Mid-Week Beat...Darwish, Klezmocracy to the Max, Vintage Reggie

While listening to the new Ben Darwish album, Ode To Consumerism, not out till next month but which I'm premiering on the radio this Saturday night……

I still have a lot to catch up with after not having been blogging for a couple of months but first….You might be interested in this story I wrote for the Oregonian in Wednesday's Living Section on the guys at Kung Fu Bakery. There's a backstory but I was told on background during the interviews and my fingers are sealed. I'll let you know when I can.

Too bad plans couldn't have been pulled together in time to stage the multi-arts outdoor celebration for Mayor Sam's inaugural. I heard some of them and it would have been fun. One idea that had been kicked around was to have bands ride in to Pioneer Courthouse Square on each of the Max Lines.

Reminds me of when I did a story on Klezmocracy and got to shoot them on a Max train. Funny thing was, it wasn't even in service. Tri-Met wouldn't let me shoot on an in-service train but they were testing out the new line to the Expo Center the week before it opened. When we got on the train, it was empty, but one stop later, there were about 50 Tri-Met employees taking a ride on the line. Made it seem like it was a normal run. Watch the fun.

Here's the story:



Speaking of Ben Darwish, he's been doing a last Sunday jam series at Someday Lounge, but he's also going to do it this Sunday too. He calls it "Progression," and says it is, "What every other jam session isn't. Original compositions, odd time signatures, free form improvisation, and no rules." The starter band is Ben on keys, Bill Marsh on guitar, Sam Howard on bass and the ever-popular TBA on drums. It's 8-11 and free.

Jim "The Doorman" Adair sent me an interesting vid that Reggie Houston sent him that somebody else sent Reggie. Jim wrote, "This was sent to Reggie from his horn tech in New Orleans. Part 6 (I think) has a pretty long solo of Reggie on Baritone. There's more than one (Fats) Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame musician here. Herb Hardesty is the older tenor player with glasses and Dave Bartholomew is the trumpeter with the "receding" hairline. "



I'm also premiering the new Marco Benevento album Saturday night, plus doing a special "Best of The Bar" at midnight.

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Listen to my KMHD show on Saturday nights 10pm-2am. Jazz till 12 and then The Bar opens at Midnight!

You can hear my political talk show, "D'Antoni & Levine" with DC-based reporter Art Levine live on Thursdays at 2:30pm PT and then archived thereafter. Listen here.