NEW Cascade Blues Association Board Members in 2023!

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CBA Board Important Message

The CBA added two new Board Members
at our January 2023 Board Meeting

Please join us in welcoming Jill Pex and Evelyn Silverman to the CBA Board!

Jill Pex – General Secretary

About Jill: Jill was born and raised in the Portland area and has lived here all her life.  She was involved in band throughout junior high and high school, and continues playing with several local groups.  She earned a BS from Portland State University, was self-employed for 27 years, recently earned a Music Technology certificate from Clackamas Community College, and is currently working toward a degree in Music Performance Tech.  She runs half marathons, is a member of the Audio Engineering Society, holds the Secretary position for the Get a Life Marching Band, and is looking forward to participating in the CBA.

Evelyn Silverman – At-Large Board Member

 

About Evelyn: She was born and raised in Southern California, and escaped to Portland in 2006. Her day job is with the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and her side-gig is spending time with cats and dogs as a house/pet-sitter. Lifelong passions include music, art, books, travel, volunteering and connecting people. In addition to amazing music, the PNW Blues community has provided great friendships. 

 

The 2022 CBA officers election results are

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2022 CBA officers election

The 2022 CBA officers election results are:

Congratulations Anni Piper, our president-elect, and Nolan Johnson, our vice president-elect!
Our three incumbents who ran uncontested, Mike Day, Mike Todd and Marie Walters, were confirmed in their respective positions, and the By-Laws amendments were ratified as well.
This election was a true contest. James Thornton and Robert Umali Evans were strong contenders, garnering 40% and 45% of valid votes.
A reminder that the current officers’ term doesn’t end until December 31st and the elected terms begin January 1st.  Our first board meeting is scheduled for January 11th.
Thank you to our members who participated in this election process. As we head into a new year and a new term, we look forward to an exciting year of supporting blues music, and working together on new initiatives, collaboration, growth ….. and celebrating all those who’ve contributed to keeping the blues alive!

Board Update December 2021

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Board Update December 2021

Board Update December 2021

 

Officer Elections

Member voting for officer positions is Dec. 2-16. Candidate statements will be included in the member eblast.

Planning Subcommittee

Brad Bleidt led the first brainstorming meeting in mid-October, then presented the mission statement and priorities to the full board, which approved them. See below:

MISSION STATEMENT: A nonprofit organization committed to the promotion and preservation of all varieties of blues, Americana and roots music.

 

SUBCOMMITTEES:

  1. BluesNotes (chair: TBD) Randy, Anni, John Taylor
  2. Media/Communication Strategy (chair: Nolan) Marie, Brad
  3. Diversity (chair: Marie) Robert, JP Peterson, La Rhonda Steele, Wendy Schumer
  4. Quarterly Events (chair: Robert)
  5. Partnerships & Venue Development (chair: Brad) Marie
  6. Survey (chair: Nolan) Marie
  7. Grant Writing/Revenue Generation (chair: Brad) Marie, Randy
  8. Acquisition & Assets Priorities (chair: Brad)
  9. By-Laws (chair: Brad), Marie
  10. Institutional Knowledge (chair: tabled until after officer elections…note that Shelley is documenting as much as possible to help the new board)

The committees are meeting now, so if you are interested in joining the conversation and guiding the direction of the CBA, please reach out to the lead (Brad Bleidt) or send an email to cascadebluesstaff@gmail.com

Holiday Party

Dec. 12 at the Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey — 2 p.m. See the event write-up by Anni for the complete details.

Board Spotlight – Brad Bleidt

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Board Spotlight – Brad Bleidt

photo by Retrojive Creative

Brad joined the CBA Board in January of 2018 at the encouragement of a fellow musician and CBA Board member he was playing with at the time. His natural interest in the musical aspects of the CBA expanded to include the financial and regulatory infrastructure of the organization.

His MBA in nonprofit management placed Brad in a key role to introduce several major infrastructure improvements.
These include:

  • Placement of director and officer insurance.
  • Improving accounting practices and hiring third-party accounting/bookkeeping services.
  • Implementing compliance processes to satisfy federal and state filing requirements.
  • Revising the bylaws to reflect 2018 electronic communication standards.

More musical projects include:

  • 2019 Muddy Awards PowerPoint presentation, music augmentations and execution.
  • Creating and co-chairing the 2020 Performance Venue Project with the Portland Parks and Recreation Department.
  • Creating and co-chairing the 2021 Venue Cosponsorship Initiative.

He is a performing keyboardist currently playing with the Beacon Street Titans and the music director at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.

