Steve Cheseborough
Artist brings superb 'old blues' to Holman's
The well-known establishment Holman's Bar and Grill, 15 S.E. 28th Ave., hosted musician and blues artist Steve Cheseborough Jan. 23 with a full house.
Holman's continues to offer the finest in entertainment, food and décor, delighting its customers for yet another year. This night, the crowd was visibly pleased to hear some "old blues" portrayed superbly by Cheseborough, a one man band. His experience is evident in all that he plays and sings. CDs were sold and signed at this release party to happy customers throughout the evening. His record is an extensive and noteworthy one to date. Holman's was a great place to hear this class act.
Steve Cheseborough
(Photo by Bonnie Carter)
Holman's still serves the best food and music after 70 years. The building has grown into two separate rooms with a quaint bar in between. In one room, you can hear musicians play live for radio station KMHD. This show is hosted by DJ Bradly Brenner on Friday nights from 6 to 8. In another room, more live music is provided while you eat as well.
Holman's serves a full food menu and bar well drinks. This writer experienced the savory home made clam chowder, followed by the greatest apple pie in town. The walls are adorned with knick knacks, such as the large life-like teddy bear looking down on the crowd. Wood is a main theme from original old rickety floor boards to the walls, with nostalgia all around and old ceiling fans. Even the ladies' pink bathroom is wallpapered with care. The tradition of spinning the wheel for a free meal was worth a try this night. Old doors, going nowhere, were strategically placed along the long wall where musician Steve Cheseborough performed, adding to the unusual decor.
This night, Holman's packed a full house for Cheseborough CD release party. His third CD Fetch It sold many copies this night. Some of the songs include Hear Me Talking To You, Polly Wolly Doodle, Shortnin' Bread, Been Mistreated and Vicksburg Blues, to name a few.
Bob Lewis, owner of Oregon City Appliance Parts store, came with his girlfriend, Rowena, just to purchase the CD and have it signed. They said they were familiar with his first two CDs, Ham Hocks and Outstanding Blues, that are available through stevecheseborough.com and at Music Millennium. Lewis states, "We love old blues from the '20s and '30s." This pair also purchased his previous CDs. Another fan Wanda Richter said she and her husband Chris love to hear Cheseborough sing and play. She mentions her husband was interested in music lessons from him as well.
Cheseborough brings with him years of experience. Having a mother as a dance instructor, he was influenced by Latin and jazz music very early on. He started in his teens playing in rock and blues bands. Cheseborough has performed as a one-man-band successfully since the 1980s. He studied the roots of the blues of the earliest artists such as Blind Lemon, Robert Johnson, Bo Carter, Memphis Minnie, Charley Patton, Blind Boy Fuller, Ma Rainey and Blind Willie McTell, to name a few. His love of the blues gravitated him to Mississippi. Here he infiltrated himself with the love of the blues even more and came to learn its history and culture. He came away with a master's degree in Southern Studies, from the University of Mississippi and wrote the book, Blues Traveling, the Holy Sites of Delta Blues.
The music of Cheseborough is his very own sound. Knowing country blues involves complex guitar-picking, doing bass, lead and rhythm at he same time. His feet stomp out the beat on a wooden box. A tambourine is attached to this, providing a unique sound. Cheseborough sings and plays metal guitars, harmonica and a National guitar, jamming out complex rhythms. His yodel is a distinct sound to his music as well. Performing nationally at major music festivals for years, the familiar Waterfront Blues Festival is a local yearly agenda. He has been on Oregon Art Beat and presented a history and mystery of the blues series available at local libraries. He also teaches beer-and-blues classes out of his home. This is an act you should follow.
The love of the blues shows in Steve Cheseborough's music. If you haven't heard him yet, you need to buy his CDs and catch him live. You will listen to the best of the old blues.
Be sure to visit Holman's, for a delicious and reasonably priced meal, surrounded by fun conversational décor. You can play all the Oregon Lottery games, view a big screen and take your chances at spinning the wheel! This is a great establishment to meet up with friends or hold a party, while listening to some of Portland's finest music. See you there.