13th Annual Oregon Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

On Tuesday, July 11, the Oregon Music Hall of Fame held a press conference at Tony Starlight’s to announce the recipients for their 2017 induction honors. Amongst these selected were four individuals directly associated with the state’s blues community.

Louis Pain, organist best known for his time with the Paul deLay Band who has worked tirelessly with numerous acts including jazz drummer Mel Brown, the late vocalist Sweet Baby James Benton, and most recently under the name of King Louie with vocalist LaRhonda Steele.

Peter Boe, jazz and blues pianist who worked and toured with the Robert Cray Band for eight years and received two Grammy Awards during that time, and also was a member of the Curtis Salgado Band for five years.

Richard Cousins, long-time bassist with the Robert Cray Band, who has also recorded with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, and Frankie Lee.

Lisa Mann is being honored with the 2017 Album of the Year for her outstanding disc Hard Times, Bad Decisions.

Other recipients this year will be Quasi, Floater, Sean Croghan, Mickey Newbury, King Black Acid, Jimmy Boyer, plus industry people Lisa Lepine, Chris Monlux, Tres Shannon, and the Artist Of The Year: Case-Lang-Veirs (Neko Case, kd lang, and Laura Veirs).

The 11th Annual Oregon Music Hall of Fame Induction & Concert will be held on Saturday October 14 at 7:00 pm at the Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Avenue. The concert will feature Floater, a tribute to Jimmy Boyer featuring the Freak Mountain Ramblers, Fernando, Bingo Richey, Turtle VanDemarr and Pete Krebs, plus the Louis Pain All-Star Band with Andy Stokes, LaRhonda Steele, Peter Dammann, Dan Balmer and more.

The event will feature a live auction of autograph guitars including. Chicago, Ry Cooder, Culture Club, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Miller, and Weezer. Proceeds from this event help support the Oregon Music Hall of Fame’s music education and scholarship programs.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketfly.com and the Aladdin Theater box office. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. VIP tickets, which include prime seating, collectable laminated pass, a Gary Houston limited edition hand pulled signed and numbered poster plus entrance to the catered after-induction party with the inductees, musicians and other VIPs, are $100 in advance or $110 at the door.

Thank You To Holiday Party Volunteers

The Cascade Blues Association occasionally holds events where it is necessary for extra hands to assist in making sure everything runs smoothly. That is never more true than at the Waterfront Blues Festival where we have a merchandise booth that needs to be manned for hours each day. This year’s festival was five days long, making the need for even more people to help out. We want to thank the following individuals for their time and generosity in assisting us with this need; we couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you!!

Adam Carter, Alice Tacey, Annette Young, Bonita Davis, Bryan Olson, Carol Hamley, Clint Spell, Coila Ash, Deb Rowley, Don Geren, Gary Jaskowiak, Holly Thomas, Imm-o Singleton, Jane White Broderick, Jenny Pizot, John Fraser, Julie Yanko, Kevin MacDonald, Larry Risch, Laura Lund, Lucia Michaud, Margaret Wise, Marla Jones, Michelle Bean, Mike Puerini, Nadine Jones, Natalie Spell, Peggy Erick, Priscilla Miller, Rawleigh Pate, Rhonda graham, Richard LaChapelle, Rita Childs, Robert Freeman, Ron Beed, Sandie Wilkins, Sandy Forst, Sandy Stout, Shelly Halsted, Steve Broderick, Susi Brothers, Terry Nolan, Tim Mattheis

Thank you also for our Journey To Memphis volunteer judges: John Jaqua, Melanie Owen and Russ Bergeron.

CBA 30

The Cascade Blues Association celebrated thirty years of supporting, promoting, and preserving the blues in the Northwest with a huge show at the historic McMenamins Crystal Ballroom on Sunday, May 21. Our members and blues lovers came out in force for a day packed with nine sets of music featuring some of the best loved artists who have given so much enjoyment to us all over the past three decades. All of the musicians donated their time to help the Cascade Blues Association raise funds to help keep the organization running.

Musical sets were presented in order by Terry Robb & Adam Scramstad, Mary Flower & Spud Siegal, Bill Rhoades & The Party Kings/Queens with Dave Mathis & Mike Moothart, Too Loose Cajun Zydeco Band, The Strange Tones with The Volcano Vixens, Ty Curtis Band with Robbie Laws, Rae Gordon Band with Karen Lovely, Lloyd Jones Struggle with Bobby Torres, Norman Sylvester Band with Arietta Ward, and closing the night was the Duffy Bishop Band.

An event of this size takes a lot of work and efforts from many people. The Cascade Blues Association Board of Directors worked the entire show with a staff of volunteers running everything from silent auction, raffle tickets, merchandise sales, green room, access, set-up and break-down and numerous other positions and needs. Stage hands from JBL Sound all volunteered their time arriving early in the morning and staying late. McMenamins gave us a generous bargain on the use of both the main ballroom and Lola’s Room downstairs for our meet-and-greet and green room needs. Printing was donated by both Cory Burden at Cedar House Media and Mike Crider, with poster design by Andy Strange. Duffy Bishop & Chris Carlson were able to drive out from Florida thanks to a generous donation from David Leiken & Double Tee Productions. And Kathy Rose who photographed the meet-and-greet guests.

Thanks to the production team who worked on this event for several months: Joey Scruggs, Terry Currier, Greg Johnson, James “Coach” Hurley, and Lydia Salvey.

Thanks to all the musicians who performed throughout the day: Adam Scramstad, Al Hooten, Allan Kalik,Andy Gautier, Andy Strange, Arietta Ward, Bill Rhoades, Bobby Torres, Brad Ulrich, Chris Carlson, Chris Mercer, Chuck Laiti, Darryl Johnson, Dave Fleschner, Dave Kahl, Dave Mathis, Dean Mueller, Duffy Bishop, Ed Pierce, “Guitar” Julie Strange, Jennifer Smieja, Jenny Hauser, Jerry Jacques,  Joe McCarthy, Jolie Clausen, Karen Lovely, Katie Angel, Kivett Bednar, Lefty Head, Lenanne Sylvester, Lloyd Jones, Louis Pain, Mary Flower, Mike Moothart, Newell Briggs, Norman Sylvester, Pat McDougall, Paul Shoemaker, Peter Dammann, Peter Moss,  Phil “Suburban Slim” Wagner, Rae Gordon, Rick Obbink, Rob Shoemaker, Robert Lee, Robbie Laws, Scott Franklin, Spud Siegal, Steve Kerin, Talia Giardini, Terry Robb, Tim Shaughnessy, Tom Goicoechea, Ty Curtis.