Current projects Include:

  • The lead role for the newly formed CBA Planning Committee.
  • Project manager for the upcoming board elections for the 2022 service year.

Artistic Statement

“True inspiration is rare.

“It requires consistent creative and experimental practice for it to make its appearance. My creative focus is the embodiment of this practice consistency and spans four decades:  music, visual arts, literary expression, and business development.

All represent the focal points of my creative development and are uniquely interwoven to produce abstractions from my life’s experiences and solutions. A musical performance, a painting, a business consultation, and a written creation all are born out of equal passion and the mosaic of their interaction depicts humanity and a wide range of spiritual and ethical expression.”

Board Update November 2021

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Board Update December 2021

Board Update November 2021

by Shelley Garrett

Mini Muddy Awards, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3

We are very excited to bring this event back for 2021 as the “Mini Muddys.” We are lucky to have secured a location that is centrally located, COVID friendly and no cost to us. (Note: The Alberta Rose is already locked in for 2022!)

Music sets by the Ben Rice All-Stars and Rae Gordon’s “Original Music Hour.” Celebrity presenters include Mary Flower, Arietta Ward and Terry Currier. Read the event write-up for a list of this year’s nominees and complete details! Tickets are available now

Officer Elections

While all positions are up for election, there is a critical need for president, vice president and membership director.

If you are interested, please send an email with your “Intent to Run” noting the position you are running for to Brad Bleidt at cascadebluesstaff@gmail.com

by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 10. Brad will be communicating more information soon!

Planning Subcommittee

Brad Bleidt led the first brainstorming meeting in mid-October, then presented the mission statement and priorities to the full board, which approved them. See below:

MISSION STATEMENT:
A nonprofit organization committed to the promotion and preservation of all varieties of blues, Americana, and roots music.

SUBCOMMITTEES:

  1. BluesNotes (chair: TBD) Randy, Anni, John Taylor
  2. Media/Communication Strategy (chair: Nolan) Marie, Brad
  3. Diversity (chair: Marie) Robert, JP Peterson, Larhonda Steele, Wendy Schumer
  4. Quarterly Events (chair: Robert)
  5. Partnerships & Venue Development (chair: Brad) Marie, Shelley
  6. Survey (chair: Nolan) Marie
  7. Grant Writing/Revenue Generation (chair: Brad) Marie, Randy
  8. Acquisition & Assets Priorities (chair: Brad)
  9. By-Laws (chair: Brad), Marie
  10. Institutional Knowledge (chair: tabled until after officer elections)

The committees are forming now, so if you are interested in joining the conversation and guiding the direction of the CBA, please reach out to the lead (Brad Bleidt) or send an email to cascadebluesstaff@gmail.com

CBA co-sponsored shows at the Lovejoy Rooftop at Botanist

The next CBA co-sponsored show at Lovejoy Rooftop at Botanist will be in December (music TBD). When Brad and Marie approached JP Peterson and we all met to brainstorm in June, the initial plan was for the CBA to cosponsor one event a quarter. CBA members and the blues community have done such a great job of supporting this effort, that we are striving to plan one show a month!

Artichoke Music Collaboration

Brad, Marie and Shelley met with Artichoke Executive Director Bob Howard. Topics included planning co-sponsored shows at the Artichoke Café, potential board meeting space and/or storage space at their location, and opportunities for CBA member musicians to teach classes or hold workshops there.

Nolan Johnson

Please welcome new at-large member Nolan Johnson! We will have his bio in the December post.

Sugar Roots IBC Fundraiser

Mark your calendars for an IBC fundraiser, Nov. 27 at the Garages. Sugar Roots is going to be the CBA representative at the IBC in Memphis in January, and they estimate their expenses at around $12,000. Come out and support them if you can! More details in the event write-up.

Holiday Party

“Save the Date:” Dec. 12 at the Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey. Anni Piper has scheduled the music (Nikki Jones, Billy D & the Hoodoos, James Ortega Y Los Demon Drivers, Fenix Project).

Jeanette Aglipay started working on the silent auction, and YES members are asked to bring DESSERT! More details to come next month!

Michael Bean- RIP

The entire CBA Board sends its heartfelt condolences to Michelle, Morgan and Matthew. Michael and Michelle have supported the CBA in so many ways.

Chris Hamann Celebration of Life

Please note that this event has been postponed.

Blues for Slim Lively — A Benefit for Greg Johnson, Oct. 17

Close to 50 volunteers were needed to make this event a success! The CBA volunteer team, Richard LaChapelle, Belinda Clark and Jeanette Aglipay sent many emails and made many phone calls to fill all the shifts. This event went off without a hitch and raised money for Greg and Cherie. I noticed Cherie was out shopping for a van to accommodate Greg for transport to PT, doctor appointments, etc. A big thank-you to all the CBA members who signed up, showed up and got the job done!

