Lately, it seems folks are swimming in a sea of tribute bands; some are great, others not so much. Of course, the difficult part of doing a tribute is the ability to get the vocals as close to the original singer as possible. Any pro player can emulate the guitar and bass riffs of their guitar hero. But nailing those vocals is where a band lives and dies. A new tribute band is hitting the Northwest music scene by the name of Heartbeat. They play and perform the great songs of the Wilson Sisters; this is one Heart tribute that does the original band justice.
Heartbeat was formed by lead guitarist Tony Mullherin and singer/guitarist Carol Woods. After wood-shedding for a few months, they found the other key ingredient in lead singer Ann Serafin, who handles the position of Ann Wilson. Rounding out the band is Orm Miller on bass guitar and Charles Nelson on drums.
Mullherin began his music career playing the trumpet and the French horn in school. At 14, he picked up the guitar with dreams of being a juke box hero and the rest is history. He formed the Band Common Ground over ten years ago. Mullherin has rocked the Northwest music scene, playing clubs and private engagements. However, playing in one of the town’s best cover bands wasn't enough to keep his music jones under control.He created Heartbeat as another vehicle to perform live music; utilizing the rhythm section of Common Ground made perfect sense.
As a co-creator of Heartbeat, Woods takes on the role of Nancy Wilson. While playing guitar and performing vocals, this is a lady who has it all in terms of music performance and it comes with a lifetime of experience. She grew up in a musical family where everyone played an instrument or two. Woods was surrounded with musical influences of old school country and bluegrass. She performed as a teenager in the bands Red Zone and Hit and Run; she was able to have fun rocking with her brother and other players who are still active among the PDX music scene. Woods is not only a proficient musician, she is also a very beautiful lady, winning Miss Clark County in 1984. She made it to the finals and took second place in a reality talent show, based out of Nashville called You Can Be a Star.
The buzz, the electricity, even before the Sonny Hess Band started, was fantastic. The band members were really enjoying the idea of performing this evening at the Blue Diamond on this October evening. They greeted customers and friends as they came in the door, which created a welcoming atmosphere.
Portland’s own Sutton Sorensen announces her debut album Long, Long Time and carves her niche between ethereal retro-pop vocalist and sultry singer/songwriter. Her crystalline vocals, smudged with smoke and soul, evoke the purity and ease of Alison Krauss and Norah Jones, with the languid tones of Sade.