My Latest livepdx.com Music Blog

While pondering the phrases, "Mighty kootie fiyo on a Mardi Gras day" and "two-way pockeyway"....

The Underwood sisters, Belinda and Melissa, aka Beliss (pictured), have returned from Egypt and report, "We survived the desert rains of Egypt (the most they've had in probably thousands of years)." They have gigs this week: Thursday, Feb 7 at The TeaZone and Camellia Lounge and Friday, Feb 8 at Albina Green.

Bass player/writer and all around smart guy (and my competition at the O) Don Campbell is finally back on the job after a hip replacement. He reports, "The hip is doing great. Been walking 3 - 4 miles a night."

Re: Margaret Slovak …after I had filed this blog for last week. She has a solo tune on the new Thara Memory album Chronicles. Originally she recorded a bunch of solo tunes that he wanted to use as bridges between songs on the album. Years went by. Not long before it came out, he called to get the "mechanicals" (information for copywriting music) on a tune she had never written. He had edited together some of her playing and called it "Margaret's Tune." She thought it was funny that she went to the CD release gig never having heard the tune she wrote. She's happy with it. Laughs about it. That Thara!

It won't be out till spring, but on Rachel Taylor-Brown's new CD Half Hours with the Lower Creatures, she has put it all together…her classical training and performing experience (Cappella Romana), her poetic talents and commercial possibilities. She writes, sings, plays piano and eleven other instruments. It was co-produced and recorded by Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Stephen Malkmus, Sleater-Kinney, Menomena). Remember you heard it here first. At last, she may be the next big thing to come out of Portland. Couldn't happen to a nicer girl, too.

Portland Jazz Festival cancellation: Pianist Fred Hersch has "health-related issues" and won't be performing on February 22 with Nancy King. "Health-related," like "flu-like," is an unfortunate early 21st Century phrase for, "he's ill."

Grammy-nominated singer Kurt Elling and Nancy's longtime collaborator Steve Christofferson will fill in, having just come from performing at Lincoln Center in NYC.

I went with guitarist Terry Robb to the first night of Slim Gaillard's Civilization at the NW Film Center's Reel Film Festival. The festival is over now, but it was awesome. We sat there with our mouths open as two of the four hours of that very strange BBC series on his life proved to me why NWFC's Bill Foster said it was his favorite thing in the festival. Very oddly paced. Included long stretches that didn't seem to have much to do with Slim, but really did. One of those pieces you just have to accept on its own terms.

Anyway, Terry told me he's going to be recording a new Linda Hornbuckle/Janice Scroggins album for his new label PsycheDelta. Now that's exciting.

Re: Portland Music Awards. I am happy to report that I was personally excluded from the media guest list by Craig Marquardo, himself. Now that's a guy I like being on the wrong side of.

There's a big tango festival next Wednesday thru Monday, Feb 13 - 18, called ValenTango XI. They had over 600 people attend last year and invite you to, "Spend an intense/passionate/romantic four days together in 'tango friendly' Portland with friends and your favorite instructors, DJ's, musicians and tango partners learning, dancing, schmoozing, eating, and hanging out at the unique Portland ballrooms, coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants."

For the event, Portland's tango titan Alex Krebs is putting together "Orquesta Tipica" made up of musicians from all over the world.

Saxophonist Reggie Houston and his pal Jim Adair are putting together a production company. Stay tuned for more info.

Tap dancer/saxophonist Shoehorn is debuting his new band "Shoehorn's Hatband," with Skip Elliott Bowman on bass, Dan Gaynor on piano and Ward Griffiths on drums. They will perform material from their upcoming CD, including Shoehorn’s originals plus "overlooked gems from the American and International songbooks." Now that is one solid band. See them on Friday, Feb 8 at LaurelThirst Public House.

And with that, I'm putting on some beads and heading over to Acadia to eat and make silly for Mawdi Graw.

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