Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
Guy Davis
once said, “I like antiques and old things, old places, that still have the dust of those who’ve gone before us lying upon them.” Blowing that dust off just enough to see its beauty is something Guy has excelled at for over twenty years of songwriting and performing. It’s no wonder his reverence for the music of the Blues Masters who’ve gone before him has been evident in every album he’s ever recorded or concert he’s given.
Guy has had his musical storytelling influenced by artists like Blind Willie McTell and Big Bill Broonzy, and his musicality from artists as diverse as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Babatunde Olatunji. However, there’s one man that Guy most credits for his harmonica techniques, by stealing and crediting from him everything that he could, and that man is the legendary Sonny Terry.
Guy’s new album, “Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train – A Look Back at Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry” is an homage to these two hugely influential artists, not only on Guy’s career, but to thousands of musicians around the world. One such artist is the Italian harmonica ace, Fabrizio Poggi, who collaborates with and produced this recording.
Recorded in the summer of 2016 in Milan, the album features the original, title track song written by Guy Davis, songs by both Sonny and Brownie, as well as songs known to have been recorded and performed by the famed duo written by their contemporaries, such as Libba Cotton and Leadbelly.
Guy and Fabrizio have a relationship going back a decade in which they’ve performed together on tour in Europe and in the United States. In 2013 Fabrizio produced and played on Guy’s highly acclaimed recording, “Juba Dance”, which was number one on the Roots Music Charts for eight weeks. And ‘Fab’ also performs on Guy’s last album, “Kokomo Kidd”.
Guy Davis has spent his musical life carrying his message of the blues around the world, from the Equator to the Arctic Circle, earning him the title “An Ambassador of the Blues”. His work as an actor, author, and music teacher earmark him as a renaissance man of the blues.
What music and acting have in common, he explains, “is that I don’t like people to see the hard work and the sweat that goes into what I do. I want them to hear me and be uplifted. And I want some little eight-‐year-‐old kid in the front row to have big eyes and say, ‘Hey, I want to do that!’.”
Guy Davis is an exceptional harmonica player, and accompanied Pete Seeger on his final tour. He is well worth seeing and hearing.
The evening is hosted by Bob Santelli of the GRAMMY Museum and features storytelling, a live on-stage interview, audience questions and a performance by Guy Davis.
Click here to purchase tickets.
American Strings participates in Corvallis Arts for All. When tickets are still available on the evening of the performance, SNAP participants with an Oregon Trail card may purchase up to two tickets for $5 each at the door. No advance purchase.
We’re throwing a fest!
Sinking City Pop Fest
is happening here in Corvallis, Oregon
from May 11-13, 2018.
We’re still very much in the planning stages, but it’s going to be a stacked weekend of all-ages DIY punk shows and events around Corvallis to celebrate our awesome community. There will be a ton of updates on this project in the next few months, so check back here or join our fb group to stay in the loop.
Touring bands often refer to the stretch of I-5 between Portland and San Francisco as the “dead zone.” In 2015, some friends started organizing shows under the umbrella of Corvallis DIY in an attempt to make Corvallis a more visible destination for punk, indie, emo, and hardcore bands booking their own tours. At the same time, we started hosting regular meetups and throwing events like Band in a Hat and the Halloween cover show to get people excited about participating in their local community. Our scene has been growing steadily since then, and Corvallis has gained a reputation as a fun, semi-secret place to play on the west coast – a rainy city sunken into the heart of the Willamette Valley.
Sinking City Pop Fest is not-for-profit and volunteer-run. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Rural Organizing Project, an intersectional nonprofit that supports radical organizing efforts in small Oregon communities.
Stay tuned for the show schedules and ticket presale information.
BANDS
Adieu Caribou (Salem/Corvallis)
Bad Dates (Corvallis)
Bobby’s Oar (Seattle)
Broken Dead (Eugene)
Dogbreth (Seattle)
Dooley (Corvallis/Eugene)
Flexing (Corvallis)
Garage (Corvallis)
GLIT (Eugene)
Lisa Prank (Seattle)
Mr. Wrong (Portland)
Plattenbau (Berlin)
SEACATS (Seattle)
Shaene Marie Pascal (Corvallis)
The Shifts (Eugene/Corvallis)
Special Moves (Olympia)
trying to be brave (Corvallis)
Watercolor Paintings (Thousand Oaks/Oakland)
Wayside Ghost (Eugene/Portland)
The Wobblies (Portland/Corvallis)
VENUES
Interzone (Friday night)
1563 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
Mudville Stadium (Saturday matinee)
House / ask-a-punk
Chintimini Community Center (Saturday night)
2601 NW Tyler Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
Nearly Normals (Sunday matinee)
109 NW 15th St, Corvallis, OR 97330
SPONSORS
Razorcake, Interzone, Sacred Art Tattoo, Nearly Normals, Bullfrog Music, Happy Trails Records, & The Arts Center
Gerry O’Connor
with Richard Mandel
(and afternoon workshops – see below)
From Dundalk, County Louth, Gerry O’Connor has played and recorded with such highly regarded groups as Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark. Gerry has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups including Planxty, Bothy Band and others. Lá Lugh’s album “Brighid’s Kiss” was voted Album of the Year 1996 by readers of the Irish Music Magazine. His solo album “Journeyman” was counted in the top five Albums of the year 2004 by the Irish Times.
