The Cleveland Duo

Friends of Music will begin its 2011-12 season with a concert by The Cleveland Duo and James Umble at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at Calvary Assembly of God, 518 Fir St., Brookings.Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults and free for students 17 and younger. Tickets are available at Wrights Custom Framing and Art Supplies and at the door.The Duo consists of Stephen Warner on violin and Carolyn Gadiel Warner on piano. Umble is a classical saxophonist. They have been together since the 1993-94 season and have performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico in major chamber music venues, festival sites, universities and conservatories of music, temples, in special informative presentations for school children, and over the airwaves of both National Public Radio and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. The three have also performed and lectured at national and international conferences including the annual Chamber Music America Conference in New York City, the World Saxophone Congress in both Montreal and in Minneapolis, and the NASA (North American Saxophone Alliance) at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.Their repertoire contains several new works as well as those of Bach, Handel, Ravel, Piazzolla, Bartok, John Adams, Leonard Bernstein and Erik Satie.Their collaborative album, titled “Dejeuner sur l’Herbe”  on the Dana Label was the recipient of a 1993 Grammy nomination citation in five categories, including best chamber music disc. At the Brookings concert, the musicians plan to perform Bach’s “Concerto for Violin and Oboe,” which was adapted for violin, soprano saxophone and keyboard; Shostakovich’s “Three Short Pieces for Two Violins and Piano; Mussorgksy’s “The Old Castle from ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ ” for violin, piano and alto and soprano saxophones; as well as works by Ernest Bloch, Erik Satie, Brian Dykstra and Vittorio Monti.

Stagelights Presents “Rock the Park,” a free, three-hour rock concert featuring two bands on stage at Azalea Park at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25.

The five-piece rock band Point Taken will perform a mix of cover songs by artists such as Santana, Tom Petty, Eagles, Beatles, Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and Bad Company. The band, with members from Brookings and Crescent City, has entertained crowds at various festivals and public events in both cities.

The Joint Chiefs, from Crescent City, is known regionwide for its funk-driven, psychedelic jams with a touch of blues, rock and even rap. The four-piece band features two guitarists, a drummer and a bass player who often break into spacey, extended improvisational versions of originals and cover songs.

Concert-goers should bring their own seating or blankets. Low-priced refreshments will be available, with all proceeds benefitting Stagelights Musical Arts Community. All city park rules must be observed, including that dogs must be leashed and that there be no alcoholic beverages.
In case of bad weather, the concert will move indoors to The Rink, at the corner of Railroad and Center streets in Brookings.

Stagelights Musical Arts Community is a nonprofit organization operated by a volunteer board. Any and all donations will benefit Stagelights’ music outreach and education programs, and efforts to present live music events in Curry County. For more information, visit www.stagelights.us, or call 541-469-8832.

PISTOL RIVER – The Pistol River Concert Association presents Molly’s Revenge, 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Pistol River Friendship Hall, 24252 Carpenterville Road.

Born out of the tradition of Celtic music sessions, Molly’s Revenge is a band that presents a combination of solo instruments – such as the Highland bagpipes, uilleann pipes, whistles, fiddle, and mandolin – against a backdrop of guitar and bouzouki accompaniment, with an occasional chorus song mixed in.

Molly’s Revenge has performed at many of the top folk festivals and performing arts events in the USA, and countless private concerts. Internationally, they have performed at prestigious events in Australia and China.

Tickets are $15 and available at Wright’s Custom Framing and Art Supplies in Brookings, The Book Dock in Harbor and Gold Beach Books in Gold Beach. Tickets may also be reserved online at www.pistolriver.com/tickets or by calling 541-247-2848. A $5 student discount or refund is available at the door with student identification.

More information at http://www.mollysrevenge.com/

The national-touring band Troubaduo will perform its eclectic mix of acoustic rock, folk, blues, soul and more during a Brookings concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9.