And the biggest thanks of all to our members and blues fans who attended the CBA 30 concert. You are the reason why the Cascade Blues Association has existed for thirty years and will ensure that it continues for many more.

William Chapin

William ChapinHe’s like a super hero — guitar builder by day and guitar player by night. That’s the life of William Chapin, who has been playing music professionally for over 30 years. “I always loved music, but really was struck with the bug to play in high school. I did repair work on instruments before I really played,” he said. His day job is building custom guitars, basses, and wind pickups. His clients include Kirk Fletcher, Kid Andersen, Lloyd Jones, Eddie Martinez, and Josh Smith, among others.

William describes his music this way: “The core of everything I do is blues. It may lean towards soul, Latin, rock, jazz, psychedelic, or wherever…but it is all flavors of blues. The song is the foundation. I certainly stretch on things, but it isn’t form stock or cut and paste, it all goes back to singing the song harmonically through the guitar and rhythmically supporting, improvising and interpreting compositions. “

“I put myself all in when I play. I have a perspective, and try to get that across. I just try to get ‘me’ across and try not to worry about being a guitar slinger, which plenty of people can do far better than I.”

Musical Training

“I took lessons in college from some talented players including Dave Creamer (who played with Miles Davis), Billy Johnson (who played with John Lee Hooker and a bit with Chet Baker), Rick Vandivier, Tim Volpicella and saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh (Chris Cain had the lesson slot after me).”

Influences

His list of influences include many blues greats—BB King, Hubert Sumlin, Albert Collins, Freddie King, Billy Butler, Jimmie Vaughan, Luther Tucker, Otis Rush, Earl Hooker, John Lee Hooker, Snooks Eaglin, Horace Silver, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Bill Frisell, Harvey Mandel, Pat Martino, Peter Green, Mike Bloomfield, Clarence White, Ry Cooder, David Lindley Jerry Reed, Jim Nichols, Hugh McCracken, Eddie Hazel…the list goes on and on.

CDs

William has a CD in the works with his band Catahoula Soul Stew. “We have to finish up, hopefully by the end of this year. “

Bands and Other Musicians

William currently plays in a band called Catahoula Soul Stew with Mitch Kashmar, bassists Federico Pol or Allen Markell, drummers David Melyan or Ed Pierce, and keyboardist Pat McDougall. Previously he played with Stan Ruffo, Ben Partain, and Dave Meylan.

He also plays with Monterey Purple, a rock/blues/folk band playing California music of the late 60’s, with Phil Garfinkel, Carey Rogers, Paul Noel and Keesha Wallace; and The Unspoken Four, blues and rock with Phil Garfinkel, Carey Rogers, and Paul Noel.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with truly remarkable players, both as a sideman and in groups of my own,” he said. They include: Duke Jethro (B.B. King’s organist and the piano player on his Live at the Regal album), D.K. Stewart, Billy Johnson, jazz guitarist Scott Sorkin, Lady Kat, Blues Train, Mike Sarver (blues singer/harmonica/guitarist), Buddy Smith, Ned Torney (syndicate of sound/Chocolate watchband), Fuzzy John Oxendine (Moby Grape/Rhythm Dukes), Bryant Mills (John Lee Hooker’s Coast to Coast Blues Band), Stan Poplin (Robben Ford/Jimmy Witherspoon), and Bob Boehm (Spang a Lang, Witherspoon). “Also some side projects with people like Phil Wagner, John Neish, Billy Blue, Dennis Lusk (All Bald Blues Band), Chris Carlson, David Kahl, Randy Monroe, Ed Neumann, Melissa Buchanan, Joe Conrad, Mike Klobas, and Les Hutchinson, as well as others that I know I am forgetting.”

In Closing

“The Portland area is a really fertile ground musically, the sheer level of talent here is truly staggering. On top of that, it is a tremendous community, and I am truly proud to be a part of that community,” William said.

Monterey Purple and Catahoula Soul Stew have Facebook band pages you can visit to see about upcoming shows.

10th Annual Blues Build Benefit

Benefit Performance & Fundraising Site For Curtis SalgadoLocal blues icon Curtis Salgado received three nominations for this year’s prestigious Blues Music Awards and walked away with all three, making him the most awarded artist of the night. Salgado received recognition as Soul Blues Artist of the Year, Soul Blues Recording for The Beautiful Lowdown, and Song of the Year for the tune “Walk a Mile In My Blues” from The Beautiful Lowdown album, co-written by David Duncan and Mike Finnigan. Despite not being able to attend while recovering from a recent heart attack and by-pass surgery, Salgado sent a message to The Blues Foundation thanking the members who voted for the awards and congratulating each of the other nominees. The message also drew a laugh as Salgado mentioned that his doctor told him he could no longer have pork ribs, hot links or sweet potatoes which he was sure many were enjoying while visiting Memphis for the show.

Other multiple winners of the night included Joe Bonamassa taking home the Instrumentalist –  Guitarist Award and the coveted BB King Entertainer of the Year recognition; Bobby Rush for Album of the Year for Porcupine Meat and Historical Album for Chicken Heads: A 50 Year History of Bobby Rush; and the Tedeschi Trucks Band who were honored with Band of the Year and Rock Blues Album for Let Me Get By. (Susan Tedeschi from the band was also named Contemporary Blues Female Artist).

Local musicians Lisa Mann and Jimi Bott were amongst the performers who played in the sixteen musical sets throughout the event. All in all, given the terrific talent that performed, this was a rare night, likely never to be repeated on stage.

