Oregon Music News

Glad you found another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation once again not at Artichoke Music…yet. Paul K Ward is at the controls again in studioblue…all one word, lower case,and doing a great job of being the real reason why there still are Coffeeshop Conversations Artichoke or not. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland. With Paul is guitarist, composer and educator Ryan Meagher and we’re going to talk baseball. He’s a Giants fan and I’m an Orioles fan so there are no bitter rivalries between us. Ok, we’re not going to talk baseball. That’s for when we’re not rolling. I could give you a list of what Ryan is up to, but it’s hard to keep up with him. Let’s just say he does a lot of things and we’ll let him tell us what they are in the order he thinks best.

Welcome back to OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations yet again not at Artichoke Music, although we’re getting closer. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland and Paul K Ward is in his studioblue on the other side of town, at the controls along with our guest making a return appearance, saxophonist, vocalist and educator and once again a resident of Portland…….our friend Reggie Houston. He’s got a new band, something I’m eager to hear about. He has a birthday gig coming up at EAT that combination restaurant and venue that’s been a home to him and various ensembles he has put together. That’ll be on Wednesday, July second. Reggie has done several memorable Coffeeshop Conversations so let’s get rolling on this one

Vocalist/bassist Lisa Mann is coming back strong from a severely broken leg, as only she can. She's gigging again and is full of the fire and energy we've come to know. But that's not all we talk about, as you might expect. You'll like this one.

Glad you found us after a couple of weeks off, OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations is back. Paul K Ward is at the control in his Studio Blue Productions headquarters, I am still at my desk on NW Lovejoy Stret because I’m not quitte ready to return to the world. With Paul is today’s guest Nichollas Grier, pianist, a mental health therapist, professor of Practical Theology and counselling at Claremont School of Theology and a councelor at the Bishop Wellness center at Wilamette University. He has a presentation at the 1905 club, it’s called Juneteenth Emancipation Jazz Concert on Thursday, Jun 19th and Professor Grier is with Paul in the studio to tell us all about it.

Molly Tentarelli is with Paul K Ward at his studio, I'm at my desk in NW Portland. Molly is as versatile an artist as it gets. Find out how and why.

Brady Goss used to be the kid Boogie-Woogie piano player. He isn't a kid anymore but in addition to pounding out the Jerry Lee Lewis sound, he's added other genres and techniques. He's playing with Curtis Salgado and also is a part of an Allman Brothers tribute band. His journey has been an interesting one. Paul K Ward recorded and produced from his studio blue. Brady was there and I was at my desk in NW Portland.

After a week off, OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations is back in a big way. Sometimes Coffeeshop Conversations introduces you to new artists or artists you may not have heard of but if you have never heard of Curtis Salgado, God help ya. He’s with Paul K Ward at Paul’s studio blue. Paul is at the controls and I am beating on my laptop as usual. It occurred to me that I have never introduced Curtis in public, not at the Waterfront Blues Festival….nor anywhere else….and I have introduced hundreds of musicians to tens of thousands of people. One of these days I’d like to stoke up a crowd, already psyched to hear Curtis…and fix that. Meanwhile, ladies and gentlemen, give a big round of ammunition for everybody’s favorite favorite Curtis Salgado.

Happy Mardi Gras everybody. Things are winding up or winding down to Fat Tuesday on March 4th 2025…Depending on how you look at it. And who better to help us find out all about the big fun here in the Big Rainy is Steve Kerin, keyboardist and co-founder of the Misty Krewe of Nimbus, our own Portland Mardi Gras Krewe, Steve Kerin. The Krewe is throwing their annual Mardi Gras Ball at the Wonder Ballroom on Saturday, March first and then on Mardi Gras day it’ll be time for their big Parade. That’s when the big bass drum leads the big parade Paul K Ward is producing today’s episode, he’s at the controls at his studioblue…one word all lower case and a big thank you to him for helping to pull the podcast out of hiatis hell while I recover. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland, and Steve Kerin is at home in NE Portland. Steve, Hey now and Happy Mardi Gras!

Pete Peterson: One Busy Saxophonist -- CC#433 by Oregon Music News

Thanks for finding Coffeeshop Conversations again. Today’s logistics include me at my desk in Northwest Portland, and at Paul K Ward’s studio blue…(two words all lower case) …where he is recording and making it sound pretty, Paul himself plus today’s guest, The Boogie Cat, Norman Sylvester who has a major life event coming on Sunday, March 16th at the Alberta Rose Theater…a celebration of his forty years in music. Let’s find out all about it, and how you get there. Mr. Sylvester? Congratulations!

Hey now! Back again with Paul K Ward at the controls at studio blue…and that’s supposed to be all lower case. I’m Tom D’Antoni at my desk, not ready to go back to Artichoke Music. Wait, I’m not done. With Paul is famed guitar slinger Terry Robb, so good that the Cascade Blues Association stopped giving him best guitarist award and named the damned thing after him. Plus, at his home in Victoria, British Columbia is former Portlander, winner of a bunch of Blues Maple Awards for best pianist, Paul deLay’s last of the best piano players and boogie woogie master, David Vest. They have a new album of duets out called Criss Cross. And we’re here to find out why and wherefore.