The concert, presented by Stagelights Musical Arts Community, will be at The Event Center, 800 Chetco Ave., Brookings. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door and all proceeds benefit Stagelights and it’s music outreach and education projects. Tickets are available at Earl E. Books, 511 Fern Ave., and Chetco Music Co., 615 Chetco Ave.

After a decade of performing in bands and solo, musicians Jill Marie and Bryson VanCleve formed the soul-singing duo Troubaduo after meeting in Los Angeles in 2008.The husband-and-wife team are currently on a national tour, performing 150-plus shows this year.

The band’s website states, “Troubaduo writes mostly artistic Americana and folk with elements of blues, sunshine pop, rock, psychedelic, gospel, soul and jazz, placing an emphasis on lyrics.”The duo has recorded with world-renown musicians linked to artists such as Tom Petty, Alison Krauss, Johnny Cash, Sara McLachlan and Sammy Hagar. Their list of musical influences include Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings, Tracy Chapman, Van Morrison, Ryan Adams, the Allman Brothers, Stevie Wonder, and Blues Traveler.

Troubaduo supports non-profits including PreemptiveLove.org, a reputable non-profit that raises money and awareness for children in Northern Iraq “whose bodies have been highly affected by chemical warfare and need new hearts,” according to its website. Troubadouo’s accomplishments include being named featured vocalist of the month in the February 2009 issue of Songwriter Universe Magazine; and writing the Campaign song for the 2007 Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Watch the band’s latest video at

www.youtube.com/soulsingingduo

The BluesBox Bayou Band will return to the Stage Under the Stars at Azalea Park at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, for the final American Music Festival concert of the season.

The band, from Sonora, Calif., is known its mix of Cajun, Zydeco, blues and American roots. At previous Brookings concerts, bandmembers have invited children on stage to play small instruments as well as giving people a chance to play the rub board.

Band members are Pete Grimaldi, accordion and vocals; Julie Johnson, bass;  Frank Grimaldi, guitar; Jimi Hildreth, rub board; and Peter DeMattos; drums.  Grimaldi writes many of the bands songs.

The BluesBox Bayou Band has released several albums over the years including “Big Fun” in 2002, “Roadside Attraction” in 2004, “Rock a’Bayou” in 2007, “Magic of the Night – Live in Sonora” in 2008 and its recent release “Family Bayou.” It plays at numerous small clubs in Northern California and additionally do the festival circuit including The Isleton Crawdad Festival, The Gilroy Garlic Festival and, mentioned on the band’s website, The American Music in Brookings.

Concert-goers should bring their own seating or blankets. The Rotary Club of Brookings-Harbor will operate the Snack Shack to provide refreshments. All city park rules must be observed, including that dogs must be on leashes and no alcoholic beverages. In case of bad weather, the concerts move indoors to the Redwood Theater in downtown Brookings. The American Music Festival is a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of the Brookings Area Council for the Arts, operated by a volunteer board. For more information, contact Les Cohen at the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce, 541-469-3181.

PISTOL RIVER – The Pistol River Concert Association presents 3 Leg Torso at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Pistol River Friendship Hall, 24252 Carpenterville Road.3 Leg Torso formed in 1996 as a violin, cello and accordion trio. In the following years the band expanded, the principal composers, founding members Béla Balogh, on violin and trumpet, and Courtney Von Drehle, on accordion, were joined by veteran percussionist-mallet player Gary Irvine and upright bass player Michael Papillo. Their original repertoire evolved into a combination of modern chamber music, tango, Middle Eastern and Eastern European folk music, band publicists said. The group has been profiled on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Artbeat.”Tickets are $15 and available at Wright’s Custom Framing and Art Supplies in Brookings, The Book Dock in Harbor and Gold Beach Books in Gold Beach. Tickets may also be reserved online at www.pistolriver.com or by calling 541-247-2848. A $5 student discount or refund available at the door with student identification.

