Greg Johnson, CBA President

Every year in December I devote my column to the blues recordings that have stood out to me overall during the last year. One thing it always shows is that my taste is not founded in just one aspect or direction of blues music. It’s all over the map. These ten recordings were highlights for me, but don’t ask me to place them in any certain order because they can all flip flop at any given time. But they are discs that held my attention and their place on my player for significant time and still do.

Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager – Rough Cut – living in Portland we already knew that Curtis and Alan have the magic touch that flows through their traditional styles with ease and perfection. From the first listen of this disc I knew right away that it was destined to be one of the year’s best.

Ben Rice – Wish the World Away – I’ve said it before, Ben Rice frightens me. I mean how can somebody come across sounding better every time out. And I don’t mean every recording, but every time I see him. And I see him a lot. Wish The World Away is an acoustic masterpiece and if he wasn’t already making his name known globally with his performances, the songwriting and playing here should do the trick. Amazing is too mild a description.

Michael Osborn – Hanging On – I have always loved Michael Osborn’s recordings, but this one is something special. Some of the finest guitar playing of his career and the songwriting and collaborations make this album close to perfect. Well it just may be perfect. Brilliant blues by an unsung master.

Paul Oscher – Cool Cat –  Paul Oscher has a phenomenal background as we’re well aware. A multi-instrumentalist, a strong songwriter and superb story-teller, he is the full package whether traditional blues and as seen here a little jazz. Wish he’d release albums more often than he does.

Cedric Burnside – Benton County Relic – Another prime example of how Cedric Burnside is perhaps the finest purveyor of the North Mississippi Hill Country sound. It’s in his blood and this fine recording shows his legacy.

Bettye LaVette – Things Have Changed – This was a brave outing by Bettye LaVette, bringing the music of Bob Dylan into a completely soulful and gritty collection filled with sass and sex appeal.

Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son – after a six year absence from recording, Ry Cooder is back and returning to his natural place as a first-rate historian of traditional roots music while still offering a piece of his own social opinions. Oh, and just in case you’ve forgotten, Ry Cooder is one of the finest guitar players ever . . . ever!! And he throws down some mean mandolin, banjo, bass and keys, too, for good measure.

Marcus King Band – Carolina Confessions – Look out, he’s just 22 and is already the full package as a musician, vocalist and songwriter. A surprise recording where he follows in the footsteps of Derek Trucks and Gary Clark Jr.

Johnny Rawls – I’m Still Around – Okay, anybody who follows my top ten every year already knows that Johnny Rawls is a regular. And if you saw him at the Waterfront you know that he is one of the finest soul voices out there and every one of his discs is filled with his smooth and crafty singing and songwriting.

Anthony Geraci – Why Did You Have To Go – One of the most in demand keyboard players in the blues world, Anthony Geraci proves once again that he can put together highly listenable music of his own. And the collection of musicians backing him is like a who’s who of the modern blues scene, from Sugaray Rayford to Kid Ramos to Jimi Bott to Ronnie Earl, and so many more.

If you haven’t heard these discs, I highly recommend every one of them. You can’t go wrong.

Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association President

So much going on within the Cascade Blues Association for the last portion of 2018. Hoping that we’re moving in the right direction to make our members happy.

First of all, we have a new venue for this year’s Muddy Awards. After the Melody Ballroom was sold last year we had to move our monthly meetings to Catfish Lou’s as everyone already knows. But it also meant that we needed to locate a new venue for our signature event, the Muddy Awards. We could’ve remained at the Melody, but it was cost prohibitive for us to do so this year. Fortunately, board member James Kosek contacted the Alberta Rose Theatre and everything has worked out that we will be holding our event in one of the prime venues in Portland. We’re working on a new show format, too, so stay tuned to the BluesNotes for further updates.

Another upcoming  change for the CBA will be an all new look BluesNotes. We will eventually be moving into a full color paper with a new editor, Michael Wong at Cedar House Media. It was a great deal being offered to us that we just had to make the move. Because of this change, we have to say goodbye to our current editor Laurie Morrisey. Laurie did a great job for us for more than the past decade and saw a lot of the changes to the way that the BluesNotes has been presented over that time. We have nothing but love for the work that Laurie provided us over those years, but part of the change we had to make involved changing editors. Thank you Laurie, you will always be a part of the CBA family.

Please note that we are quickly coming up on the new year, which means that it is time to think of our board of director officer positions. We want everybody to consider running for any of the five officer spots (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and  membership secretary). We can also take on more at-large board members as our by-laws allow up to fifteen positions (including officers) to be on the board. Please let us know if you would like to be considered to run.

And for those who haven’t heard, we will also be moving our monthly meetings from Catfish Lou’s to McMenamins’ Mission Theater in January. We have loved our time at Catfish, but we desperately need larger space and having a venue that can accommodate minors is important to us, too. Thank you Michelle for providing a first class space for us over the past year plus and being the best host that we could ever ask for.

It is also with a heavy heart that we say farewell to Glenn Holmstrom who lost his battle with cancer this last month. Glenn played with so many people for many years. It is hard to imagine our music community without him. Godspeed on your new journey Glenn, you will be adding a new keyboard sound amongst the angels now.

On a personal note, as this is my own personal column, I want to take a minute to say thank you to all of the friends, family and musicians who attended and performed at Cherie and my wedding in August. Due to venue capacity we were limited to the number of guests we could have in attendance and so wish that we could’ve invited more. I want to say thanks to all those who performed throughout the day: (in order of performance) Terry Robb, Hawkeye Herman, Justus Reece, Ben Rice, Ken DeRouchie Band, Ellen Whyte & Sue Orfield, Julie Amici & Dean Mueller, Sister Mercy, Michael Osborn, Franco Paletta, Robin Gibson, and Mark Bittler. So many more musicians (including best man Rich Layton) and members of the blues community were all at hand to help us celebrate. We absolutely love you all.

Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association President

Summer time is always a favorite period during the year due to the number of music festivals taking place seemingly everywhere. The Waterfront Blues Festival is a definite highlight, not only because of the sensational acts that Peter Dammann has booked (another stellar job this year I might add), but it is also a gathering of good friends, many that we do not see much if at all the rest of the year. It’s basically a blues family reunion in our home town.

Looking back at this year’s Waterfront, it makes me proud that the Cascade Blues Association were able to sponsor a couple of acts thanks to the generous donation from Bill Schauer in his will. Those acts, The Proven Ones and Johnny Rawls were at the top of my list of favorite performances as they were for many others.

A quick glance at some of my most cherished performances. There were so many, but I have just rounded it down to these five for now.

Johnny Rawls – backed by the Ben Rice Trio Johnny brought his smooth Southern soul to Portland for a trio of festival sets. But those who weren’t at his late-night set at the Crossroads Stage missed out on pure, nasty Mississippi blues straight out of the juke joint. Definitely an adult-oriented performance with Johnny asking all the ladies to come down front and shake it for him as he threw out double-entendres and some not so subtle lyrics that had the crowd on its feet dancing along.

The Proven Ones delivered exactly what you’d expect from a “super group.” All the musicians played at the top of their game and vocalist Brian Templeton proved himself an outstanding stage master in his Portland area debut.

Michael Osborn showcased his new album with terrific guitar licks that were amongst the best over the week’s event. Backed by Peter Dammann, Dave Fleshner, KG Jackson, Johnny Moore and backing vocalist Melanie Owens the stage came alive. And when Karen Lovely joined Michael the grouping took it to yet another level.

The Mavericks absolutely raised the roof with their closing set. A conglomeration of American music that took us from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Tex-Mex, Bakersfield, Miami and all points in between this act appealed to an ecstatic audience heavy with appreciation. With a dense stage smoke throughout their set adding to the atmosphere and a big band people were still dancing as they left the park

I was approached at one point during Beth Hart’s set by somebody telling me that they just didn’t get her. What? How can you not understand the appeal of Beth Hart? This lady puts her whole heart, passion and every drop of her soul into her performance. There is a connection that brings people to their feet to sing along, while Beth absorbs that energy and builds upon it to the point of personal ecstacy that shines through her eyes, movements and delivery that is pure enrapturement.

And the music is not just at the Waterfront during the summer. Plenty of other festivals and happenings going on.  And looking at the talent of touring acts heading through town just in August it surely shows we’re a destination to catch. Just a small sampling of those acts are Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite, Samantha Fish, Junior Watson, Shemekia Copeland, Tommy Castro, Marcia Ball and oh my God s many more.

We hope to see everybody at the Cascade Blues Association’s annual Concert in the Park (formerly CBA picnic) at Columbia Crossings on Sunday, August 5 for yet another day of good friends and music. And stop by the CBA booth at Hawthorne Street Fair on Sunday, August 26 and say hi. Both of these events are good places to join the CBA if you’re not already a member. Have a safe, fun and musical summer everybody!

Greg Johnson, CBA President

It is too often lately that I have reflected on the loss of venues. So it is good news that it appears that two we thought may not be around anymore have discovered a potential new life.

The Birk closed down at the end of last year, with the owners Mike and Wendy Ingrahm deciding to move in a new direction with their lives. But they always wanted the venue to remain if possible and it appears that they have new lessees to take it on. The first shows took place in mid-May with The Delgado Brothers and hopefully they will keep things going into the future.

Also things looked a little bleak for The Garages Music & Event Center in Beaverton. Having only recently opened during the summer of 2017, the venue was a work in progress. Unfortunately the City of Beaverton revised building codes and forced them to cease with their music schedule until they could be completed. And the cost of the needs on that list were spendy. But the local musicians knowing that venues were in need, especially on the west side, stepped in to help them out with two days of fundraising in early June. The event will be held on a stage outside the building, and it appears that several other such shows will take place in the parking lot, too. Other venues know the need is there as well, with Catfish Lou’s donating raffle items for The Garages fundraiser. When the local music scene is vital and alive, all will share in the good times, musicians, venues and fans alike.

We also need to be aware that the festivals we love so much are also sometimes in flux and need our help. The Waterfront Blues Festival has changed leadership as the Oregon Food Bank stepped out of being in control. Don’t fret though, as Clay Fuller Productions has taken on the task of keeping it alive. Clay and his crew have been working hand in hand with the Food Bank over the years, and the organization will remain a beneficiary, but it is a whole lot to handle when your main source on the business end of things changes. Now more than ever they need your help as volunteers and more in supporting the festival with paid attendance. It is still one of the best bargains for any festival of this size to be found anywhere in the country, compared to many that will charge anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00 a day for admission. With world class performers, both from our local artists to well-known touring acts. You just don’t understand how spoiled we are. Keep it alive.

There are a lot of things to keep you entertained during the summer months in Portland and the Northwest. Watch for shows happening everywhere, in the parks and in the clubs. Put your money toward live music. Tip the bands. Buy their recordings. It is what makes our music community as strong as it can be. You know that you love music, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this type of periodical. Get out there and experience it first hand as often as possible. It will make you feel good every time. Here’s to the happy, sunny and musical days of summer!