Calendar

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.

Acoustic Beatle Fest

We will be recreating the old “Beatle Fest,” that ran for many years, mostly at the Fairgrounds. But Beatle Fest began as an evening of all acoustic arrangements, at the Old World Deli, back when Old World was the largest music venue in town. The creator of Beatle Fest, George Beekman, will be on hand to help MC this event, and to add percussion for some of the musicians who perform.

Musicians include Barbara Gladstone, Fred Towne, Audrey Perkins, Pete Kozak, Suz Doyle, Nils Nilson, Jeanne Homes, john Bliss, Bryan Yorgey, Bill Pfender, Mark Weiss, Cliff and Chere Pereira, Paul Regan, Joel Garfunkle and Larry Beekman, who  played at the very first Beatle Fest low those many years ago.

Music begins at 7:30
We will be in the Sanctuary of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe
Admission is 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Coffee, tea, cookies, and gluten free cookies are available for 50 cents each.
Folks may want to arrive early, to get parked close.

This show is a benefit for the Corvallis Folklore Society. We hope all members will come and support our parent organization, while enjoying some really good songs performed in original ways.

The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music. Admission is “pay what you will,” and kids are free. Cookies and coffee are available. Located in the cellar of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

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.

Verlon Thompson and Chris Arellano

As a solo performer and as the trusted sidekick of Texas Americana songwriting icon Guy Clark, Verlon has viewed the world from stages everywhere from Barcelona to Binger (his hometown in Oklahoma). Along the way Verlon Thompson compositions have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood and many more.

Chris Arellano, a Willamette Valley resident off and on for two decades, weaves together the Norteno music of his Northern New Mexico upbringing with Alternative Country and Blues influences-for a signature style that he calls Nuevo Americana. Fused with song and story, Spanish and English, his transcendent lyrics move listeners with emotion and passion.

Roy Zimmerman

There’s a new president and administration for Roy Zimmerman’s song-writing mill.  With everything going on in the world,  this should be interesting (and entertaining).

Roy Zimmerman is a satirical songwriter in the Tom Lehrer/Phil Ochs tradition with a great gift for clever and funny lyrics that really rhyme and an incredibly entertaining banter between his songs.

“You’re brilliant. Just brilliant!” — Terry Jones, Monty Python

Tom Lehrer himself says, “I congratulate Roy Zimmerman on reintroducing literacy to comedy songs.  And the rhymes actually rhyme, they don’t just ‘rhyne.'”

Joni Mitchell says, “Roy’s lyrics move beyond poetry and achieve perfection.”

He spent the Comedy Boom years of the Eighties doing stand-up in San Francisco, sharing stages with George Carlin, Bill Maher, Kate Clinton, Dennis Miller and many others. He wrote all the material for his funny folk music quartet The Foremen, recording two albums for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s done several shows with The Pixies’ Frank Black, swapping songs in a solo acoustic setting.

“Roy Zimmerman simultaneously inspires me and makes me laugh my ass off,” says comedian/author Paul Krassner.

Zimmerman tours almost constantly, taking his funny songs about fracking, creationism, marijuana laws, government shutdown, same-sex marriage, guns, taxes and abstinence across the country, often playing in some of the least Progressive places in America for the most Progressive people there.  “I get accused of preaching to the converted,” he says, “but I don’t think of it that way. I think of it as entertaining the troops.”

In thirteen albums over twenty years, Roy has brought the sting of satire to the struggle for Peace and Social Justice. His songs have been heard on HBO and Showtime. He has recorded for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s been profiled on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Zimmerman’s YouTube videos have amassed over seven million views, and he’s a featured blogger for the Huffington Post.

Sing Out! Magazine writes, “Zimmerman is a guy on the left skewering folks on the right with rapier-sharp lyrics … underneath the caustic satire is a man who is surprisingly optimistic.”

Wesley Hall at the First Presbyterian Church is upstairs, most easily accessed through the entrance on 11th Street near the corner of Monroe.  This event is sponsored by the Benton County Democrats.  It is not a church-sponsored event.

RUNA

“Best of all, RUNA sounds like no one else!” – Travis Rogers, Jr., Music Life & Times

Quickly gaining recognition as one of Irish music’s new “super-groups,” RUNA has been en- chanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats since their formation in 2008. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.

The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and four Independent Music Awards including Best Live Album, Best World/Traditional Song and Best Bluegrass Song.

“Timeless and flawless…” – Jim Allford, PA Music Scene

RUNA consists of vocalist and step-dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, Zach White of St. Louis on guitar, vocals and mandolin, and Maggie White of Kentucky on the fiddle and Mandolin.

RUNA recently released their fifth album, “RUNA: LIVE”, which was recorded at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD on Thursday, March 17th, 2016. Receiving lavish praise on both sides of the Atlantic, the album has been hailed as “an incredible masterpiece” – Marcene Bronson, The Celtic Crier

Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Their strive for excellence and creativity blazes a trail for the future of folk music, earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.

“Genuine and with endless innovation…” – John O’Brien, Jr., Ohio Irish American News

Folk-Americana Duo
Jennings & Keller

Jennings & Keller is an award-winning nationally touring duo based out of Florida. They offer up 21st Century Americana with influences in folk, jazz, and roots music. They fuse many different musical elements into a unique eclectic style that is refreshingly diverse.

Dana Keller, a veteran pedal steel, dobro, and guitar player, has spent years performing on stage or in the studio with such luminaries as Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Stevie Wonder, Larry Graham, Marvin Gaye, Dave Mason, Johnny Rodriguez and The Allen Brothers, to name a few. Dana has been an endorsee of the Gretsch Guitar and Drum Company since 1980. His dobro playing has been called “jaw-droppingly good”. Along with being lauded for his world-class musicianship, he is known as a “songwriter’s songwriter”, often drawing comparisons to Gene Clark and Jessie Winchester.

Laurie Jennings Oudin is a former Shakespearean actress who has spent many years on the stage. Her theater background combined with a lifetime of professional singing gives her an obvious command of the stage as well as the songs she sings. With a vocal style that ranges from early Joni Mitchell to Emmylou Harris, Laurie leaves audiences mesmerized by her stunning vocal delivery.

In the 11 years of playing together, Jennings & Keller have released 4 CDs. They have received accolades and airplay from radio stations at one end of the country to the other. In true troubadour spirit, Laurie and Dana travel the country in their motor home, performing at festivals, cafes, wineries and house concerts. Along with developing a large and loyal fan base, they have earned a reputation for quality musicianship and expert storytelling.