Listen now: Frog …Secret_Agent

Over the years, Brookings residents may have seen Shalynn Doan around town performing her beautiful acoustic songs solo, with a friend or the now-defunct FreeFlight. But you’ve never heard Shalynn like this! The Brookings-Harbor High School graduate recently moved to Portland for school and subsequently joined up with Stark Heroes, a band that proves that rock and roll isn’t dead.  Check the band at www.starkheroes.com.

Here is a high-octane song for your listening pleasure:

Podcast: Download

Inside a cordoned off section of a darkened restaurant in Smith River the searing rock music of Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” shook the room, then suddenly stopped. The music started again, and stopped. The cycle repeated itself a few more times until the five band members of Point Taken were satisfied with the song.

“We want to be the best band around,” drummer Jay Smith said during a break in rehearsal. His four band members nodded in agreement.

Sounds like the typical rock and roll dream of any garage band. Only thing is, this isn’t the typical garage band. Smith, at age 54, is the baby of the band. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist James (Anderson) Night is 56; lead guitarist Juwat is 59; bassist/vocalist Kurt Kessler is 57; and keyboardist/guitarist Tom Alderman is 55. The members hail from Brookings, Crescent City and Klamath Glen, Calif., and they all have regular day jobs and families.

All five musicians have been playing music since their teens, and most have played in various bands during the last 40 years. Their current band, Point Taken, came together to perform at a benefit concert earlier this year for Crescent City fisherman impacted by the March 11 tsunami.

“We got a call from someone saying they were looking for a rock band to play at the event,” Smith said.

Smith had recently jammed with Juwat and Night and asked if they wanted to form an impromptu band. Kessler, an acquaintance of the three, was invited to join, too. The called the band “Redwood” and played a two-hour set at the benefit that earned rave reviews from the crowd.

“We really got a great response; people couldn’t believe that we had only practiced a couple of weeks,” Kessler said.

The band will play 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 6) at the Boardwalk Arts Festival at the Port of Brookings Harbor, and Aug. 26 at the Brookings Elks Lodge.

Note: The full version of this story will be published in the Aug. 6 print edition of the Curry Coastal Pilot.

Legendary blues performer Curtis Salgado (one of the original Blues Brothers and former lead singer for Santana) will be in concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Lucky 7 Casino’s new Tolowa Events Center.  Tickets for his concert are $25 each and are available at the Lucky 7 Casino’s Players Club, or by phone at 707- 487-7777.  For more information visit www.lucky7casino.com.

Salgado is a legend in blues circles as much for his unique blend of blues, soul, and R&B, as for being the man responsible for inspiring a bit of pop culture and music history. In October 1977, Salgado was a 25-year old singer and harmonica player performing at the Eugene Hotel lounge when John Belushi stopped by.  In town filming the movie “Animal House,” the actor was looking for a laugh and found something else entirely – the inspiration for the now-iconic “Blues Brothers” characters.

“Sometimes when I think of the Belushi thing, and The Blues Brothers, I don’t know what to think,” says Curtis Salgado.  “I get totally blown away.”

The Blues Brothers reintroduced blues to a whole new generation.

“It was a good thing,” says Salgado.  “It turned a whole lot of people on to the music.”

Born in Everett, Wash., in 1954, Salgado credits his parents with his love of music. “I grew up around music, and I grew up around black music. ‘Cause my parents were hip!’” says Salgado.

By the time he was 18, Salgado was part of the growing Northwest blues scene performing with the likes of Robert Cray, Muddy Waters, Bobby “Blue” Band, and Bonnie Raitt.  Later, Salgado would also tour with his band The Stilettos, opening for such acts as Steve Miller and The Doobie Brothers. In 1990’s he was the lead vocalist for Santana. Salgado was selected 2010 Blues Music Award – Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year, has been awarded “Best Male Vocalist” by the Cascade Blues Society nine times since 1989. He has been inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Here are some music samples:

cleangetaway-sample

20yearsofBBking-sample

Spectrum Sounds

Live music at the Curry County Fair (July 28-July 31) kicks off at 5 p.m. Thursday with the Stagelights’ Community Music Showcase, featuring three bands: Jurassic Country, SnapShot and Caucasians in Crisis. Two Stagelights’ students will also sing several songs. The showcase is schedule from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Artisian Hall at the county fairgrounds in Gold Beach.