The complete list of the 2017 Blues Music Award winners is:

Acoustic Album: “The Happiest Man in the World,” Eric Bibb

Acoustic Artist: Doug MacLeod

Album: “Porcupine Meat,” Bobby Rush

B.B. King Entertainer: Joe Bonamassa

Band: Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Emerging Artist Album: “Tengo Blues,” Jonn Del Toro Richardson

Contemporary Blues Album: “Bloodline,” Kenny Neal

Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Susan Tedeschi

Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Kenny Neal

Historical: “Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush,” Bobby Rush (Omnivore Recordings)

Instrumentalist-Bass: Biscuit Miller

Instrumentalist-Drums: Cedric Burnside

Instrumentalist-Guitar: Joe Bonamassa

Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Kim Wilson

Instrumentalist-Horn: Terry Hanck

Koko Taylor Award: Diunna Greenleaf

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: Victor Wainwright

Rock Blues Album: “Let Me Get By,” Tedeschi Trucks Band

Song: “Walk a Mile in My Blues” written by David Duncan, Curtis Salgado & Mike Finigan and performed by Curtis Salgado

Soul Blues Album: “The Beautiful Lowdown,” Curtis Salgado

Soul Blues Female Artist: Mavis Staples

Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado

Traditional Blues Album: “Can’t Shake This Feeling,” Lurrie Bell

Traditional Blues Male Artist: Bob Margolin

Annual CBA Member Concert

First Annual CBA Member ConcertThe CBA now has a new format for its annual member picnic. Mimicking the local Concerts in the Park style, we will hold the 2017 member concert on August 6 at Columbia Crossings located at 515 N. E. Tomahawk Island Drive.  The day will include a line up of terrific blues with Billy Dee & The Hoodoos, Tracy Fordice Band, Franco Paletta & The Stingers, and The Thunder Brothers (watch this space for additional performers).

We will offer limited beer, wine, sodas, and water on site, but you’ll need to bring your own food to the event. Though we’re planning to arrange for food carts, there will be no BBQ pit or food tables. Dano’s Dogs will be offering food for sale and we hope to offer one more food option.

As in past years – this is a MEMBERS ONLY event.  A family membership permits 2 adults and 2 children living in the same household.  There will be a charge for additional children.  CBA membership will be available for purchase at the event. So bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic basket and join us for a fabulous day of good friends and some killer blues.

Thank You To Holiday Party Volunteers

Thank YouThe Cascade Blues Association occasionally holds events where it is necessary for extra hands to assist in making sure everything runs smoothly. We want to thank the following individuals for helping us out at the CBA 30, Journey To Memphis, and June Membership Meeting; we couldn’t have successfully held these events without you! Thank you!!

Alan Craig, Annette Young, Bob Smith, Cherie Robbins, Coila Ash, Don Holland, Gary Jaskowiak, J. Lofberg, June Walker, Kathy Kiwala, Ken Johnson, Madeleine Crawford, Mark Van Presentin, Mary Maxson, Miles Holland, Miles Stewart, Phil Messina, Richard LaChapelle, Sandy Forst, Sue Craig, Susan Dishaw, Susan Johnson, Terry Nolan, Tom Rich, Winnie Chapman

An extra huge thanks goes out to the crew who worked backstage at the CBA 30 concert. They’re all professional stage hands who usually are paid to work these events, but all donated their time, some putting in up to twelve-plus hours.

Charles Rowe, James Hurley, Jay Lawhorn, Lydia Salvey, Pat McDougal, Rebecca Rutledge, Steve Gross, Tim Rutter and Wesley Yurovchak.

If we missed anyone, it was an oversight. Please let us know — you are important to us.

Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival 2017

safeway waterfront blues festivalJoin blues legends, up-and-comers, and local acts to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Federal Credit Union, June 30 – July 4, 2017 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. This year’s festival will run five days and feature 150 blues acts on four stages. Festival proceeds help Oregon Food Bank fight hunger in Oregon and Clark County, Washington.

“Five days, four stages and more than 150 eclectic performances. For just $10 a day, Waterfront Blues Festival is the concert deal of the summer,” explained Artistic Director Peter Dammann. “But it’s much more than that. For three decades this event has supported Oregon Food Bank while reaffirming and strengthening the threads that bind us as a community. This has become one of the nation’s great community music festivals and it could only happen in Portland.”

Oregon Food Bank CEO Susannah Morgan remarked that “[w]e are truly humbled to mark 30 years of support from the blues community to feed the human spirit of the 1 in 5 people facing hunger in our state. Since 1988, this iconic festival has raised more than $10 million and 1,000 tons of food for hunger relief. This is an achievement we are extremely proud of – and an achievement that is unprecedented in the concert festival business.”

Major sponsors include Safeway, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Buick GMC of Beaverton, FedEx, KINK.fm, KOIN-TV, The Oregonian, Coors Light, and Deschutes Brewery. For information on DME Blues Cruises and After Hours All Stars, see separate article following this article.

Friday, June 30

Chris Isaak
Songwriter Chris Isaak clearly loves the reverb-laden rockabilly and country of Sun Studios. Isaak began performing after he graduated from college, forming the rockabilly band Silvertone. The group featured bassist Rowland Salley and drummer Kenney Dale Johnson, who remain the backbone of the singer/guitarist’s permanent supporting band (rounded out for the past two decades by the superb, Portland-based guitarist Herschel Yatovitz).

Elvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop has been performing his rollicking brand of electrified front porch blues for over 50 years (his first professional gig was as guitarist for Junior Wells’ band in 1962.) He is as vital and creative an artist today as he was when he first hit the national scene in 1965 with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band—with whom he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. He is still as slyly good-humored and instantly crowd-pleasing as he was when he was effortlessly creating solo hits during the 1970s. His reemergence on Alligator Records in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, along with his more recent releases on Blind Pig and Delta Groove, insure his place on the short list of bona fide blues guitar heroes. Elvin’s music mixes thick blues grooves with timeless rock flavors spiced with a touch of country, a dab of Moms Mabley’s and Pigmeat Markham’s ribald black comedy, and the laid back feel of his Northern California home. His guitar playing seems to improve with every performance, and his songwriting is filled with clever revelations and homespun wisdom.

