What??! It’s the weekend again?! Yeesh. Well then, here are my suggestions for your live blues listening in PDX-land this Friday and Saturday. Love to get your comments, so keep ‘em coming. Also keep your shirt on, as my mother used to say, for that new show I keep promising. It really is coming.

Tonight, Friday the 26th, you have the opportunity to hear one of my absolute favorite blues vocalists in the Portland metropolitan area, and sadly one of the least-heard at the same time: it’s K.G. Jackson and his band The Shakers, with Dave Mathis. They’re playing at Charlie’s Tavern & Grill at 3315 NE 112th Ave. in Vancouver. (Don’t be scared, now – just close your eyes when you’re crossing that big ol’ river. Unless you’re driving.) Maybe the band’s recent nomination for the “Best New Band” Muddy Award from the Cascade Blues Association will bring them a bit more attention. K.G. (Ken) is a very expressive guitarist along with his standout singing, and his sideman Dave Mathis is a well-renowned harpist in these parts, for good reason. The addition of Ken’s wife Candy on accordion lends a zydeco flair to the band’s style, and my old pal Fred Garner on bass and Julian Brogi on the drums keep things cooking. For a taste of K.G. Jackson’s soulful vocals, check out Show #8 and Show #16.

For Saturday the 27th, we’re gonna stick with that crazy Vancouver vibe and point you toward the Cascade Bar & Grill to hear the moody blues musings (no, not those moody blues!) of the Joe McMurrian Quartet. If you haven’t heard Joe’s work before, he’s got a unique style that defies pigeonholing but never fails to please. Brooding Delta blues, progressive blues, dark and hypnotic fusion…but those are all just words. Check out Joe’s gritty vocals, his singing and biting slide guitar; David Lipkind’s soaring harp; Jason Honl’s melodic bass; and the undeniable propulsion of Jimi Bott (Fabulous Thunderbirds) on the drums. Wanna hear some Joe? Check out Show #3, Show #8 and Show #29. Oh, and while you’re there enjoying the JMQ, look around for the old guy celebrating his birthday. That’ll be CBA Vice-President Terry – buy the man a Geritol.

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

Okay, okay – I know I haven’t managed to do this every week like I kinda promised, but at least I’m back. There is still definitely a new show on the way….it’s just taking a little longer to pull together than I expected. But in the meantime, here are some suggestions for your live blues listening in the Portland area this weekend. Once again, these are just my opinions; sometimes I’ll stick with the tried and true, and others I’ll try to call your attention to someone who might not be on your radar. If you’re feeling miffed because I didn’t pick your favorite, well, that’s what the comments are for.

Tonight, Friday the 19th, you can cast your vote for old-school blues and R&B by going to hear Norman Sylvester at Clyde’s Prime Rib. Norman’s a Portland treasure and is sure to be in good form – you can hear some of his work in Show #3 and Show #9. If you’d rather hear some stripped-down power-trio blues with a bit of a rock edge, head over to Manila Express and take in Kevin Selfe & The Tornadoes. Kevin’s a recent transplant who hasn’t yet appeared on the ol’ Bluescast, but give us time – you’ll hear him here soon. With the tasty, sure-handed (and footed) Don Shultz on drums and Allen Markel on bass (another transplant!), Kevin’s guitar, voice and harp are well-supported.

On Saturday the 20th, I’m gonna keep it simple and encourage you to go hear the delightful Duffy Bishop at Halibut’s. The woman can do sweet, she can do sassy, she can do down & dirty – and all of it with her husband Chris Carlson supplying tastefully soulful guitar licks for expert punctuation. The rest of the band ain’t exactly hacks either. We’ve heard them in Show #5 and Show #13, among others.

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

Hey, everybody – I’m gonna try and start something here, in the spirit of keeping the site fresh even when I’m not posting a brand new episode. Every Friday I’ll be posting my personal recommendations for which blues artists you should make a point of catching in Portland-area clubs that weekend. Remember, these will just be my opinions; sometimes I’ll stick with the tried and true, and others I’ll try to call your attention to someone who might not be on your radar. If you’re feeling miffed because I didn’t pick your favorite, well, that’s what the comments are for. Chime in and let me (and everybody else) know who you think is worth hearing.

Okay, enough preamble. For tonight, Friday the 15th, I’m offering you a choice between the blues-rock power trio format and a somewhat lower-key but still tasty blues approach. If you lean toward the former, go catch Big Monti Amundson at the Cascade Bar & Grill. Monti serves up rough & ready, muscular blues – to get a taste, listen to Show #29 and Show #27. And if you’re in the mood for that more traditional blues feel, head over to Halibut’s for the expert guitar sounds of Rick Welter. Rick’s got impressive chops and a matching résumé that includes stints with Charlie Musselwhite and others. He sings great too!

Moving on to Saturday night the 16th…if you like your blues cross-pollinated with a little roots rock and rockabilly, the place for you is the Candlelight Café & Bar where the Strange Tones will be cranking out their own unique sound, brimming with top-notch guitar soloing from Guitar Julie and Suburban Slim (hear them in shows 2, 4, 14, 23 and 30 hmmm…guess I like ‘em!). On the other hand, if you’re inclined to make it a slightly mellower evening and mix a civilized pinot noir with some acoustic Delta blues, point your vehicle (or yer feet) to Hollywood Wine & Espresso where you’ll enjoy the solo stylings of the accomplished James Clem (samples of James’ work can be heard in shows 19 and 32).

