Oregon Music News

October 8, 2015 Hi there, we’re back in the coffeeshop this week…that being World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan in Portland. This time…in the days before he will be inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame…drummer Brian Foxworth is with us. A member of the Curtis Salgado band for the past five years, also a member of the Roseland Hunters where he shows off his vocal skills…he plays with a lot of people and constantly. He also plays in church…a lot. And he’s helping put together a reunited, rejuvenated version of the famed Portland Soul band Pleasure. And that isn’t half of it.

October 2, 2015 We're not actually in the coffeeshop this week, we're on Skype with David Vest who after he left Portland for Victoria, B.C. became the best Blues pianist in Canada, winning the coveted Maple Blues Award in that category two out of the past three years. Before he moved to Canada, and even after, he was the piano player in Paul deLay’s band. David is not only a Blues and boogie woogie player, he can play just about anything including Sun Ra and Thelonious Monk. In fact he did an all Monk show in Canada not long ago. He’s a political writer too. Most of the time, when we talk, the subect is baseball, but not today. He’s working on a new album…we’ll find out what we can about that. So now from all points south, including Alabama, where he was born, and Houston, where he spent many years, here’s the king of the Blues piano in Canada and probably the whole world….David Vest

September 24, 2015 Welcome back to World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan in Portland, Oregon. This time, not long back from two lengthy tours, one with Jill Scott and one with Bootsy Collins, with a new album out, one ready to go and one in production, one of the busiest musicians in Oregon, trumpeter/composer Farnell Newton. Or "Neutron Newton" as we will find out. He’s one of those musicians who is comfortable in any genre but who is focusing on Soul and Funk and Jazz and various versions and combinations of them. His new album is called Ready to Roll and we’ll hear some of it.

September 17, 2015 You are in the coffeeshop with me and Tuvan throat singer Enrique Ugalde who you may know as Soriah. Once again we’re at World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan in Portland. You may not know what Tuvan throat singing is. You may not know where the hell Tuva is. If you don’t you sure as hell don’t know why Enrique, originally from California, now splitting his time between Portland an Tuva where he has won singing competions. Soriah is his performing name. This is going to be good.

September 10, 2015 Chance Hayden plays guitar in nearly every genre you can think of. The coffeeshop is World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan in Portland, You knew that. Chance recently got back from an extensive tour of Europe as part of Jarrod Lawson’s band. It was not their first tour and Jarrod is so hot over there that they played major festivals and large halls. But Chance is much more than a Soul guitarist. He’s a Jazz artist, was in an early version of Redwood Son in which he played Americana…face it, he can play anything. He’s married to singer/composer Shelly Rudolph and they have a little son.

September 3, 2105 Thanks for coming back to Oregon Music News’ Coffeeshop Conversations at World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan in Portland. With me is Kate Power...singer, guitarist, ukulele-ist or is it ukulele-ian…well she’s known for her ukulele playing too. Kate and husband Steve Einhorn came back to Portland in January. They had been gone for four and a half years. For decades they were the owners of Artichoke Music, a store and teaching center, but more importantly, the hub of stringed instruments and song in Portland. It was a welcoming place to visit. There was always someone playing an instrument, many times one or both of the proprietors who had a thriving career as a performing/recording duo.They still do! They gave up the store in 2006. The rest, we’ll find out about.

August 27, 2015 Welcome back to the coffeeshop, World Cup Coffee and Tea to be specific at northwest 18th and Glisan in Portland. Joining me today here in the cupping room is the owner of the Alberta Rose Theatre, Joe Cawley. The Alberta Rose has been an important part of Oregon’s music scene since Thursday, June 24, 2010 when he opened what had been a church, a couple of different movie theaters, but mostly had been abandoned for a long time before he bought it. Known for it’s Americana, Acoustic and Blues shows, it is also home to many of the Wanderlust Circus events. It’s a friendly place, very aware and a great part of the Alberta Arts district. Matter of fact, it’s turned out to be its anchor.

August 20, 2015 It's another Coffeeshop Conversation from World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan. With us in the cupping room is the founder of The Slants, Simon Tam also known as Simon Young…don’t worry, I’ll ask him about that… the purveyors of “Chinatown Rock” a combination of punk, synth-pop, rock and their own special sauce. Yes their name is a key factor, Simon chose it because it is a band made up of all Asian Americans, hence the joke, the slants, but which has much deeper meaning. And we’ll get into that. You may have read about their ongoing legal dispute with the federal government over the trademarking of their name. The feds say it’s disparaging to Asian-Americans, the band says, well, you know, we ARE Asian-Americans. Of course we’ll get into THAT.

August 13, 2015 We’ve got a saxophone playing tap dancer on this episode of Oregon Music News’ Coffeeshop Conversations. His is known as Shoehorn. His real name is Michael Conley. I'm with him in the cupping room at World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th and Glisan which is where we do all of these things. Sometimes baristas come in and have to grind coffee, but you know, we’re in a coffeeshop. Glad you decided to spend some time with us again this week. You have seen Shoehorn, I betcha. Yes, he plays clubs and concerts, but you also might find him busking on the street, something he’s done all over the world. He has a new album and dvd out called Wingin’ It. It’s got some of Oregon’s best Jazz musicians on it, plus one of his daughters. His other daughter did the album jacket design.