Fantastic Negrito
Fantastic Negrito, who this year won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album, is a man’s truth told in the form of black roots music. Each song tells the true story of a musician from Oakland who experienced the highs of a million dollar record deal, the lows of a near fatal car accident that put him in a coma, and is now in the phase of rebirth.

Cedric Burnside Project
Born and raised around Holly Springs, Mississippi, Cedric Burnside, grandson of legendary R.L. Burnside and son of drummer Calvin Jackson, has been playing music all his life. He has developed a relentless, highly rhythmic style that takes the blues to another level. This five-time winner of the prestigious Blues Music Award’s Drummer of the Year (2010-2016) is widely regarded as one of the best drummers in the world and has begun to make a name for himself as a traditional blues guitarist, as well.

JJ Thames “Mississippi Blues Diva”
JJ Thames has literally and metaphorically come a long way in the last few years. From busking in New York City subway tunnels in 2008 to having the No. 1 Hot Single on the Billboard Charts in March 2014, and now in 2017 having two chart-topping and critically-acclaimed releases and international tours under her belt…Thames has arrived. Her story reads like a classic Hollywood biopic, full of early joys, tragic losses, and a seemingly predestined turn to music as a career.

Dirty Bourbon River Show
New Orleans’ Dirty Bourbon River Show deftly melds sounds that range from hard-edged blues to whimsical piano driven ballads to Crescent City brass into a result that is truly a blast of new energy into the musical landscape. Dirty Bourbon grabs hold of audiences, fascinated by their eccentricity and dexterity coupled with their ability to harken back to by-gone eras in music.

The Revelers
The Revelers, a Louisiana supergroup created by founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys—unquestionably the two groups at the vanguard of the Louisiana cultural renaissance—combines swamp-pop, Cajun, country, blues and zydeco into a powerful tonic of roots music that could only come from southwest Louisiana.

Brother Yusef
Brother Yusef has been described as a master solo guitarist, and passionate vocalist. He has honed his guitar skills and vocals for over 30 years into a sound he calls “Fattback Blues.” Fattback Blues combines “traditional” finger-picking and slide-guitar playing with the contemporary feel of urban blues to create a full band sound with one guitar. YUSEF uses his right hand thumb to beat out a percussive bass-line and shuffle, while the index finger plays rhythm and lead lines. A favorite with young blues and swing dancers, Yusef is sure to pack the dance floor at the festival’s Front Porch Stage.

Dirty Revival
“Big, gritty, and honest. Our sound is unique but pulls elements of our favorite genres: soul, funk, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, gospel, and rock,” says Sarah Clarke, the resounding, and resonating, front woman for Portland-based Dirty Revival. Also comprised of Evan “evv’n’flo” Simko (M.C., guitar), Terry Drysdale (drums), Karl Ludwigsen (keyboards), Jon Shaw (bass), Chris Hardin (tenor sax), and Jon Clay (trumpet), the septet shines on their self-titled, debut full-length recording.

Saturday, July 1

Big Head Todd Blues Club
Platinum-selling Colorado-based rockers Big Head Todd and The Monsters [BHTM] team up with blues royalty Billy Branch, Mud Morganfield and Cedric Burnside to pay tribute to one of the most influential songwriters of the blues and rock and roll: Willie Dixon. If you’re a fan of Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley, or even Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, then you’ve heard the immortal hits of Willie Dixon, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer dubbed the “poet laureate of the blues.”

Three-time Grammy nominee Billy Branch was discovered by Willie Dixon while Branch was still in college. Dixon encouraged Branch to finish his college education, which he did, but instead of going to law school after receiving his political science degree, Branch began touring with Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues All-Stars, initially as an understudy for legendary harmonica ace Carey Bell who was planning to leave to form his own band. When Carey took his leave, the young Billy Branch took his place, touring with Willie Dixon for 6 years.

The special collaboration features Muddy Waters’ son, Mud Morganfield, on vocals, whose moan and growl is conjures the spirit of Muddy as well as anyone on the planet. This will be Mud’s Portland debut.

Rounding out the project is third generation Mississippi bluesman Cedric Burnside (see Friday listings for more on Cedric.)

JD McPherson
JD McPherson, not yet 40, has managed the near-impossible; he is at once a classic rock revivalist and a musical pioneer, all on the same albums. He’s knocking at the door of something that arguably hasn’t yet been accomplished—a spirited, almost spiritual hybrid that brings the forgotten lessons from the earliest days of rock & roll into a future that has room for the modernities of studio technique and 21st century singer/songwriter idiosyncrasies.

Eric Gales
Eric Gales was a child prodigy, heralded as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, when he released his debut album The Eric Gales Band in 1991 as a 16-year-old on Elektra Records. It was the first of 10 albums on a major label through a blistering career.  One of those projects led him to work with producer Fabrizio Grossi (Alice Cooper, Joe Bonamassa, Billy Gibbons, Ice T, Leslie West, Slash, Walter Trout, Steve Lukather), who says, “I’ve been a fan of Eric since I first worked with him 15 years ago on a project with George Clinton & P.Funk. His tone and his playing was wicked. I know very few musicians with such musicality. Eric is simply Miles Davis’ and Jimi Hendrix’ love child, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

Greyhounds
As Greyhounds, guitarist Andrew Trube and keyboardist Anthony Farrell have been making music and touring for 15 years, refining and developing a sound Trube calls “Hall and Oates meet ZZ Top.” The band also has long ties to Memphis, home of the soul that inspires them. Trube and Farrell previously appeared at the Festival as part of JJ Grey’s & Mofro.

Southern Avenue
Southern Avenue, named for a Memphis street that runs from the city limits all the way to Soulsville, the original home of Stax Records, is a fiery young Memphis quintet that embodies its home city’s soul, blues and gospel traditions, while adding a youthful spirit and dynamic energy all their own. “The most talked-about band from Memphis right now.”