From Shelley

On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for the supportive emails, Facebook comments, calls and messages this year as we kept the CBA running (and thriving) without Greg.  It means a lot!

Board Update – October 2021

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Board Update December 2021

Board Update – October 2021

By Shelley Garrett

We hope everyone is excited about the projects that the CBA is working on. If you see anything that interests you, please reach out to us at cascadebluesstaff@gmail.com to join a committee!

Each month we will introduce you to another person serving on the board. This month we are showcasing Ron Johnson. So far this year, we have highlighted membership director Mike Todd, general secretary Marie Walters and at-large member Randy Murphy. Each person brings unique skills and perspectives. If you’ve missed reading about anyone, all the past articles can be found on the CBA website.

The board is committed to following all COVID protocols for any event we are involved in.

The membership meeting/concert this month will be at the Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd Ave. Note the new start time at 6:30. Members are free, the general public is invited for $5. This is a 21-plus venue (though we are working with them to allow under 21). See the event write-up for more information, including the Spare Room COVID-19 entry requirements.

October events the CBA is cosponsoring, or presenting, are Oct. 22, Midnight at the Crossroads at the Echo Theater, and Oct. 15, NW Women in Blues (Sonny Hess, Julie Strange, Rae Gordon, Kathryn Grimm, Myrtle Brown, Leah Hinchcliff, and Ward Griffiths) at the Lovejoy Rooftop at the Botanist. See the event write-ups for more information and where to purchase tickets.

Remember, Sunday, Oct. 17, is Blues for Slim Lively, a benefit for CBA President Greg Johnson at the Crystal. Get tickets here or at Music Millennium.  As of press time, the lineup is Curtis Salgado & Terry Robb, Ty Curtis Band with Steve Kerin & Too Slim, and Rich Layton & Trouble Town with guest April Brown. More info will be coming in a special eblast next week! Great prizes are in play, too — such as a two-week Mississippi Delta trip … including the King Biscuit Festival, dinner and lodging. This will be a limited raffle item. You will not need to be present to purchase a ticket or to win the trip. Read the email blast next week!

Planning is ramping up for “Mini Muddy Awards” on Nov. 3 at the Lovejoy Rooftop at the Botanist.  The committee identified and the board approved 10 categories that we believe make sense (Paul deLay “Lifetime Achievement”, Virtual Livestream Performance, Virtual Live Stream Production, Venue, NW Event, Live Performance, NW Recording, National Recording, Dance Ambassador) and the George Page “Back What You Believe In” that is voted on by the Board. Music will be announced soon with all-star sets being put together by Rae Gordon and Ben Rice. The awards will include the months that would have been eligible for the 2020 awards, Sept. 1, 2019, through Aug. 31, 2021. Members will be voting in mid-October. The member newsletter and the CBA Facebook group will have ticket and reservation information soon.

Plans for the Holiday Party are in full swing, (committee members Robert Evans, Anni Piper and Jeanette Aglipay). We will again be at the Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey, with music by Billy D and the Hoodoos, Nikki Jones, Fenix Rising and Los Demon Drivers. This is the only fundraiser we do for ourselves. Please let Jeanette or any board member know if you have anything to donate for the silent auction/raffle.

Other projects in the works (leads noted)

Mission Statement Update — Randy Murphy

Planning and Diversity — Brad Bleidt

Blues in the Schools — Robert Evans

Scholarships — Randy Murphy

Lovejoy Rooftop at the Botanist/Elevate Unity Collaboration — Brad Bleidt and Marie Walters

Membership Growth — Mike Todd

Officer Elections 

It’s not too soon to think about running for a CBA office. All elected positions (president, vice president, membership director, general secretary, treasurer) are up for re-election. It’s time to pass the torch and add more diversity.

Job profiles can be found here. Intent to run and a short bio are due to Brad Bleidt at cascadebluesstaff@gmail.com by Sunday, Nov. 14, at 11:59 p.m. We will publish the remainder of the deadlines next month. We still have room for additional at-large board positions. If any of the initiatives above pique your interest, please join us in guiding the future of the CBA.

Be kind, stay safe, music is a healer.

Ron Johnson – CBA at-large board member since 2018

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Ron Johnson
CBA at-large board member since 2018

Ron says. “I joined the CBA Board of Directors about three years ago. I joined to see what I could do to help with the future and direction of the CBA — and out of curiosity about how they work. The future of the CBA is looking up these days, as we are able to put more events out there for our members and the general public. And this in turn gives more exposure for the Portland blues community, especially the music, musicians and the venues. And that’s why the CBA exists.”