August 6, 2015 The coffeeshop gets funky today. Joining me at World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th & Glisan Michael Quinby who is the leader, guitarist and vocalist of the Roseland Hunters who have been blasting out funk for over a year on a regular basis and are about to release This Time, their first album, produced by Steve Berlin. It drops on August 21. The Hunters have some of Oregon’s best musicians including Damian Erskine on bass, Reinhardt Melz on drums, and the newest inductee into the Oregon Music Hall of fame Brian Foxworth, moving off the the drum kit to play percussion and sing.

July 30, 2015 Thanks for coming back to the coffeeshop, or…thanks for being here if it’s your first time. As usual this week’s Coffeeshop Conversation is coming to you from a coffeeshop, World Cup Coffee and Tea at Northwest 18th & Glisan. With me today is Luz Elena Mendoza, the mystic goddess who leads Y La Bamba. They’ve been off the scene for two and a half years, but she is in the process of reviving, re-forming the group and we’ll find out all about it. She is at the tail end of a Kickstarter Campaign to raise money to complete the production of the new album Oljos Del Sol. She's trying out some of the new songs on the road as she prepares to record. She has a lot to say and when she says it, you tend to hang on every word.

July 23, 2015 You have found another Oregon Music News Coffeeshop Conversation. Lucky you. From World Cup Coffee and Tea at NW 18th & Glisan of course. With me today is one of the two faces of Jimmy Mak’s. Jimmy Makarounis might think he is because he owns the place, but the two folks who people have grown to know and love over the years are mangers Lisa Brandon-Boyle and our guest in the coffeeshop John-David Stubenberg, known to all far and wide as JD. He’s been at Jimmy Mak’s since the old days, before the new club was built in 2006 and he’s been there almost every night since…and man does he have stories!

July 9, 2015 Welcome back Coffeeshop Conversationalists. We’re back after a week off baking in the Oregon Music News booth at the Waterfront Blues Festival. As usual, we are coming to you from World Cup Coffee and Tea at NW 18th and Glisan in Portland. With me today is composer and bassist Damian Erskine, possibly the most versatile bass player in a city of truly great bass player. He’s a Jazz artist, he plays in a funk band, he plays with rock star Gino Vannelli…I could go on. He has a signature sound that when you hear it, you know it’s got to be Damian and no other.

June 25, 2015 Lisa Mann is our guest this time around at World Cup Coffee and Tea at NW 18th and Glisan in Portland. She's pretty much fresh off of winning the Blues Music Award for Best Bass Player (kind of the Blues version of the Oscars) is bass player/vocalist Lisa Mann. As you may know she is married to Allen Markell, who is also a bass player…we’ll get to that and a lot of other things.

June 18, 2015 Lloyd Jones is with me at World Cup Coffee and Tea (NW 18th & Glisan) this week. As I’m sure you know, Lloyd has been a huge part of the Blues and Soul scene in Oregon for longer than he cares to remember. And he’s got stories about everyone. He’s on his way to Europe for a tour, but before he goes, he came in to talk to us.

Here's the latest Coffeeshop Conversation from World Cup Coffee and Tea at NW 18th and Glisan in Portland Oregon. With me today is Amy Maxwell, co-owner with her husband saxophonist Patrick Lamb of Ticket Tomato, with. She is also Patrick’s manager. The story of how Tickets Oregon got started and became Ticket Tomato is a good one, so is how they manage to combine a successful music career with a ticket business.

June 4, 2015 Hello fans of Coffeeshop Conversations, Oregon Music News, coffee in general and specifically World Cup Coffee and Tea at NW 18th & Glisan where we do these things every week. This week with me in the coffeeshop is entertainment attorney Peter Vaughan Shaver whom, you should know is also OMN’s attorney and has been for six years. He’s a very interesting cat and we’re going to talk about all kinds of stuff.

May 28, 2015 Welcome to the coffeeshop…World Cup coffee and tea at NW 18th and Glisan, to be exact for this week’s Oregon Music News Coffeeshop Conversation. This week it’s the spectacular Kris Deelane, singer, composer and guitarist. You’ve known her as a rocker and she still is with her band Sharp Little Things, but now she also has a soul band, Kris Deelane and the Hurt. You probably remember her with Adam and Kris (with Adam East). Her guest recording credits include work with The Decemberists, Jerry Joseph and The Jackmormons and Michael Dean Damron/ I Can Lick any SOB in the House and Lewi Longmire. We’ll find out all about that.

May 21, 2015 In the shop today is a pianist, a composer, an engineer, and a producer…all in one person…his name is Ramsey Embick. Over the years, I’ve had some very interesting conversations with Ramsey, you never know where they’re going to go. I might guess at what we’ll talk about but it would be only a guess. We like that. Let’s talk with Ramsey Embick.

April 30, 2015 With me today is Ron Blessinger, the Musical Director of the internationally known Third Angle New Music Ensemble. I first met him a long time ago when I wrote and produced a TV story on their production of several compositions by Steve Reich, which included a visit FROM Steve Reich to work with them. It was an experience neither one of us will ever forget. Ron and I, that is. Ron talks about TA's landmark concert on Friday, May 1, 7:30 at the Alberta Rose Theatre as the ensemble teams up with The New Yorker’s Alex Ross, author of the bestselling 20th-century music history The Rest is Noise. Ross will read the story of the West Coast avant-garde, complemented by Third Angle’s performance of works by Harry Partch, Henry Cowell, Lou Harrison, and 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner John Luther Adams. Ron is also a long-time violinist with the Oregon Symphony. He had fought traffic to get to World Cup.