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
The Festival is thrilled to welcome back to Waterfront Park the young Mississippi bluesman Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who will be celebrating not only the Festival’s 30th Anniversary, but also his own recent graduation from high school! This will be Christone’s third visit to Waterfront. His first outing, for those of you who missed it during that record-breaking heat wave that hit us in 2015, proved one of the most stunning debuts ever seen at Waterfront Blues Festival, as the young guitar shredder all but stole the show on a lineup that included such legends as Gregg Allman and Buddy Guy.

Big Monti
His name is Monti Amundson but most people call him Big Monti. Not just because of the man’s physical appearance, but also because of his obvious talent and sheer presence. When Big Monti takes the stage, it’s clear that there’s more going on than the usual extended guitar solos – the man plays and sings larger than life. When Big Monti gets compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan or Johnny Winter he just says “thank you.” The fact is, the big man has his own style. “I’m a blues guitar player in a band that plays rock n’ roll,” says Monti, who recently moved to Nashville. He doesn’t so much as straddle the line between the genres as bend it, ignore it, or race back and forth across it until both sides go up in flames.

Lady “True Blue” Kat
With her low, rich, full-bodied voice— one that fuses Etta James’ power to Wynonna’s twang and Della Reese’s depth— Lady Kat has been a surprisingly well kept secret on Portland’s music scene, appearing relatively infrequently as a special guest—and always hitting it out of the park—for various special projects and collaborations. But Lady Kat’s low-profile, under-the-radar status, we suspect, is about to change. “The Gift of Song truly is a gift of power. A singer should cherish and respect it! For you never know who’s out there watching and listening and taking away a memory of your gift. It is my mission to respect and represent the art of music,” according to Lady True Blue.

Shari Puorto Band
Shari Puorto Band is a Southern California blues/rock/roots band with a lot of soul who have been touring together for years. With notable nominations and awards under their belt they continue to electrify audiences from Coast to Coast and abroad, and make their Portland debut at this year’s Waterfront Blues Festival. The band combines today’s modern blues/rock with yesteryear’s traditional blues. Their performances, and their connection with the audience, are infectious.

Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band, return as unofficial host and house band for Waterfront’s Cajun-Zydeco dances on the Oregonian Front Porch Stage. Mixing the traditional accordion and washboard farmhouse porch boogie of the Cajun prairie with dashes of ‘70s funk, the spices of classic R&B, and refreshing, swampy twists on classic songs as only authentic Louisiana ambassadors can do.

Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys
One of the most influential accordionists and vocalists in modern Zydeco music, Jeffery Broussard is one of the genre’s most dynamic performers. He began his career in traditional Creole Zydeco music playing drums in his father’s band, Delton Broussard & The Lawtell Playboys, then moving on to develop the nouveau Zydeco sound in Zydeco Force, and returning to the more traditional Zydeco sound with his own band, Jeffery Broussard And The Creole Cowboys.

Donna Angelle & her Zydeco Posse
Donna Angelle is a veteran and a staple of the American south who, after overcoming devastating injuries from a 1994 car crash, has been steadily building her music career through hard work, perseverance, and sheer talent.

Pine Leaf Boys
Louisiana’s four-time Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys have made a name presenting their own inimitable brand of Cajun music. Hailing from southwest Louisiana, the Pine Leaf Boys, known for their wild shows and thoughtful arrangements, have breathed new life into Cajun music, reviving ancient songs and bringing them to the bandstand.

NW Women Rhythm & Blues, Featuring Claudette King
The NW Women R&B group has performed specialty shows produced by Sonny Hess since the early 80’s. These shows are comprised of the top female performers in the region but most importantly, Sonny exposes new-found talent to the Portland Blues scene. Here are a few names you might recognize that got their start in the area with the NW Women Rhythm & Blues: Lisa Mann, Ellen Whyte, Rae Gordon, Naomi T, Lady Kat “Lady True Blue” are just a few who have gone on to win multiple awards locally, regionally and nationally. The group’s performance on the Festival’s July 1 afternoon  “Sail on Sister” Blues Cruise will showcase such seasoned performers as Sonny Hess, Sheila Wilcoxson, Lady True Blue, Kelly Pierce, and special guest, Claudette King, daughter of the late legendary blues man, BB King.

Greta Kohan and Juan Soria
Greta Kohan is a singer/songwriter from La Cumbre, Córdoba, Argentina now based In Brooklyn, New York. Greta is considered one the best blues voices in the new generation of Argentine singers with more than 12 years performing and studying.  Her voice has a wide range that makes it possible for her to sing different styles— going from a soft sound to a raspy voice—in one song interpretation. Her repertoire includes the standards and her own original compositions in both English and Spanish.

Juan M. Soria is a singer-songwriter from Buenos Aires, Argentina who now resides in Brooklyn, NY.  His music style is blues/rock/folk with a bit of slide guitar for good measure and his influences include The Beatles, Dave Matthews, Jimi Hendrix, Amos Lee and Gustavo Cerati.

Marilyn Keller “Dapipes And Da Killer Band”
Marilyn T. Keller, 2016 Jazz Society of Oregon Hall of Fame Inductee, brings a special magic to the stage with her charming presence and flawless vocal stylings. Her musical roots are diverse. She joined Black Swan Classic Jazz Band in 1997, quickly establishing a loyal following in the Dixieland and Ragtime scene. She has also remained active in a wide variety of other performance ensembles and styles: The Don Latarski Group, Darrell Grant, Thara Memory, Tall Jazz, Tom Grant, Michael Allen Harrison, Disciples in Song, and the Augustana Jazz Quartet to name a few. Marilyn’s formative jazz training was as a member of the Mt. Hood Community College Vocal Jazz Ensemble and as the vocalist fronting the award-winning MHCC Jazz Lab Band. She is featured at the Jazz Worship Service at Augustana Lutheran Church every Sunday and can be seen frequently at restaurants, clubs, festivals and holiday events throughout the Pacific Northwest. Marilyn’s versatility extends to the recording studio and she has contributed her talents to various original CD’s, albums, demos and commercials. Keller debuts her killer new project, “Dapipes & Da Killer Band”, on the Saturday night ‘Rock the Boat’ dance cruise.

