Running To Catch Up

While listening to Andre Williams' Bring Me Back My Car Unstripped….

Oh, and don't you dare miss the Andre Williams documentary Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams on January 31…part of this year's NW Film Center's Reel Music festival.

OK, here's what happened to this blog. On November 2, I got an email from Liz Hummer, Editor of LivePDX.com, which said, "(I) wanted to let you know, hopefully from me first, that I was laid off from the site on Thursday. It was very sudden and I was escorted out of the building, so had no chance to tie up any loose ends. As a (now) ex-employee, I was not given any information about the future of the site."

And thus, no more music blogs from me or anybody else. Matter of fact, if you try to go to LivePDX.com now, you get re-directed to PDX TV's site. Some of my stories are still in there, but you have to dig.

Boo hoo for me, but a bigger boo hoo for Liz, who didn't deserve it. She'll do fine. She's too good not to. Hopefully we'll get to work together again. She made PDX Magazine when she was their editor, and where I first worked with her. She practically invented LivePDX single-handedly.

The caretaker at the site told me to write blogs for the rest of November, but after they didn't put that week's up, I put it up here..
They said that there were technical difficulties. I told them that when they figured things out, I'd submit another blog, but since the blogs had time value, I'd hold off.

End of blog. Till now. It's not like I'm starting from zero, but almost. Please pass this around to folks you think would enjoy it. I'm planning to try to attract a bit of advertising. The LivePDX music blog was the most popular on the site. When I asked Liz about readership she wrote, "(B)ased on how many people clicked on the "Browse by Author" links, you had 133 hits on your name out of a total 412 hits on all the names, music and events combined. You're popular!"

And now the news (catching up):

Thomas Lauderdale's holiday party was especially happy this year because it was one of the first nights anybody had been able to get out of the house since the Blizzard of Ought Eight. Ran into lots of people. The big hug from Storm was a highlight. Sadly, the all-star band with her, Keith Schreiner, James Beatonand Derek Sims, is not going to be an ongoing thing…maybe a one-off now and then. Sniff. Keith, by the way, is in California on tour with Stephanie Schneiderman.

Ever seen the story I did on her during her Dante's heyday? It's one of my favorites. Some great shooting and editing by Greg Bond. I have no shame. In case you never saw it:



Also ran into former PM manager John Brodie, who is still running Le Happy, the creperie. He's got a whole other career as a fine artist going on these days…a successful one.

As I was leaving, Thomas was outside with a group of people and introduced me to a man who he said was…what was it?...on Sesame Street? I must have looked at him funny cuz he repeated it like he hadn't gotten through to me the first time. I don't think it had. I don't think it has yet. The thickness of my skull amazes me.

Guitarist Margaret Slovak has settled into her new NYC existence. She wrote today, that she's, "(S)ubletting a tiny guest house is at the western tip on Coney Island (still in Brooklyn)! It is 3 blocks from a beautiful beach and a lighthouse. It has a tiny bedroom, a kitchen with an adjoining tiny living room, and an “office” with a built-in desk that is my music room. There is a nice spot near the kitchen with great light where I can paint. My landlord even left some furniture, lights, and an old upright piano. I never dreamed that I would move to New York and live at the beach!

"I am working on setting up my music business, getting students, gigs, and hospital gigs. I am also hoping to be able to start a program of playing for and teaching guitar lessons to veterans at the nearby VA Medical Center in Brooklyn. Although it is overwhelming to start over and move this far at 46 (almost 47), I am very hopeful for the New Year!

I finally got a review of my third CD, For the Moment, in the January issue of JazzTimes Magazine! I have been trying for ten years to get reviewed in this publication! "

Just before he left town for a few months of touring, David Ornette Cherry played an extraordinary gig at The Goodfoot. He had Carlton Jackson and Joe Janiga on drums/percussion. CJ was on traps and Joe on electronic perc. Joe's longtime collaborator Courtney Von Drehle played accordion, guitar and sax. I think Jusin Durrie was on bass. Yeah, course he was. (Hey look, the gig was in the first week of December and I didn't take notes. So shoot me.) Cherry is going to be recording this band and that's very exciting. They're extremely eclectic (as you might expect).

There's a lot more news but I'm gonna cut it here. Will post more soon…at least weekly, maybe more to catch up.

Nice to be back. Hope you missed me.

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

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