Since Coffeeshop Conversations has returned from health-related hiatus (mine), first of all it’s been fun doing them again and second, I love the guests we’ve had. David Vest and Terry Robb last week in particular. If you missed them, I suggest you listen but not this minute because we’ve got a good one this time. Before we go any further, let’s give a big round of ammunition (as Doctor John used to say) to Paul K Ward who has kindly lent his talents and his studo blue…all lower case…to record, mix and fix these episodes while I continue to try to recover from what I have to recover from. The strange thing is that the first time that today’s guest Kyleen King made an appearance on Coffeeshop Conversations, in January 2023, we had to do it this way too. Me at my desk and Kyleen at home. I had covid that time. One of these days we’ll actually sit across from each other, I hope. By the way, Kyleen was also a guest last summer on Darka and Miri’s Light and Limn Podcast which also can be heard on OMN. So why such

We’re not back at Artichoke quite yet but we’re back in podcast production again. And happy to be. A giant thank you to Paul K Ward for recording these things until I am able to get back to Artichoke Music. I am at my desk and Paul is at the controls at studio bLue. Joining him is Chris Doss, the Executive Director of PDX Jazz, with us for his annual visit to talk about the 2025 Bi-Amp Portland Jazz Festival which takes place February 20 to March first, all over town.

A poem.

It’s the return of OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations! We published the last new one at the end of August, at which time I became a much-to-frequent visitor to various medical facilities, had a number of surgeries and procedures and generally had a bad tme of it. I’m not out of the woods yet and not quite ready to return to Artichoke Music, but in the meantime Paul K Ward, pianist, composer, engineer and all around helpful person is recording these new episodes from his studio blue. I have to tell you that I am thrilled to be able to make fresh episodes of Coffeeshop Conversations again and I thank everyone who came to my aid and offered support of many varieties. I Love you all for it. So, here I am at my desk some of my guests join in at Paul’s studio, and there will be others in which we’re all internet connected. This time, it’s the latter. Meaning, today OMN’s National Editor Art Levine is on the line from his place in Washington DC. The jumping off point will be the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown

Sorry that there hasn’t been a new episode of Coffeshop Conversations at Artichoke Music for a few weeks. I’ve been looking at the four walls of a hospital room and then recovery at home, but most of that is behind me and here we go again, just in time for this year’s Montavilla Jazz Festival. With me is guitarist, composer, teacher and PJCE Records honcho Ryan Meagher, no stranger to this podcast. He’ll be performing at the festival but he’s much more than that these days. The festival runs from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1. This is what our conversation sounded like.

I wonder if you know that Lee Dorsey, the great New Orleans Soul and R&B singer, famous for songs like Ya Ya, Workin In a Coal Mine, and many others, was also known as the best body and fender man in New Orleans. We have an equivalent in Oregon. Kenny Goldstein has been a part of the music scene in Oregon for decades, a bass player in multiple genres and an ace auto mechanic. He has helped keep my last four beaters on the road, to be transparent. But do they have anything to do with each other? He’s in the Artichoke café with me right now.

In A Summer full of music festivals, one of the loveliest, happiest of them all is the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival. It happens Friday through Sunday, July 19-21. This is the 44th annual festival. It has gone through a lot of changes, some good and some not so good. These days it’s run by the Jazz Society of Oregon and one of the directors is Yvonne Lerch who is in Artichoke Music with me. She’s been on the Oregon music scene, in one form or another for a long time. The festial is free, so even though it’s this upcoming weekend, there’s no need to plan months in advance. Just come on out and sit under the magnificent St. John’s Bridge and have yourself the perfect summer’s day.

Hi. Tom D’Antoni back in The Artichoke for another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation. Next time our guest will be Yvonne Lerch, director of the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival which is coming up soon. Also upcoming right here will be bass player Kenny Goldstein, who is also an ace car mechanic. And you’ll be happy to hear that OMN National Editor Art Levine has completed his mammoth story, not for us…and it turns out his appearance on this podcast is a double- header, half on UFO’s and half on AI. Today, an old friend from our days and nights at the Waterfront Blues Festival. Amanda Gresham will introduce us to a new EP from United By Music and we’ll get the lowdown on it and the wonderful work that organization does. So right now, once again, let’s meet Amanda Gresham.

Hi. Tom D’Antoni back in The Artichoke for another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation. Next time our guest will be Yvonne Lerch, director of the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival which is coming up soon. Also upcoming right here will be bass player Kenny Goldstein, who is also an ace car mechanic. And you’ll be happy to hear that OMN National Editor Art Levine has completed his mammoth story, not for us…and it turns out his appearance on this podcast is a double- header, half on UFO’s and half on AI. Today, an old friend from our days and nights at the Waterfront Blues Festival. Amanda Gresham will introduce us to a new EP from United By Music and we’ll get the lowdown on it and the wonderful work that organization does. So right now, once again, let’s meet Amanda Gresham.