Sunday, July 2

Galactic
Galactic is a uniquely New Orleans phenomenon; a 20-year instrumental project that synthesizes the full spectrum of New Orleans music into an edgy, urban fusion incorporating New Orleans horn-driven funk, the region’s exuberant jazz, blues, hip hop, electronica, blues, “second line” marching brass, and the local frenetic funk-rock style called bounce.  The brightest lights of Louisiana also appear as guest artists on Galactic’s 11 albums, which have featured blues legend Walter Wolfman Washington, R&B queen Irma Thomas, cult “sissy bounce” legend Big Freedia, R&B/soul star Macy Gray (who appeared with Galactic previously at Waterfront), and their current touring partner, the phenomenal Crescent City vocalist Erica Falls.

Pimps of Joytime
When it comes to throwing a party, the Pimps of Joytime raise the bar with swagger to spare. Rhythms and textures drawn from New Orleans funk, ‘90s club house, ‘60s salsa, and hip-hop all collide and fracture upon one another on their new LP, Jukestone Paradise. Dubbed “raucous and captivating” by Okayplayer, their album cuts play like the soundtrack for a ride through Brooklyn’s diverse neighborhoods, where the group’s sound materialized.

Sonny Landreth
Sonny Landreth, the lean Mississippi native, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, has enjoyed a prolific career for decades, dating back to his solo debut album Blues Attack in 1981. Although that album fanned the flames of his reputation as an emerging force in roots music, Landreth kept a parallel career going as a celebrated sideman and session player. Over the years he performed and recorded with artists that include John Hiatt, British blues innovator John Mayall, and toured as a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. He also collaborated with Eric Clapton, and has performed at all of Clapton’s prestigious Crossroads Guitar Festivals since 2004.

Vieux Farke Touré
Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. Vieux pays homage to his father and follows Ali’s musical tradition, giving new versions of the West African music that is echoed in the American blues.

Blynd
The unique band Blynd (formerly Legally Blynd) is one of the most artistic soul-blues bands performing today, comprised of an elite group of top session musicians who’ve spent years on the road and in the studio with the likes of Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Chrisette Michele, Jill Scott, Justin Timberlake, and Stevie Wonder. Blynd features the stunning soul/blues guitar chops of John “Jubu” Smith.

Sons of the Soul Revivers
For those of us who don’t get to hear traditional gospel quartets very often, if ever, the fact that the Sons Of The Soul Revivers are breaking out of the four walls of the church to perform for secular audiences is something of a musical blessing. The Vallejo, California-based group performed a gospel dinner show this spring at Rancho Nicasio that was recorded live by the Little Village Foundation, a nonprofit founded by blues keyboardist Jim Pugh to put out music that would otherwise be overlooked by commercial record labels. (LVF brought soul singer Wee Willie Walker, Mariachi Mestizo and slide guitar ace Ron Thompson to Waterfront in recent years). The Sons are an example of an authentic American roots music that, sadly, is in danger of becoming extinct.

Dexter Allen
Dexter Allen, born in Crystal Springs, MS., the son of musical Pastors Lee and Ruthie Allen, was raised on a farm and grew up understanding that life can still be wholesome with only the bare necessities. Dexter began playing bass guitar at the age of 12 for his father’s gospel group, traveling around the central Mississippi area. After several years touring in the band of Mississippi blues legend Bobby Rush, Dexter’s own blend of Blues, R&B, Soul and Funk landed him a record deal in 1995 with Airtight Records, an independent label based in Mississippi.

King Louie’s Blues Revue: LaRhonda Steele, Andy Stokes, Lisa Mann
King Louie’s Blues Revue, a bluesier version of the Portland Soul All-Stars, was first put together by organist Louis Pain for a series of 2012 shows at Bend, Oregon’s prestigious Jazz At The Oxford series.  The shows were a wild success, leading series creator Marshall Glickman to break one of his principle rules: “never book the same act twice.”  It happened all over again in 2013…and again in 2014!  Each year, the revue sold out more quickly than the year before, and each year the performances were even more exciting.  The group also brought the house down at the 2014 Waterfront Blues Festival (billed as “The Oxford All-Stars”).  The following year, this super-group was the closing act on July 4th at the festival. Then, in March 2017, the band sold out both of its shows at Marshall Glickman’s new Riverhouse Jazz series in Bend, receiving one standing ovation after another.

Monday, July 3

Joss Stone
British soul singer and songwriter Joss Stone was only 17 when her first album The Soul Sessions went multi-platinum. Since then the Grammy-winning artist has sold 14 million albums. Her enormous, gritty voice and creative songwriting has made her one of the most successful British soul artists of all time. “We’ve been trying to bring Stone to the Blues Festival since we first heard her riveting Soul Sessions disc nearly 15 years ago,” says Festival Artistic Director, Dammann. “She hasn’t toured stateside often, and hasn’t done a NW date in over five years. We’re thrilled to finally bring Joss Stone to Waterfront Park.”

Bokanté
This breathtaking new side-project of Grammy-winning funk/fusion group Snarky Puppy fuses the Creole groove of the Caribbean to the grit and howl of the Mississippi Delta. Features Roosevelt Collier (who appeared at Waterfront previously with the ‘sacred steel’ gospel group, the Lee Boys) on pedal steel; and the stunning vocalist Malika Tirolean. “Bokante is nothing less than a world music super-group…” – Pulse.

Booker T Stax Revue
Booker T’s Stax Revue features an eight-piece band with two lead vocalists, a two-piece horn section and BOOKER’S usual rhythm section and delivers a high-energy experience curated to take the audience on a journey through Booker’s eyes. His brief personal anecdotes provide wonderful context for the music and Booker’s legendary history with Stax makes him the perfect artist to present such a revue.

Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles
One of the finest Hammond B-3 organ players of his generation, Cory Henry has worked in the studio and toured with countless artists, including Yolanda Adams, Stanley Brown, Israel Houghton, P. Diddy, Kirk Franklin, Kenny Garrett, Donnie McClurkin, Boyz II Men, Michael McDonald, Bruce Springsteen, the Roots, and many others. Since 2012, Henry has been a member of the acclaimed experimental jazz and funk ensemble Snarky Puppy, with whom he won a 2014 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance and a 2015 Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. In 2016, Henry released the gospel infused solo effort The Revival.

Chris Cain
“Nowadays most young blues players are Strat-wielding Stevie Ray Vaughan-a-bes. Not Chris Cain. With a voice that recalls B.B. King and a thick toned Gibson guitar sound reminiscent of Albert King, Cain is forging a unique style. … one of the most compelling bluesmen on today’s scene.” – Larry Nager (syndicated Scripps-Howard music critic)

Chris Cain didn’t come out of this scene- he was born into it. A father who took him everywhere to see everybody—BB, JT, Stevie Ray and Count Basie —when the rest of us were still playing with our toys. So he plays guitar and sings like a bird. But he also plays piano (like Ray) and alto sax (like Ray). He does it all. His feel cannot be surpassed.

Dustbowl Revival
Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, California-based roots collective that merges old school bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, swamp blues and the hot swing of the 1930’s to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their inspired live sets, Dustbowl Revival boldly brings together many styles of traditional American music. Critics have proclaimed that this eclectic eight-piece “would have sounded utterly at home within the hallowed confines of Preservation Hall in New Orleans’ French Quarter” (Los Angeles Times) and their “upbeat, old-school, All-American sonic safaris exemplify everything shows should be: hot, spontaneous, engaging and, best of all, a pleasure to hear” (L.A. Weekly).

Lady Wray
Virginia-born singer/songwriter Nicole Wray has everything you’d want in a singer: an infectious Jackson-5-family-member flare, a range like Aretha’s, and a church upbringing that’s brought a pure, healing texture to her voice. It’s been put to good use in background vocals on a number of high profile projects, including the Black Keys’ Grammy-winning Brothers LP. On her recent solo debut, Queen Alone, Wray teams up with the Daptones team that powered Sharon Jones and Lee Fields to the front of the neo-soul wave.

Tuesday, July 4

MarchFourth
MarchFourth is a joy-inducing force of entertainment. This colorful explosion of brassy funk, rock, and jazz emanates from musicians, acrobats, stilters and more, touring the country year-round, taking audiences on a booty-shaking, soul-stirring journey that defies categorization. The band embodies the flavor of two of America’s most eccentric and creative cities, Portland and New Orleans. Formed in Portland, the act includes 20 musicians, dancers and artisans. Most recently, 15 of those artists journeyed to New Orleans to join forces with Galactic producer and horn player Ben Ellman and engineer and producer Mikael “Count” Eldridge whose credentials include Galactic and Trombone Shorty. The resulting album Magic Number is full of the captivating grooves and brassy swagger of New Orleans with the wonderful quirkiness of Portland.

Canned Heat
Canned Heat has been world famous for its tradition-rich style of blues and rock longer than most current pop stars have been alive.  The band rose to fame because its members’ knowledge and love of blues music was both wide and deep.

The Suffers
The Suffers, Houston’s award-winning 10-piece ensemble, has redefined the sound of Gulf Coast Soul.  Established in 2011, The Suffers’ lineup was curated by bassist Adam Castaneda and vocalist/keyboardist Pat Kelly, who brought on trumpet player Jon Durbin, trombonist Michael Razo, guitarist Kevin Bernier, percussionist Jose “Chapy” Luna, and drummer/vocalist Nick Zamora. Jazz saxophonist Cory Wilson and guitarist/vocalist Alex Zamora filled out the rhythm section, while frontwoman Kam Franklin topped off the group with soaring vocals.

Monkeyjunk
For over eight years, the name Monkeyjunk has been synonymous with the emergence of a new kind of blues on the Canadian and international scenes. Continually pushing boundaries and blurring genre lines, the Ottawa-based trio has added an edge to their music by incorporating swampy blues and rock with thoughtful and intelligent lyrics. Their fifth Stony Plain Records release, Time To Roll incorporates elements of all four of their previous recordings with added maturity in songwriting and instrumentation, cementing Monkeyjunk’s originality and sound as its own. These Canadian ambassadors of blues/rock are constantly working to up their game in terms of songwriting and musicianship, with the results evident on Time To Roll. Monkeyjunk has delivered 10 top-notch tracks that are consistent with the quality and passionate delivery they are known for.

Rae Gordon Band
The seven-piece band rides along in that sweet sexy spot between uptown and downtown, with a haunting, gritty groove of a slide guitar with the power of a hard-driving horn section, a sound which has recently gained them national and international attention. The band recently found new fans at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, where they placed 3rd in the entire contest and a much-anticipated release of a new CD recording in summer of 2017.  RGB, based in the Portland, Oregon area is fronted by the Muddy Award Hall of Fame Winner for Best Female Vocalist (Cascade Blues Association), Rae Gordon, who started her music career in the piano bars and comedy clubs of Los Angeles and brings that intimate feel and sense of humor to every one of her shows, whether it’s a crowd of 10 or thousands.  The seasoned players, who have played the big and little stages of the Northwest and beyond, include Kivett Bednar on guitar, Al Hooton on bass, Ed Pierce on drums, Pat McDougall on keys, Scott Franklin on saxophone and Allan Kalik on trumpet.

The Duffy Bishop Band
Duffy Bishop and her husband, guitarist Chris Carlson met in Seattle in 1983. Duffy from California, Chris from the East Coast. They had separately been honing their musical and theatrical skills, and when good fortune brought them together, they began a collaboration that lasts to this day.

In 1991, Duffy and Chris started The Duffy Bishop Band, and have enjoyed being included in Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival many times through the years. The two moved to Portland in 1994 having already fallen in love with the city and its musicians. They were welcomed and embraced by the Blues community, and have been blessed to play and record with many of Oregon’s finest artists. The Band made four albums for the legendary Burnside Records label, as well as one for Trillium Records.

