11/6 - Young Guys of Portland Quartet: Willie Matheis tenor, Andrew Oliver piano, Eric Gruber bass, Randy Rollofson drums
11/7 - David Ornette Cherry with Harmeladica: David Ornette Cherry piano, Spencer Stewart bass, Elliot Hocker guitar, Charlie Stanford guitar, Aaron Johnson tenor, Jonas Oglesbee drums
11/8 - FROM BOSTON Dominique Eade vocal, w/ Ken Ollis drums, Jed Wilson piano, Bill Athens bass
The Cave is located at 636 SW Jackson, near PSU. Music starts at 8 PM for a $5 cover charge. Visit The Cave’s website for more information about all of these groups.
Earlier this week, JazzPDX wrote about Ron Steen’s anniversary jam sessions. In a recent e-mail, Ron has noted that the Produce Row 16th anniversary session (originally scheduled for Monday, November 3) will be moved to November 10th due to repairs.
Dr. Lonnie Smith is at Jimmy Mak’s this Monday. Mel Brown, Dan Faehnle, and Donald Harrison will join him for a night of killer organ-driven jazz. Tickets are $25 through Tickets Oregon.
Ron Steen is the king of the jazz jam session in Portland. He has hosted a number of sessions over the years at venues all over the city, some of which have become regular hangs for Portland’s best jazz musicians when they aren’t gigging. In November, two of those jam sessions are having anniversaries:
Sunday, November 2nd - ”Four Year Anniversary Sunday Jam” at Clyde’s with Tony Pacini & Dennis Caiazza
There aren’t many gigs on Sunday nights, and consequently, you’ll find some great musicians hanging out at Clyde’s on Sunday nights jamming. The venue has recently become smoke-free, making it a much more pleasant place to enjoy music.
Clyde’s is located at 5474 N.E. Sandy Blvd. 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM. No smoking, no cover charge & free parking available in lot. For more information call 503-281-9200.
Monday, November 3rd (Postponed until November 10) - ”Sixteen Year Anniversary Monday Jam” at Produce Row with Phil Goldberg and Dave SperanzaKeeping a jam session running for sixteen years is an amazing accomplishment. Talk to the pros around town and you’ll find out that this is the session to go to for serious music. Not only is this jam popular among Portland musicians, but when out-of-towners come through, they often know that this is the session to stop by. This means on any given Monday, you might have the chance to catch Dick Berk, Ben Wolfe, Dan Fahnle, or Jay Collins jamming.Produce Row is located at 204 S.E. Oak St. 2 blocks west of MLK Blvd. 9:00 PM to midnight. No smoking, $3.00 cover charge & free parking available. For more information call 503-232-8355.
Wednesday, November 5th - ”Kate Davis’ Wilf’s One Year Anniversary Party” featuring Tom Grant Although not a jam session, this gig also has an anniversary this week - one year of Wednesdays with Ron Steen and Kate Davis at Wilf’s. Kate is one of Portland’s star up-and-coming jazzers. She lays it down on bass and has a mean singing voice as well.
Today JazzPDX brings you another video from Carlton Jackson’s collection on YouTube. This particular video is of a group called LeBon that Carlton describes as:
a rollicking, wonderful noise was LeBon,
during their 10 year run in Portland, OR music circles.
Formed by music critic Rick Mitchell, this band set a standard for the alternative music crowd that went to see the band play.
The video features a few players you still see around Portland today including Carlton, Denny Bixby, Warren Rand, and Terry Robb.
Personally, I highly recommend Rand’s solo which starts at about 4:30.
This Tuesday, join saxophonist Willie Matheis for the Jimmy Mak’s “New Artist Series.” You may have caught Matheis’s set on KMHD’s Homegrown Live this past Saturday, where artists perform before doing the opening set for Mel Brown’s Septet.
After Matheis’s group (6:30-7:30 PM, $3 cover), the Mel Brown Septet will play their usual Tuesday night gig featuring hardbop classics by composers like Horace Silver and Lee Morgan as well as originals from group members Stan Bock, Gordon Lee, and others.
The Septet starts at 8 PM for a $6 cover charge. Minors welcome until 9:30 PM.
This Monday, Go By Train (Dan Balmer, Micah Kassell, Clay Giberson) plays their usual last-Monday slot at Jimmy Mak’s. Head over for the no-cover electro-acoustic experience unique to them. Music starts at 8 PM.
