Oregon Music News

Pretty Gritty, a duo featuring Sarah Anne Wolfe and Blaine Heinonen has been around since they moved to Portland from the D.C. area twelve years ago. Now Sarah is moving to the East Coast and Blaine is staying put, putting at least a temporary end to the collaboration. Maybe, maybe not. Their farewell concert is Saturday, May 28 at Artichoke Music in the Café which is where I’m about to talk with them.

We’re still back at the Artichoke Music Café this week for a special occasion, the final day as Executive Director for Bob Howard. He’s retiring, there is a new head honcho in charge, his name is Paul K Ward. Bob shepherded Artichoke’s move from Hawthorne to Powell Boulevard and guided it through the pandemic. Not an easy job. The café is crowded today. Bob refers to several of the people here without telling us who they are. That’s ok, we recorded this last Tuesday and by now he’s in Paris. That’s France. Let’s say farewell to Bob Howard.

We are back at the Café at Artichoke Music with one of our favorite guests. And while I have this window of a month or so to be here and not on Skype before my next surgery, I’m bringing back some folks who have made great guests. Today it’s Lloyd Jones, singer, composer, guitarist and a guy who is full of great stories from a very long and productive career that’s still going strong. I see he has brought a guitar with him, so that’s something else to look forward to. So what we’ve got today is basically a hang. And you’re invited. I’ve got a cup of coffee here, so let’s say hi to Lloyd Jones.

For the first time since December, I am back at Artichoke Music in their Café. I had surgery in January…which worked and I did a few months in Skype prison. I have a new and different surgery in about a month and we’ll go back to Skype then until I heal, but for the next few weeks, it’s GREAT to be back and talking to people in person across a table, coffee in hand. Today I am very happy to have Meg with me. You know her as Meg Samples on KMHD and also as drummer and new Executive Director of Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble under the name of Meg Morrow. She took the PJCE gig not long ago and is busy making her mark. We’ll find out what that might be and ask her if she knows any drummer jokes. Meet…well, Meg.

Ever get the feeling that everyone you see has a podcast? Seems that way. Most of them last a few episodes and run out of steam. Some have been around long enough to re-imagine themselves and what they’re about. Gritty Birds is one like that. Our guest today makes that podcast. Her name is Jeni Wren Stottrup. You may also know her as a singer and composer Jeni Wren. She also operates the Podcast Forum and assumes her role as a podcast coach. We’ll find out all about all of those roles and where the name Gritty Birds came from. Jeni has been through a lot in the past couple of years, as we all have. Find out what she’s found on the other side.

Every year for years and years around this time, we’ve had the Waterfront Blues Festival Artistic Director Peter Dammann let us know who’s playing even though it’s April and the festival isn’t until the fourth of July weekend. The big news is that after not having a festival in 2020 and having a truncated festival held at Zidell Yards in 2021 the festival will return, all four stages of it, to it’s normal location at the…well, the Waterfront. Peter will run down all of the headliners and some of the locals as he has not yet booked all of our friends and neigbors. OMN will be there, no booth this year but lots of photographers and writers to bring you the flavor of the weekend. Right now, get ready to hear who’s playing…straight from the curator’s mouth…..Peter Dammann.

You probably know Evan Shlaes one of two ways (or both); as a member of the New Iberians, a New Orleans Cajon/Zydeco band around here for decades. Or you know him as the proprietor of Real Good Stuff a store spectacularly full, and I mean FULL of musical things, furniture, curios…you know real good stuff. The store was destroyed in a fire late last year and because the Portland music community takes care of its own, he found a new store, stocked it and opened for business two months after the fire. The band is back gigging again too. Pretty amazing, but not for him and not for Portland’s music community.He’s in the store right now. Let’s talk with Evan Shlaes.

Shawn Levy is back on the podcast. Every time he’s got a new book out, he’s kind enough to stop by and talk to us about it. Last tine it was his book of poems based on New York Times obituaries. Before that his best seller on Chateau Marmont. And before that Dolce Vita Confidential. This one is called “In on the Joke.” It’s about female comedians, not today’s but the first female standups, from Moms Mabley to Joan Rivers, including Phyllis Diller, Elaine May and many others. We’ll find out what joke they were in on and discover the real people behind the public personalities. He’ll be reading at Powell’s City of Books in Portland on Wednesday, April 6. It’s always a joy to have Shawn visit the podcast.

Maria Muldaur is our guest on Coffeeshop Conversations this week. She will be in Oregon for two upcoming shows; in Eugene at WOW Hall on Friday, April 8 and a sold-out show in Nehalem the next night. Right now she’s in Mill Valley, California. Don’t you dare call her a one-hit-wonder because she has been lending her voice to her own band and dozens of other groups for a long long time. Next week, our guest will be writer Shawn Levy on his upcoming book on female comedians from Moms Mabley to Joan Rivers. But right now let’s talk to the lively and enthusiastic Maria Muldaur.

INESSA REPEAT #15 INTRO We’re taking a pause this week to remember an important and beloved part of Oregon’s music community. On March 9th Inessa Anderson passed away, three weeks after her husband Wayne also left us. She possessed the most beautiful radio voice I have ever heard. She was a kind and insightful interviewer. Her Inessablog was a staple for those who wanted in-depth conversations. We were proud to also run it on OMN. You knew her from KGON, KINK, Portland Radio Project and several other stations. We knew her as a lovely person. In this Coffeeshop Conversation from March of 2015, I was just getting to know her and we swapped radio stories. I wish I had talked less.