Just This One: A Paul Delay Tribute
Just This One celebrates Portland’s own harmonica and songwriting hero Paul deLay—who passed away 10 years ago this spring from leukemia— with a stage full of hometown all-stars to sing, shout, and dance their way through a set of Paulzilla’s best songs. Andy Stokes, Lisa Mann, LaRhonda Steele, and Saeeda Wright sing Paul’s great tunes, backed by Dave Fleschner, Hank Shreve, Carlton Jackson, Freddy Trujillo, and Ben Rice. Maybe some guest stars, too. And a special number from United By Music. That’s multiple Blues Music and Muddy award-winners giving their all for Paul. Part of a developing musical theatre production by Portland playwright Wayne Harrel, Just This One shows how deLay’s poignant words, hilarious rhymes, and soulful melodies continue to touch hearts and minds a decade after his untimely death. “Fourteen Dollars in the Bank”, “Maybe Our Luck Will Change”, “Chalk and Roll”…it’s hard to keep it to just one set. Join the cast afterwards at the Crossroads stage for more songs and stories from the life of Paul deLay.

Jontavious Willis
Every generation or so a young bluesman bursts onto the scene who sends a jolt through blues lovers, who has not only mastered the craft but who has the blues deep down in his heart and soul. At the age of 20, young Georgia bluesman Jontavious Willis may be the one. “That’s my Wonderboy, the Wunderkind,” Taj Mahal said after inviting Jontavious to play on stage in 2015. “He’s a great new voice of the twenty-first century in the acoustic blues. I just love the way he plays.”

As BluesNotes went to press, the lineup was still developing, with many regional acts yet to be announced. Line up subject to change.

The Following Five-Day Passes Are Offered This Year

Basic 5-Day Pass ($40 early bird) — Five-day pass, priority re-entry. (Single-day tickets, available in June, do not allow for re-entry).

Blues Buddy Pass ($89 early bird) — Five-day pass, EARLY entry, priority re-entry, commemorative Blues Buddy button and discount admission to Waterfront After Hours All-Stars Concerts in the Marriott Ballroom (first-come, first-served).

For information on VIP Patron and Benefactor passes — as well as artist bios, tentative schedule, videos and music samples — visit waterfrontbluesfest.com.

Cascade Blues Association 30th Anniversary Celebration

30th Anniversary CelebrationIn December 1986, a small group of Portland area blues fans decided to form a society to help support, promote, and preserve the blues and related music. It was named the Cascade Blues Association as it was the only blues society in the Northwest at the time as the former Oregon Blues Society in Eugene had folded. Thirty years later the Cascade Blues Association is still alive. And to celebrate, it’s throwing a party with the aid of many of the local performers who have been stalwarts in our music community throughout our tenure.

The party will take place on Sunday, May 21 at 4:00 pm, at McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside Street in downtown Portland, and will feature sets from the following:

  • BILL RHOADES & THE PARTY KINGS AND QUEENS
  • DUFFY BISHOP BAND
  • KINZEL & HYDE
  • LLOYD JONES STRUGGLE
  • MARY FLOWER
  • NORMAN SYLVESTER BAND
  • RAE GORDON & THE BACKSEAT DRIVERS
  • TERRY ROBB
  • TOO LOOSE CAJUN/ZYDECO BAND
  • THE STRANGE TONES with THE VOLCANO VIXENS
  • TY CURTIS BAND

Additional artists will be making special appearances throughout the night including:

BOBBY TORRES / ROBBIE LAWS /DAVE MATHIS / MIKE MOOTHART and more TBA!

Tickets for the CBA’s 30th Anniversary Celebration are available at CascadeTickets.com for $15.00.

A ton of thanks go out to Joey Scruggs who has been piecing this event together for us and to Terry Currier for securing the Crystal Ballroom. Both of these gentlemen have been involved with the Cascade Blues Association since the beginning and continue to show their love for the organization.

Jimmy Makarounis at Jimmy Mak's

Musical Inspiration: Honoring Jimmy Mak will take place on Sunday, April 23 at The Roseland Theater. This tribute concert honors Jimmy Makarounis, the late owner of Portland’s premier jazz club Jimmy Mak’s. The three set program will feature noted musicians who performed at the club during its twenty year run.

“Jimmy Makarounis created much more than a jazz club,” explained event producer Tony Starlight. “Jimmy Mak’s was a cultural institution that put Portland on the map as a true music city.”Jimmy Makarounis at Jimmy Mak's

The April 23 event, which will be part of the 2017 Soul’d Out Festival, will feature one set each by iconic Portland jazz drummer Mel Brown’s hard-bop septet and his award-winning Hammond B-3 organ quintet, which will back well-known instrumentalists and vocalists who have played at the club over the past two decades, including Bobby Torres, Dan Balmer, LaRhonda Steele, and Andy Stokes. A third set backed by The Yachtsmen will feature funk, R&B and rock performances by saxophonist Patrick Lamb, vocalists Jarrod Lawson, Paul Creighton, and Moose E. Lee, and the Soul Vaccination Horns. Various jazz dignitaries will speak throughout the evening, and an after-party featuring the Chris Brown Quartet will take place in the Roseland’s ground-floor club, Peter’s Room, right after the concert concludes.

A percentage of the event’s proceeds will be used to fund a jazz scholarship at Portland State University in Makarounis’ name. “Jimmy Mak’s was one of the only clubs in Portland music history to open its doors to minors for early shows,” Starlight said. “This provided an opportunity for middle-school and high-school kids to be exposed to world-class players and educators like Mel Brown, Alan Jones, Dan Balmer, and Gordon Lee, providing an educational experience like no school in town.”

The Roseland Theater is located at 8 NW 6th Avenue. Tickets for this extraordinary event are available at etix.com for $25.00 general admission on the floor, $35.00 for balcony seating and $65.00 per person for VIP table seating on the main floor (each table seats 8 people) This is a 21 and over event. Show time is 7:00 pm.