Greetings, everybody! As I type this, I’m in Victoria, B.C., sitting behind the wheel of my car in the lineup for the Blackball ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. I was up here for the week helping my brother put on a triple-bill blues extravaganza featuring Paul Oscher, Lurrie Bell and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne. Man, was that a great show. Getting to meet the performers was a real thrill, and having Paul and Kenny play my digital piano was icing on the cake. And to wrap it all up with a Portland tie-in – former Portlander David Vest (Paul deLay Band), now a Victoria resident who’s been teaming up with Kenny and D.K. Stewart for their “Piano-Rama” dates, was in attendance! Not only that, but when Kenny was in the middle of an absolutely cookin’ boogie-woogie number, he called David up out of the crowd to join him! David sidled in on the right hand, Kenny gradually shifted out of the way completely, David took one or two choruses by himself, then Kenny wedged himself back in on the right, David gradually edged out, and then it was Kenny again. Seamless and just killingly good.

I probably have a few more stories from the evening’s festivities, but for now it looks like the ferry’s about to board and I’m gonna lose my Wi-Fi. So tonight (Friday), go to Monty’s in Beaverton and hear the under-heard and brilliant Kenny Lavitz, or getcha some Nawlins grease with the New Iberians at O’Connor’s in Multnomah Village. Saturday night I recommend the Ty Curtis Band at the Cascade Bar & Grill, or if you don’t mind the drive to Forest Grove, head to McMenamins Grand Lodge and hear the expert acoustic stylings of Mary Flower.

That’s it for Pat’s Picks this week – now get out there and keep the blues alive!