Starting at 5 p.m. Friday, five adult bands will perform for cash prizes in the Battle of the Bands competition at the Curry County Fair. The bands include Port Orford Music Club of Port Orford, 4:12 United of Gold Beach, John Clute of Port Orford, The Spence Brothers Band of Brookings and Spectrum Sounds of Brookings. Prizes are $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third.

The Spence Brothers

TThe future just got a little sweeter for Brookings’ favorite country rock band Sweet Town Little. The four-piece group has been invited to be the band for rising country star and former American Idol finalist Kristy Lee Cook during her Saturday concert at the Lynn County Fair in Albany.Other fair performers include Lonestar, James Otto and Buddy Jewell.

“This is the biggest opportunity for us so far,” said drummer David Amato on Monday. “Who knows? There might be industry folks there; agents for Kristi Lee and other musicians who might like what they hear.”

Sweet Town Little members are Amato, Lance Kessler (bass), Paul Lopez (guitar) and Scott Perry (vocals/keys/guitar). The band, which plays mostly originals, has been practicing every day for several weeks in preparation for Saturday’s gig. They have learning a number of cover songs that Cook performs as well as several of her originals that nobody has heard.

“It’s cool for us, but there’s a lot of pressure,” Amato said.

The band has called on its part-time backup singer Katherine Cena to sing Cook’s part during rehearsals.“She has been a great help to the band,” Amato said.

He also wanted to thank the neighbors living around the Brookings home where the band has been practicing from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly.“They have been very accommodating,” he said.

Cook will be in Brookings for several days this week to rehearse with the band. “I think she’s going to be very surprised when she gets here,” Amato said.

The opportunity to back Cook comes on the heels of the band’s accomplishments at a Battle of the Bands competition in Medford last year. They took sixth place out of 120 bands. They also played in Grants Pass last week to one of the largest crowds ever to attend the city’s concert in the park series.But it was a music video of the band taped at KTVL News 10 in October that caught the attention of Cook. (The video can be seen above).

“About two months ago, we were contacted by Christie Lee; she reached out to us,” Amato said. “She had seen our YouTube video and liked how we sounded.”

Sweet Town Little is one of the hardest working bands on the South Coast. Last year, within months of forming, the band played about 50 gigs in an eight month-period in Oregon and surrounding states. And that is while working full time jobs and honoring family commitments.The road-weary group took a few months off at the beginning of this year and then regrouped to pursue a less hectic tour schedule, with plenty of shows at venues in Brookings and Crescent City.

The band has built a large fan base on the South Coast with its mix of country and rock music. Music and videos are available at www.sweettownlittle.com. Fans can also follow the band on its Facebook page.

What’s next for the band after Saturday’s gig?“

It depends on how things go this Saturday,” Amato said. “We’re taking it one day at a time, taking opportunities when we get them, and seeing where it all goes.”

The quirky rock music of The Last Internationale sounds like it just stepped out of a Quintin Tarantino film – and will be filling the 101 Bar and Grill in Harbor Thursday night.

The New York-based band, consisting of singer/guitarist Delila Paz and lead guitarist Edgey, and sometimes additional band members, slides from smooth blues into an electric guitar and percussion heavy rock without losing the listener in the transition.Paz brings her soul-charged, blues-drenched vocals with just a hint of punk, but she isn’t afraid to add a little honey to give some songs a folksy hue. Edgey pumps out  boot stomping riffs and fiery licks for their originals and covers such as “House of the Rising Sun” and “Smokestack Lightning.”