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

To all of you who have enjoyed PDXBluescast in the past – and to any of you arriving here for the first time – let me say a big hello and thanks for dropping by. I can’t say too much right now, but I’ll just offer this hopefully tantalizing tidbit:

PDXBluescast is BACK!

I know…it’s been way too long, and some of you may have understandably turned your attentions elsewhere, but a few different factors have converged to make this a front-burner thing for me again, and I’m very excited to get back to the important business of hipping all of you to the high-quality blues music that continues to emanate from right here in Puddletown. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed the ad spaces that now appear on this page, and yes, that’s part of what has made this a more reasonable pursuit for me, but there’s even more to the story.

I’ll have more to say on all of this before long, but for now I just wanted you to know that I’m back and I’ll have a brand-spankin’-new episode for you very soon. Yippee!

Hi, everybody — you still there? I’m sorry it’s been so long since I put out a new show. I actually can’t believe how long it has been, and I can’t really give you an excuse. But I’m happy to say that I plan to release a new episode within the next week, and then it’s my hope to resume a more or less regular schedule. There’s still lots of great blues music being made here, and I’m eager to hip you to it and encourage you to get out there and hear it live.

In the meantime, though, I thought I’d let you know about a very intriguing play being performed this weekend — it’s a readers theatre production of a play about Robert Johnson, entitled San Antonio Sunset. You can catch it this Friday or Saturday night, Jan. 12 or 13, at the Blackfish Gallery, 420 NW 9th Ave. The play explores the three-year relationship between Mr. Johnson and Mr. Stone, the A&R man who’s come to record him. Like the blues itself, says director Mary McDonald-Lewis, “this is a dark tale of desire, luck and lost opportunity.” More than a biography, though, she adds that this is a story about race, “and how it continues to deny the best of us to each other.”

The play is performed at 8:00 pm both nights, and lasts just an hour. For more information, click here to go to the company’s Web site. Could be cool!

Okay…thanks for your patience, dear listeners, and be sure to drop by here again soon. I’ll have a new episode for you within the week.

Hi there…well, I’m back from vacation, but I brought a cold home with me. I think you can kinda hear it in my voice, but just try to pay attention to the music. I should be all better by next week. And it’s great music this time out! A few tastes of Jimi Bott and friends, Alice Stuart, the Eagle Ridin’ Papas and James Clem.

If you’d like to get in touch with me, you can post a comment right here on the blog, send e-mail to the address shown at right, or leave me a voice message at 206-203-3PDX (3739)! If you’re a Portland-area musician and would like your material featured on the show, send me e-mail for instructions on how to get it done. If I love it, I’ll play it!


    41 minutes     |     37.5 MB

Hi, everybody — just wanted to post a short note here to let you know that I’m not gonna manage to get a show posted this week after all. Sorry, but I just ended up having too much going on, including preparations for a brief trip I’m taking this weekend, returning on Tuesday the 10th. So I hope to get a show done next week, and posted by Friday the 13th (!) if all goes well.

Please sit tight and be patient — I’ve just gotten some fresh new music in here, with more on the way, so the next show should be worth the wait! As always, thanks for listening and supporting the blues.

Talk to you soon…

This week we’ve got a double-twofer: two tunes from drummer/vocalist Boyd Small, and another two from fiery guitarist/singer Steve Bradley. Sandwiched in between are acoustic performances from Walker T. Ryan and Mary Flower. Great stuff!

Want to contact me? If so, you can post a comment right here on the blog, send e-mail to the address shown at right, or leave me a voice message at 206-203-3PDX (3739)! If you’re a Portland-area musician and would like your material featured on the show, send me e-mail for instructions on how to get it done. If I love it, I’ll play it!


    33.5 minutes     |     31 MB

Hi again! This week we’ve got another interview from the Waterfront Blues Festival in July, this time with Hammond B-3 master Louis Pain of King Louie & Baby James. We’ll hear live tracks from Louis’ band, from the NW Ray Charles Tribute Orchestra, and from Alice Stuart’s recently-released live CD. The Strange Tones close out the show with a lively tune off their debut CD.

Hey, drop me a line! To get in touch, you can post a comment right here on the blog, send e-mail to the address shown at right, or leave me a voice message at 206-203-3PDX (3739)! If you’re a Portland-area musician and would like your material featured on the show, send me e-mail for instructions on how to get it done. If I love it, I’ll play it!


    40 minutes     |     37 MB

Hey, it’s great to be back, and to celebrate we have some cool new music from Joe McMurrian, an interview with Steve Cheseborough at the Waterfront Blues Festival plus one of his tunes, a vintage tune from Monti Amundson and the Blubinos, and a REALLY vintage cut (and a surprise!) from Pete Karnes.

Two things: First, a heartfelt Thank You to everybody who took the time to express their sympathies over my dad’s passing. It was a very thoughtful and humbling gesture, and it meant a lot to me during a tough time. Second, if you want to check out the very interesting review of this podcast over on the Blues In London site, just click here. Let me know what you think!

If you want to contact me, you can post a comment right here on the blog, send e-mail to the address shown at right, or leave me a voice message at 206-203-3PDX (3739)! If you’re a Portland-area musician and would like your material featured on the show, send me e-mail for instructions on how to get it done. If I love it, I’ll play it!


    47.5 minutes     |     43.5 MB