Oregon Music News

This is going to be fun. I’ve been looking forward to this one. Next time writer Larry Colton will be here and the following week Matt Fleeger, the head honcho and my boss at KMHD. But today across from me is ace bassist, all around smart guy, fellow Orioles fan and East-coast compare Dennis Caiazza. He’s generally not the headliner in the band but he is indispensable in any band he plays with. He’s musically versatile, specializing in Jazz and braciole. We’ll get to that. I just love saying the word “braciole.” We’ll also get to the Chicken Dance. Meet Dennis Caiazza

From the Artichoke Music Café….next week bassist Dennis Caiazza will be here, the following week, writer Larry Colton and the week after that, KMHD’s Matt Fleeger, my boss over there. Today, however one of my favorite people, saxophonist, teacher and bee person Mieke Bruggeman. She is one of the founding members of the Quadraphonnes, playing baritone sax in that wonderful saxophone quartet. Also, she is the Education Coordinator for and plays in the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble. And she teaches in multiple schools and/or organizations. And then there are the bees. You heard me. She is queen of all the queen and other bees in her yard. That’s a first for Coffeeshop Conversations. Let’s meet Mieke Bruggeman.

It isn’t quite time for the 2023 Waterfront Blues Festival but it is time for OMN’s annual preview from the lips of festival Artistic Director and ace guitarist Peter Dammann. The festival is back at full strength after weathering covid. The same old beautiful grass-covered park alongside the Willamette July firsr to fourth. There will be some old favorites, others returning from long absences, newcomers we’ve heard about and some we will discover, that’s one of the delights of the festival. The cruises, the food, the sun and the breezes all await as does the headliner, Buddy Guy who is advertising this appearance as his “Damn Right Farewell Tour.” Welcome back Peter Dammann.

In the Artichoke Café again. Coming up in the next couple of weeks, Peter Dammann to tell us all about the lineup for the Waterfront Blues Fesival, Terry Robb, famed guitar slinger, and Jazz bassist Dennis Caizza. Today I’m very happy to welcome China Forbes of Pink Martini but not only Pink Martini, she has a new album of her own in the works and will be singing with the Oregon Symphony on Saturday, May 6. That’s a lot to talk about. As I’m sure you know China has been with Pink Martini since circa 1995. It’s something that’s taken her all over the world. One thing I will ask is has she ever gotten tired of singing Brazil. Let’s welcome China Forbes.

Next week on the pod, China Forbes pays a visit to Café Artichoke. Can’t wait for that one. Also coming up are Coffeeshop Conversations with Terry Robb and also Peter Dammann is coming in to tell us about the Waterfront Blues Festival lineup. Today Jazz pianist/composer Gordon Lee is here. He’s just as busy as ever. He’s a part of a memorial tribute to David Ornette Cherry on Thursday, April 13 at Alberta House. We’ll hear all about that and also about his upcoming album. Both something to look forward to. You know him, of course for his years with Mel Brown’s Septet. He’s as comfortable playing hard bop as he is on the outer edges of Jazz. Welcome Gordon Lee back to the podcast.

While we await the upcoming Coffeeshop Conversations arrivals of China Forbes, Gordon Lee and Peter Dammann it is my pleasure to introduce you to Shelley Garrett, the new Executive Director of Artichoke Music. She’s no stranger here, having booked the live music for the last couple of years, and also having been a fixture on the Blues scene in Oregon for a long time with her work with the Cascade Blues Association. She has a hand in several major events here, a spring clearance sale in the store March 31st – April second. Their first ever fundraiser Telethon on April 15 and A week of events from June 4th through June 10th in the Cafe’ to celebrate their 50th anniversary, culminating in a concert on June 11th with Artichoke favorites from years past. Let’s meet Shelley Garrett.

In the Artichoke Music Café with Portland Radio Project Executive Director Veronica Bisesti today. Coming up, pianist/composer Gordon Lee, new Artichoke Executive Director Shelley Garrett, Peter Dammann who curates the Waterfront Blues Festival and just confirmed, China Forbes of Pink Martini. But today….Veronica Bisesti has been with Portland Radio Project since it began in 2013. She does the Subculture show on Wednesdays from 7 to 8pm How is PRP doing? What does the future look like? They recently moved to a new location and are settling in just fine. We’re both radio station rats so let’s have some fun. Meet Veronica Bisesti.

There are some folks who just radiate light. I like to have them here on the pod. Today’s guest has been here before and when I heard she was involved in Siren Nation’s 16th annual tribute to Billie Holiday, I said, “Well ok! It’s time to have her back and catch up.” You know Marcia Hocker from her radio days at KMHD and now at KBOO. She’s curating the Siren Nation tribute to Billie Holiday where she will also MC and sing. That’s at the Alberta Rose Theater on Saturday April 8. Find out all about it, who else is on the bill, what she’s going to sing. She’s one of the nicest people in Oregon’s music scene. Welcome back Marcia Hocker.

Portland music's Joey Scruggs got hit by a car and now some in Portland's music industry are having a benefit for him on Saturday, March 18 at the Mission Theater. Listen to Steve Wilkinson, who put it together.

Wayne Shorter - SO IT GOES - Christopher Woitach And Friends 3 7 23, 6.27 PM by Oregon Music News

It’s a beautiful day in the coffeeshop, otherwise known as The Artichoke Music Café. Next week, you know her as one of the great radio voices but do you know Marcia Hocker as a singer? She’ll be here. Sitting across from me today is trombonist/composer/teacher Adriana Wagner. What I’m wondering is how to I not ask her what it’s like to be a female trombonist without asking her what it’s like to be a female trombonist, a question I am as sick of asking as I am guessing she is of answering. We’ll see how that goes. She has a bunch of exciting gigs upcoming, mostly Jazz which is her first love. One is right here in this room on Sunday March 12 at Artichoke as part of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble’s Young Jazz Composers Alumni Concert. Meet Adriana Wagner.