Pretty pretty pretty soon we’ll be back in the Artichoke Café…just not today. But that’s ok because on the other end of this digital connection is the great bass player and composer Phil Baker who has seen the world as a member of Pink Martini since 2003. They are back touring the world but Phil has put together a show called Common Tones. It’s a tribute to the great pianist McCoy Tyner on Saturday, March 12 at the Old Church Concert Hall featuring some of our finest Jazz musicians. One thing I want to talk about is a piece he wrote almost 20 years ago that resonates to this day as one of the most beautiful tunes ever composed. Meet. Phil Baker.

We try not to bring our guests back too often, but in the case of Jim Brunberg, co-owner of Mississippi Studios, Revolution Hall, Polaris hall and point person in the fight to get federal and state money to our music venues…well you can understand. This one is solely about music and Jim is joined by Ben Landsverk, the other half the band they call Wonderly. They’re having a CD release on Friday, March 18 at the Show Bar at Revolution Hall. The album is called Story We Tell and some of the songs have been available for quite a while. It’s just that we haven’t been available to be there with them and enjoy listening. When you’re finished listening to this episode, watch the video below it. Here’s Ben and Jim.

Regular consumers of this podcast probably know that I am a Twin Peaks fanatic. Th.ate subject has come up serveral times. So when I saw that singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist Rachel Brasher was doing a concert of Twin Peaks music with her band, along with performances by Jenni Conley and also Wisteria Lodge at Alberta Abbey on Saturday, March 5. Of course, Rachel does more than Twin Peaks music. Much more. We’ll follow her winding road from Oklahoma to Portland. She’s one of several couples who both make music. In her case her partner plays bass with her. Let’s meet Rachael Brashear

Still a few weeks away from returning to the Café at Artichoke Music so we have to put up with other means. Lucky for us I’ve got Blues harmonica player and writer Kim Field on the line. He was with us a few years ago and he’s back now because he has a new book, “The Blues Dream of Billy Boy Arnold" on the legendary Chicago Blues Harmonica player. It's in first person because he spent a long time in conversation with Billy Boy, who is now 86 years old with seemingly perfect recall. Tales of Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson and the whole panoply of Chicago Blues greats. Let’s get started. Here’s Kim Field.

We’re getting closer to going back to the Artichoke Café. I mean I am. You don’t need details, but I wish we were there so I could see our podcast guest, whom I have never met. His name is Joey Prude and he does a whole of things. He’s a drummer, a DJ and he books bands into what we lovingly call Dive Bars….like the Lay Low Tavern. He’s booked lots of others including the iconic Club 21 and the Vern. I’ve never even talked with him before, so this should be interesting. Next time, blues harmonica player Kim Field on his brilliant new book on Billy Boy Arnold. Let’s Meet Joey Prude.

One of these days I’ll talk about why we’ve been away from the Coffeeshop for a while. Right now I’m happy this is a new Coffeeshop Conversations episode, and hopefully it won’t be long until we’re back in the friendly confines of Artichoke Music. Our returning champion is Andrew Paul Woodworth. When we need some good cheer, he’s my first call. Little did I know that he has lost a little of the sarcasm and irony because of his baby son. It’s still there, but it’s been replaced by becoming a father. Even better. Oh, by the way, he talks about his favorite movie being Pulp Fiction, which I think is a bogus film. He has since told me that in fact, his favorite film is True Romance. And yes, he wouldn’t mind being Christian Slater. He’s writing new songs and I can’t wait for you to find out how they’ve changed. Here’s my pal, Andrew Paul Woodworth.

It’s Another Coffeeshop Conversations episode on an OMN family member. The holidays are all about friends and family and Marti Mendenhall who’s Marti’s Music Kitchen podcast comes to you via OMN among other choice spots on the internet is both friend and family. Her third season is on the way. What does she have in store for the future. The answer is a lot. Best of 2021 for the next two weeks. Come back next Thursday and find out who.

It has been much too long since Courtney Von Drehle of Three leg Torso has been on the podcast so we’re fixing that today. Always the clever gentleman, he’s here to tell us about their big holiday show The Elves of Frostland - Liberté par la Musique Featuring: Pepe Raphael, Jet Black Pearl, The Amazing Bubble Man, Eric Stern, Chervona and Varelse…Live at the Alberta Rose Theatre Saturday and Sunday Dec. 18-19. Where did this all come from? Who’s doing what? We know Courtney will be on accordion and Bela on violin…that’s a given. But wow what a lineup. And you can go see it live or stream it. Lucky us. Let’s talk to Courtney.

Furlow intro Regular listeners to this podcast know that every once in a while we let you meet an OMN person who helps bring you our content. Today, Gary Furlow is in the Café. He’s not an OMN staffer, he works here at Artichoke Music but has worked with us on several projects, including the video episodes of Coffeeshop Conversations on which he did everything technical, recording, editing, lighting, mixing…like I said, everything. He’s a pro’s pro, having worked throughout the country for networks and local stations as well as a whole lot of other stuff. Plus, he’s a musician himslself. It’s been great fun working with Gary since much of my career has been in TV like him. Meet Gary Furlow.

John Waters returns to Portland for his Christmas show on Tuesday, November 30 at the Aladdin Theatre after not doing the show in the evil 2020. It’s his annual “John Waters Christmas” full of holiday cheer, John Waters style. I’ve known John since 1970 when he was the outrageous underground film maker and I was the editor of the hippie newspaper in Baltimore Maryland. Matter of fact, near the end of our conversation John brings up a house that we shared serially. He moved out and we moved in. It was in that living room that Divine was raped by a giant lobster. Say hi to John Waters