The Last Internationale is known for its live performances, and is schedule to play at 9 p.m. Thursday at the 101 Bar and Grill, corner of Highway 101 and Benham Lane in Harbor. The Ashland-based rock band Hookastew will open at 7 p.m. There is no cover charge.

Listen to more music and see more videos at http://thelastinternationale.com

Jessie Goergen

Sunday’s free concert in Azalea Park features an exclusive performance arranged solely for the summer American Music Festival in Brookings.

The Linfield College Festival Brass will perform at 1 p.m. Sunday in the bandshell at the park. The special group brings together 18 professional brass musicians – and a vocal soloist – from as far away as Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area.

All have some sort of connection to Linfield College, according to the conductor, Linfield College professor of music Dr. Joan Haaland Paddock.Only the guest vocalist, Jessie Goergen, is from Brookings. She is a music and pre-law student at Linfield, scheduled to graduate in spring 2012.

Paddock will make the final selection of music today, choosing from groups she calls “Music Through the Ages,” “Music of Faith,” “Music of Place,” “Music of a Lighter Fare,” and “For All People.” Possible selections include  familiar titles such as the “Star Spangled Banner,” “Amazing Grace,” “Jupiter” from “The Planets,” and “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’” from “Porgy and Bess.”Jessie Goergen will be featured in George Gershwin’s “The Man That I Love” and “Orange Colored Sky,” a jazz classic best known for a version by Nat King Cole. As a result of the arrangements for the concert, Goergen is earning Linfield credits as a summer intern with the American Music Festival and the Stagelights Musical Arts Community.

The other featured soloist will be trombone player Tony Collins of Santa Rosa, Calif., performing in “Morceau Symphonique” by Alexandre Guilmant.

As with all American Music Festival concerts, admission is free, thanks to the donations of sponsors and those who come to the performances. Concert-goers should bring their own chairs or blankets for seating. The Rotary Club of Brookings-Harbor will offer concessions from its Snack Shack.In case of poor weather, the concerts move to the Redwood Theater in downtown Brookings.

The concerts continue at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 24, with a performance by the Craig Allen Blues Band, and at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, with traditional Celtic music performed by Golden Bough.

The Pistol River Concert Association presents Rita Hosking, accompanied by the outfit known as Cousin Jack, at the Pistol River Friendship Hall at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 9.Cousin Jack, Hosking’s band, consists of fiddle, bass, guitar and banjo.Hosking has receive many honors, including winner of Best Country Album in the 2010 Independent Music Awards, winner of the ’08 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest at the Sisters Folk Festival, finalist in the ’09 Telluride Troubadour Contest, and others as well. Tickets are $15 and are available at Wright’s Custom Framing and Art Supplies in Brookings, the Book Dock in Harbor and Gold Beach Books in Gold Beach. Tickets may also be reserved online at www.pistolriver.com or by calling 541-247-2848. A $5 student discount or refund is available at the door with student identification.

Don Henry and Sally Barris

PISTOL RIVER – Sally Barris and Don Henry will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 11, during a Pistol River Concert Association concert at the Pistol River Friendship Hall.

Barris, a Minnesota native, is a Nashville songwriter with a soprano voice whose music is a cross between Celtic and folk. She performs with fiddlers Stuart Duncan and Andrea Zonn; Jon Randall, who plays guitar and adds harmonies; and Byron House on bass.During her career, her songs have been covered by artists as Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, and Lee Ann Womack.

Henry is a veteran of 28 years in the music business. His experience in writing, publishing, producing and engineering has evolved him into the singer, songwriter and guitarist that he is today.Grammy Award winner Henry’s songs have been recorded by legends such as Ray Charles, Patti Page and Conway Twitty and B.J. Thomas

Tickets are $15 and available at Wright’s Custom Framing in Brookings, The Book Dock in Harbor and Gold Beach Books in Gold Beach. Tickets may also be reserved online at http://www.pistolriver.com or by calling 541-247-2848. A $5 student discount or refund is available at the door with student identification.

Sally Barris (solo):

Don Henry (with Sally Barris)