Ron is quick to lend a hand, often volunteering for events.  He is often out supporting live music and is usually dancing!

 

Board Update – September 2021

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Board Update - September 2021

Board Update – September 2021

By Shelley Garrett

You may have noticed that this column has slowly been changing into something new.

Many people have told us that they don’t really know what the CBA is doing. With 10 active members currently on the board, there is a lot going on and in the planning stages.  Communicating these projects and initiatives is important for the organization. It may also serve to highlight areas that may interest new volunteers and future board members.

Each month we will introduce you to another person serving on the board. So far this year, we have highlighted Mike Todd, Membership Director, Marie Walters, General Secretary, and this month read about Randy Murphy, our longest-tenured member. Each person brings unique skills and perspectives. If you’ve missed reading about anyone, all the past articles can be found on the website.

We are also happy to welcome a new writer for Blue Notes, Kirk Anderson. Please read his short bio in the features section, and the articles on Allman-Betts and Too Slim that he wrote for their upcoming shows.

The board is committed to following all COVID protocols for any event we are involved in.

The membership meeting/concert this month with Tevis Hodge Jr. will be the last one at Artichoke Music. The CBA thanks Bob Howard for reaching out to us last year — this has been a great partnership! Each act that has performed there has a professional video from their performance posted to YouTube and sent to them the day after their show … funded by you, the CBA membership. In October we move to the Spare Room, with a new start time at 6:30 p.m.

We are getting close to the 2021 Journey to Memphis competition on 9/11 at Artichoke Music. A limited amount of tickets are being sold — see the article by Marie Walters for details.

Upcoming events that the CBA is cosponsoring in September are Allman-Betts 9/9 at the Roseland Theater, then Duffy Bishop Band 9/24, and Too Slim and the Taildraggers/Tevis Hodge Jr. 9/29, both at the Alberta Rose Theatre. Members can read the e-blast for the special code to get $2 off admission, either online or at the door. We have tickets to give away for Duffy and Too Slim, either at the show, or via instructions in the September email blast. In the first of a series, Blues Nights at the Lovejoy Rooftop (at the Botanist), join us on 9/24 for the Beacon St. Titans.

Save the date for the “Mini Muddys” Wednesday 11/3, at the Lovejoy Rooftop at the Botanist.  The committee identified and the board approved 10 categories (including some new ones) that we believe make sense.  The awards will include the months that would have been eligible for the 2020 awards. Members will begin voting in mid-September.

Remember, Sunday, Oct. 17 — Blues for Slim Lively, a benefit for CBA President Greg Johnson at the Crystal. Get tickets here or at Music Millennium.

Plans for the Holiday Party are in full swing, (committee members Robert Evans, Anni Piper and Jeanette Aglipay). We will again be at the Moose Lodge 16411 NE Halsey, with music by Billy D and the Hoodoos, Nikki Jones, Fenix Rising and Los Demon Drivers. This is the only fundraiser we do for ourselves. Please let Jeanette or any board member know if you have anything to donate for the silent auction/raffle.

 

Other projects in the works (leads noted):

Mission Statement Update — Randy Murphy

Planning and Diversity — Brad Bleidt

Blues in the Schools — Robert Evans

Scholarships — Randy Murphy

Lovejoy Rooftop at the Botanist/Elevate Unity Collaboration — Brad Bleidt and Marie Walters

Membership Growth — Mike Todd

Officer Elections

It’s not too soon to think about running for a CBA office. All elected positions (President, Vice-President, Membership Director, General Secretary, Treasurer) are up for re-election. Job profiles can be found here. Intent to run and a short bio are due to Brad Bleidt at cascadebluesstaff@gmail.com by Sunday 11/14 at 11:59 p.m. We will publish the remainder of the deadlines next month. We still have room for additional at-large board positions. If any of the initiatives above pique your interest, please join us in guiding the future of the CBA.

Stay safe … be well … music is a healer.

Welcome Mike Day-CBA Treasurer!

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Welcome Mike Day-CBA Treasurer!

Welcome Mike Day-CBA Treasurer!

Hi, I’m Mike Day and am looking forward to joining the CBA Board as your new Treasurer! I have a Master of Public Administration degree and currently work in public health IT management. For several years, I was the Secretary/Treasurer for a volunteer, non-profit association based in California. That background led to my interest in joining the CBA board and helping where I can. I’m looking forward to being more involved.

We are all excited about Mike joining us!