This week's LivePDX.com music blog

While trying to recover from two days in Bend "covering" the famed Pregnant Man story for Inside Edition:

Word from saxophonist/composer Patrick Lamb's wife Amy Maxwell tells me that he is home and recovering from last week's traffic accident at Grand and NE Weidler where his car was smacked by a dump truck. She said that the people who found him immediately after the wreck thought he was a goner. He was not. He has some broken bones, but after a couple of days in the hospital, he was released. She is grateful for all the good will sent her way…and Patricks's.

Not sure how long it'll be before he's up and playing again. The sooner the better.

Another medical report: Margaret Slovak is back from New York City where she was having her shoulder examined. The lingering effects of her own auto accident several years ago is one of the sad stories in the Portland music community. She was rear-ended not terribly far from where Lamb's car was hit.

And you thought drugs were the biggest danger to musicians. If I was a Portland player I'd stay away from Sullivan's Gulch!

3 Leg Torso is going to be "featured in the DVD release of Diary of the Dead, George Romero's latest zombie movie" according to Courtney von Drehle, the accordion leg of the band. & Teller, a short film by the silent half of Penn and Teller along with Ezekiel Zabrowski won one of the five first prizes in a George Romero-sponsored contest. That's how it gets on the DVD. They used the 3 Leg tune "Elliot's Dream." It comes out May 20.

Teller narrates the film which tells the story of how his Las Vegas hometown is overrun by those cute undead folks. He kills them, I hear. Violinist Bela Balogh said, "We’ve been licensing a lot of music lately…to Bill Plympton and others. Von Drehle added, “Though in retrospect, we were glad they didn’t ask us to help clean all that zombie make-up and glue off of them after filming!”

Think that rock operas are dead? A new one called Toy Room by performance artist Sally Tomato premieres April 4-6 at the Wonder Ballroom. A soundtrack album has already been released and a DVD of the performance will be released in the fall. Proceeds go to Portland Women's Crisis Line.

According to what they sent me, the show "chronicles the life story of the enigmatic Sally Tomato. Touching on her childhood and hurtling into a chaotic adult life, the story line moves through an abusive marriage on its way to rediscovering the innocence of youth. Throughout the play, Sally struggles to regain the ability she had as a child to rise above the mundane via her imagination. In the end she triumphs, finding that the toy room has always existed in her own mind – and reminding us that it exists in ours as well."

Sounds like a chick thing.

One of the happiest elements of the show is the return to the dance world of Clynthia Chimienti who came out of the late great PSU dance program and who hasn't been active for the past few years while getting her masters and launching her counseling practice. She does the choreography and plays the part of "Destiny."

Boomerific bass player Freebo who backed Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, CSN (that's Crosby, Stills and Nash, kids), Maria Mauldaur and even Ringo Starr (although who didn't?), Neil Young and Dr. John (I don't remember that)….whew that was long…he's coming to Artichoke Music for a songwriting workshop on Sunday, April 6 2-6pm. He was Best Folk Artist in last year's Los Angeles Music Awards. F.Y.I. His real name is Daniel Friedberg.

R.I.P Sean Levert. According to news reports, " Sean Levert, a third of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, has died after falling ill while serving a jail term. He was 39. Authorities said Monday that an autopsy was inconclusive but foul play was ruled out.

Levert was sentenced last week to one year and 10 months in jail for failing to pay $89,025 in child support.

Wednesday is (was) Leon Russell'sLeon Russell's 67th birthday and he's still caught in a masquerade.

Art, waffles and music? Rich going, huh? Scott Stobbe of the band Zdrastvootie says, "I am having some of my compositions performed (a collage of pieces for trombone, oboe, violin, accordeon, toy piano, guitar and percussion) come if you can. Jace Gace makes good waffles and has beer!! There is also a free impov sextet on the April 9th show!!" It is sponsored by Portland New Music Society.

And on Friday, April 5, don't forget Rachel Taylor Brown's CD release gig at Mississippi Studios.