I’ve got good news today. After a few years of bad news in the music industry, there have been many musicians who have lately told me that they’re gigging more than ever. Now here comes Terry Currier who runs Music Millennium with similar good news. He’ll tell us all about it. It’s always good to sit down and talk with Terry. He’s been an immensely valuable member of the Oregon music industry for decades. Coming up on Thursday, March 16 Music Millennium will celebrate it’s fifty-fourth anniversary. There’s nothing quite like browsing in a record store. Welcome back Terry Currier.

I never thank enough, the folks who made our theme music and allow us to use it. They are Derek Sims and Keith Schreiner for Ghost Jazz. Coming up in the next couple of weeks we’ll have trombonist Adriana Wagner and Mr. Music Millennium Terry Currier. I’ve been looking forward to today’s Coffeeshop Conversation. Beth Harrington is making her third appearance here, but her first since 2017. You know her from her many music documentaries including The Winding Stream: The Carters, the Cashes & the course of Country music. She has a new project that she is immersed in. It’s called Our Mr. Matsura and we’ll find out all about it. Welcome back Beth Harrington.

This is a special edition of OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations @ Artichoke Music. At the last moment three separate guests had to cancel. A bad thing, perhaps. But perhaps not because I turned to an old box of audio cassettes, the remnants of some of my earlier years in radio, and I ran across a tape of a conversation I had with the great drummer, percussionist, composer and icon…Max Roach. I had forgotten that he was a guest on a show I did on what was then called the American Radio Network one Saturday night, March 1, 1990. Max was on the phone and I was in the studio in Baltimore Maryland. That is this week’s podcast. Max Roach! I am leaving the commercials, beeps boops, interruptions and everything else in. Just as it originally aired. Enjoy.

You may have heard that in January, The 1905, Portland’s premier Jazz club was named by Down Beat Magazine as one of the best Jazz venues in the world. In the world. Not since the demise of Jimmy Mak’s have we had anything even close to what The 1905 has going for it. The top world-class musicians in an atmosphere equal to the music. With me in the Artichoke Café today is Aaron Barnes, one of the people who made all that happen. Was that his aim when he started? How did he manage to survive the pandemic not only intact, but flourishing. He’s a born and bred Portlander and that makes it even sweeter. It’s a great story. Let’s meet Aaron Barnes.

Guess what happens on March Fourth? It’s the twentieth anniversary of March Fourth. Actually every March Fourth is an anniversary of every other March Fourth but this March Fourth is the twentieth anniversary of March Fourth the band. That’s a Saturday and there will be a lot of fun at the Crystal Ballroom that day and night. One of the founders who is also one of two remaining members of the original band John Averill is here in the Artichoke Café with me. We’ll find out how they’ve managed to keep on going despite the rigors of the road and band busses that tend to break down. He’s on his way to the recording studio where March Fourth is making an EP. At the end? The classic Space Hole from their fifth anniversary album. Welcome back John Averill.

It’s Biamp Portland Jazz Festival time of year again, and as we always love to do, we asked PDX Jazz Executive Director Chris Doss to come here to the Café at Artichoke Music and tell us who’s playing this year, from beginning to end (that’s Thursday February 16 through Saturday, February25. It’s a big musically diverse concert series in several venues. Kind of like we say at KMHD…Jazz Without Boudaries. Chris Doss has as big hand in curating the festival which features everything from the newest Jazz on the planet, to straight-ahead Jazz, ECM -type Jazz, international Jazz, Soul, Funk and Hip-hop Jazz…just about anything you can think of and some that you’ve never heard of. That’s what I like, discovery. So let’s find out right now from Chris Doss.

This time with me here is pianist/composer Greg Goebel, known for his virtuosity as well as his versatility. We’ll get into that and at the end of our conversation we’ll here one of his compositions. He’ll also talk to us about that and his work with Chris Brown and how some Jazz takes on some popular tunes fits into what he does. That synthesis is part of the history of Jazz, and it hasn’t stopped. Nor has Mr. Geobel. Nor have we. Upcoming Coffeeshop Conversations will feature John Averill, founder of March Fourth. Also coming up is Chris Doss the Executive Director of PDX Jazz to fill us in on this year’s Portland Jazz Festival. Right now, meet Greg Goebel.

We’ll be back at The Café in Artichoke Music next week. Mean ole Mr. Covid laid me up for a few weeks but things are much better now. Nevertheless, I am using an ancient arcane device known as the telephone to talk with this week’s guest Steve Swatkins, he of the keyboards and voice box, a composer and bandleader as well as a member of Allen Stone’s band. His new album Friends and Other Necessities is just out and it is both very funky and tremendously inspiring. Not religious, but just exactly what we need right now. I realize I said that about Jim Brunberg’s new album a couple of weeks ago but that just means we’re lucky to have both of them in our world. Steve lives in L.A. now with his fiancé Moorea Masa, who appears on the album. Mr. Swatkins, come here, I want you. That’s what Mr. Bell said.

Hi there. We’re not in Café Artichoke today because I have the covid. I am not in any danger but I don’t want to give it to anyone and so I am at my desk, and at her home in Portland is violist Kyleen King. She is having the time of her life, having played the Moda Center on New Year’s Eve and an appearance on Saturday Night LIve both as a member of Brandi Carlisle’s band. Matter of fact, she’s played all over the world as Brandi’s violist. How did this happen? How did she become a member of Brandi’s band? And what’s up with Swansea, another band she’s in, with Portlanders Rebecca Sanborn and Ji Tanzer. It’s a happy episode of Coffeeshop Conversations.