Richard Mandel (guitar, tenor banjo, bouzouki) fell into the well of Irish music in the mid-‘90s and was soon driving every session he could get into. As a first-call accompanist, Richard has performed and toured with legendary Irish musicians including Gerry O’Connor, Paddy Keenan, Jimmy Keane, Mick Maloney, Paddy O’Brien, Tony DeMarco and many others. Richard plays in the trio Three Mile Stone with mandolinist Marla Fibish and fiddler Erin Shrader. Three Mile Stone released its debut CD, produced by John Doyle, in March 2010 and has received rave reviews. In addition to Three Mile Stone, Richard can be heard on Christa Burch’s CD “Love of the Land”, Radim Zenkl’s, “Restless Joy”, and Tipsy House’s CD, “Sets in the City.”
[P]owerful guitar work, whether taking the form of a high-energy rhythmic input or a more intricate embellishment. —David Kidman, Living Tradition Magazine
Richard’s guitar playing is a perfect support and backdrop for Marla’s and Erin’s tune conversations. It never draws attention to itself except by its excellence and appropriateness. And he can play the snot out of the tenor banjo, too! —Roger Landes (Irish bouzouki master and Zoukfest founder)
[A] lightning right hand and spot on chord choices. He is also a precise and powerful tenor banjo player.—Kevin Carr, FolkWorks
Advance Tickets (at Grassroots Books, 227 SW 2nd St.) are recommended as space is limited.
Afternoon Workshops on May 17 ! ($7/$5 CFS members)
2pm: DADGAD Guitar Accompaniment w/ Richard Mandel
4pm: Irish Tunes for all Instruments w/ Gerry O’Connor
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.
A Celtic Evening
James Wilson
with
Dave and Sharon
Thormahlen
James Wilson was a English as a Second Language teacher at the Benton Center for awhile, now lives in Portland. He is getting together with Corvallis musicians Sharon and Dave Thormahlen to present an evening of Celtic tunes (“which we will deviate from a bit with some Latin and originals”).
Sharon and Dave have been performing all sort of music, from swing (in the Swing Beans) through children’s music to British (Celtic, Beatles, etc.) and more for many years. They always put on a good show.
An evening house concert with
Birch Pereira
and the Gin Joints
from Seattle
Born out of a love of the early years of swing, americana and rock ‘n ‘roll, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints is a band whose sound transports you to the time of speakeasies, honky-tonks and roadhouses. With upright bassist and vocalist Birch Pereira at its center, the band features skilled and versatile musicians who share the love of the American song traditions and a desire to offer a fresh angle on them.
Check out all the fun videos at https://www.theginjointsband.com
If you’ve seen them before, then don’t miss this opportunity to hear the continuing evolution of their repertoire and skills.
The band’s debut album, Dream Man, was released independently and received the Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award for “Northwest Jazz Recording of the Year” in 2016. Their second album “Western Soul” was released in March 2018 and features western-tinged jazz and soul originals along with reinterpretations of old blues, swing and early rock’n’roll. Fans, critics and deejays have delighted in Birch Pereira’s “old soul,” tenor voice, the group’s new, stripped-down arrangements of musical gems from the past and Pereira’s ever growing repertoire of original, yet period-evoking material. Frank Gutch Jr, of No Depression described the new album thusly: “I love this album. I love the sound of it. I love the feel of it. I love the idea of it.”
One of the fun aspects of the Gin Joints is that, depending on availability, Birch can draw from a large pool of highly talented Seattle musicians, who all love playing this music. Joining Birch this time are Adrian Van Batenburg on drums/percussion (returning again to Corvallis) and fine Seattle guitarist Colin Higgins (see below).
PERSONNEL
After playing cello in the Corvallis Youth Symphony, Birch Pereira got his BA in Jazz Studies (bass performance) from the University of Washington in 2005. Since then he has become well-known in Seattle as a highly versatile bass player, band leader, composer, producer/engineer and teacher. With the formation of the Gin Joints he moved out front as vocalist, arranger, composer and bass player — and hasn’t looked back since.
Adrian Van Batenburg got his BA in Jazz Studies (drumming/percussion) from University of North Texas in 2002. He has been gigging, recording, touring and teaching since moving to Seattle that year.
Colin Higgins studied jazz guitar performance at North Texas University and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Colin moved to Seattle in the fall of 1997. He’s performed in a wide range of musical settings, from jazz to classic rock, with many great Seattle musicians.
A house concert is a great way to hear music in an intimate setting and get to know the performers up close and personal.
To reserve a space and get directions, email to peartree15@comcast.net
(or, if an email won’t work, call 541-753-9224).
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.