Notes On A Napkin June 4

Praise the Lord for Sunshine!

I started & ended the month experiencing one of my favorite bands Wood Works, first at Knuckleheads and again at Montavilla Station. At Knuckleheads, I arrived just in time to hear Kathryn Wood belt out one of my favorite originals, Here for the Party. Her vocals add so much to the band, whether they are soft & sultry or bold & bawdy. Asher Wood holds his own on the guitar & his expertise on the mandolin is flawless. Steve Safaty holds down the bottom end with aplomb, while drummer Ed Jordan is a wizard on drums and a show in himself. Other notable favorites are Tobacco Road, We Gotta Get Outta This Place, Watch Out World, Unchain My Heart, If I Were Carpenter (a touching duet by Kathryn & Asher) & two recently added tunes, Money and Time Is On My Side. You can catch this variety band regularly at Knuckleheads & Montavilla Station (See ads & listings this issue).

Blue Gin, right out of the ‘60s, made a rare appearance at The Space (premier recording studio), along with Theory of Relativity, in Beaverton recently. Dan Crothers operates the facility that includes comfortable couch seating for onlookers. He filmed a video of the bands doing favorites of yesteryear. Theory of Relativity (with PE&D writer/photographer Eric Tworivers on drums) opened admirably with hits like I Saw Her Standing There, Money, Suzie Q, Brown-Eyed Girl & Bang a Gong (Get It On). When Blue Gin took the stage, it was time to rock with favorites such as Sweets for My Sweet, You Gotta Hold on Me, Steppin’ Out, Just Like Me and closing with the iconic Louie Louie. Drummer Rick Herdt kept the tempo energized with his expertise on the skins; Jim Crutcher handled bass duties with skill, while Larry Congram’s nifty fingers scanned the keyboard deftly. The incomparable Jimi Lund manned the guitar with his usual dexterity. The soloist was amazing in his renditions & execution of the tunes, with expert backup harmonies by all the band members. Watch for news of the new video as soon as it’s mastered.

My cousin Mary Ann Carter’s surprise birthday party, coordinated by dance pupil (also PE&D writer) Lauree Carlsen, at Lenore’s Room, above the Melody Ballroom was a blast! It was after her real birthday (May 16), during her Sunday evening dance lesson there. A beautiful cake was presented with Happy Birthday sung by all her students & her partner Jim, who was visiting from Chicago. The real surprise was when Elvis Nagel showed up in costume, with bodyguards in tow. Mary Ann helps Elvis with his choreography and announcing for his shows on Saturdays at the Pink Feather (SE 143rd & Division). Also a loyal fan, she was nearly brought to tears as Elvis sang Viva Las Vegas & Blue Suede Shoes for the crowd. If you are interested in learning to dance, be sure to call Mary Ann at 503-970-1735 or visit Lenore’s, 615 SE Alder, Sundays at 5 pm. As an instructor of recent Baltimore national dance champions Vidar Moen & Cindy Ogden, you can be assured you are learning from the best!

Next event was Sonny Hess’ new CD release of All Aces at McMenamin’s Kennedy School. I shared a table with PE&D writer Brad Morley, who covered the show, bassist extraordinaire Lisa Mann & her husband Alan Marckell (also a fine bass player) and Cher Widom, superb vocalist. It was a wonderful night of music with many guest performers. Read more about it in Brad’s article this issue.

Last but not least, friend & PE&D writer Jeff Shivers joined me at Vinnie’s in Vancouver to hear acoustic guitarist/vocalist Tom Harmon, who also writes for PE&D. It was a pleasant evening in comfortable surroundings as Tom took us down memory land with oldies like Free Fallin’, I Cross My Heart, Neon Moon, Hungry Heart, Another Saturday Night, Margaritaville, Midnight Special, Brown-Eyed Girl, and appropriately (since it was raining) I Love a Rainy Night, Who’s Got the Rain, & Have you Ever Seen the Rain. The salads & pizza are outstanding at Vinnie’s, as well as the music. Tom plays every other Friday there, 6-8 pm. Be sure to visit & tell them Positively Entertainment sent you!

Watch for all the news about the Waterfront Blues Fest next issue.

‘Til next time, we pray for peace & prosperity……Bonnie Carter, ed.