocals, Laura Petch on bass and vocals, and Dusty Hill on drums. Everybody in the band is self-taught for the most part, though all have taken lessons from time to time.

Music was a part of Randy’s upbringing—singing and playing violin from an early age. He picked up a guitar in the ninth grade and has been performing off and on, both in bands and solo, for over 35 years.

Steve and Laura are lifelong musicians and have been playing together for 36 years, although not continuously. At times, both have played in separate bands. They played with Dusty in a previous band called Midnight Blue here in Portland for three or four years.

Dusty has studied with the best and toured with various groups such as The Coasters and The Drifters. He was also the drummer for the popular Portland band The Sleazy Pieces. He has a solid background playing rock, country, top 40, and jazz.

But here’s the real story of the band:

Randy met Laura and Steve at a camping trip about three years ago. A few months later they decided they should do a band thing. After 6 months, and a few drummers, they got Dusty on board and haven’t looked back!

As a youngster growing up, Randy had a phase where he wanted to be a magician. Later, as his tastes refined, he either wanted to be a part time camp counselor or maybe a game show host. “Not landing either of those gigs, I settled on a hitch in the US Air Force, bought my tobacco sunburst SG, as soon as they would give me a loan, and started jamming with other guys on base. That’s when I first thought it would be cool to play music for a living,” explained Randy.

Laura started playing guitar when she was in fourth grade. Her grade school music teacher would accompany her on the standup bass. That’s when she got the taste of what it is like to play with other people. Her first big performance was at her grade school talent show in the fifth grade where she took second place (Lisa took first), playing and singing “Four Strong Winds.” She kept at the guitar and played her first paying gig in 1981 in John Day with Steve. Steve had an old Fender Precision bass and suggested Laura learn to play it. Three days later Laura played bass at their first duo gig in Mt. Vernon.

Steve has always wanted to be a professional musician from the time he first picked up a guitar when he was 12. He played his first paying gig at 13. He went on to live and play in Vegas before he hit the road for seven years playing in the Western states. Thereafter he settled in Oregon.

Day Jobs

When asked if they had day jobs, Randy commented that “Day jobs are a fact of life. It’s expensive to play music!”

Randy works as a Quality Manager in a precision machining and sheet metal manufacturing environment. “I measure cool stuff using a lot of various cool stuff.
I’ve been in precision manufacturing for 30 plus years,” he said.

Steve became legally blind a few years ago, so he is retired on disability.

Laura is Director of Human Resources at a large Portland law firm and has been working in the legal field for 25 years.

Dusty is a bus driver for the Beaverton School District.

Musical Influences

Randy–Steely Dan, Hall and Oates, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Billy Gibbons, Carlos Santana, lots of rock guys, and some singer-songwriters. “My favorite being Shawn Mullins. But the guy that made me want to play bluesy funky guitar stuff was Donald Kinsey from The Kinsey Report. That guy squeezed more tone and soul out of an old Peavey Classic and a beat up Epiphone Les Paul than I ever heard. No effects at all. Guitar, cord, amp. Vocally, I love killer ‘feel singers.’ Besides Daryl Hall and Curtis, one of my favs is Marc Broussard. Dude is amazing!”

Steve—All the Kings and all the Alberts, Little Feat, The Band, high powered soul like Tower of Power and Cold Blood. Of course the post-war blues giants like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

Laura—Allman Brothers and Barry Oakley particularly. Also Katie Webster, Etta James, and Koko Taylor.

Randy describes their musical style as a combination of blues, R&B and soul, with a hint of a jazz vibe here and there just for good measure. “We are a very vocal band so there are lots of solid harmonies as well as some pretty catchy melodic and lyrical hooks. It’s bluesy, it’s funky, and it’s fun. And we have fun playing it!”

CD’s

The band is in the finishing stages of their first CD project. They hope to have it out early this fall.

Other Projects Band Members Have Been Involved In

After playing in a local rock band for a few years, Randy played with Rae Gordon in Rae and The Rebounders, back when she was just starting out. After that, he focused on solo acoustic stuff until the inception of the Randy Morrison Band.

Steve played with the Arnold Brothers, Coasters, Sheila Wilcoxon, Lee Blake, and Midnight Blue.

Laura also played with Midnight Blue, and with Paulette Davis, one of the original members of NW Women Rhythm and blues.

More Information

This band of veterans are a site to behold. Check out their schedule and get out and see them live. For more about The Randy Morrison Band and upcoming gigs, visit http://www.randymorrisonmusic.com.