Volume 33 Number 4 May 12, 2009

Dynamic vocalist Lucy Hammond rejoins
music scene, shakes rafters with hot band

By Steve Rodin

Lucy Hammond
Photo by Steve Hanning

In the early '80s, Portland was alive with successful music venues, upcoming bands and the nation's hottest radio station KGON. Touring bands like George Thoroughgood often were on the bill at The Euphoria Tavern.

On one night, the Cobalt Blues band took the stage to open a three band line-up. With a young Lucy Hammond on lead vocals, the group took the Euphoria by storm. They blew away the crowd, received encore after encore.

Hammond began performing at age six in her church choir. She performed through her teens in a traveling performance choir and gospel groups. She joined the Cobalt Blues Band in the early '80s. After dissolution of the band, she moved on to Loose Talk, Geneva and The Tag, during which time she was a client of the Pacific Talent Agency. In those days, much like today, the place for groups to make decent money was on a circuit. Working a hotel lounge circuit, she made her living playing top 40 tunes. In Geneva and The Tag, Hammond sang with husband, drummer and soul mate Nigel Hammond.

After starting a family, Lucy chose to take the time to raise her children. Now that they are growing up, Lucy's out chasing her dream again. She proclaims, "It's what I am...have been. The time is right...it's time to go for it!"

Lucy rejoined the local music scene as a regular jammer at the First Avenue Tavern jam in Newberg. She built a steady following of returning patrons. After three years of hitting other Portland area jam sessions, meeting other artists and rebuilding her network of sources, she formed her group thelucyhammondband.

On April 1, thelucyhammondband played the Melody Ballroom for the Cascade Blues Association monthly meeting and shook the rafters. The dance floor filled up song after song, and everyone enjoyed one of the best bands they've seen in a while. Once the band grabbed you, they didn't let go, playing classics like Standing On Shaky Ground, Hold On I'm Comin' and Bonnie Raitt's Love Me Like A Man and Love Letters. Their original tunes, Doors and Talk To Me, blended right in with the other crowd favorites.

At present, thelucyhammondband is focused on The Journey To Memphis competition. Finalists play at the Waterfront Blues Festival and the winner goes to Memphis, Tenn., to represent the Portland area at the International Blues Challenge.

Like Lucy, some of the other members of the band have their roots in gospel music. Lead guitarist George Reiswig began his career in music while attending college in New Mexico. After moving to the Portland area, he played around for a while, finally settling into a duo with Ray Beran. He met keyboard player Jeff McCombs while attending the same church and introduced him to Lucy.

Bass player Steve Campanas grew up on the Motown sound in Detroit. He later moved to Southern California where he performed in pit bands for stage productions. He also gigged with local rock bands. Now a resident of Portland, Campanas plays in thelucyhammondband, and in the progressive rock group Quadrivia and in the jam band The Disappointments.

Kevin Shoppe, who plays drums in thelucyhammondband, also plays in the band Ruckus. Shoppe began his music career playing guitar in many rock garage bands and even spent some time as a professional photographer.

The group is finishing work in the studio on an upcoming EP due for release in early summer. Lucy, with long-time friend and well known local producer Keith Sommers (who was also a member of The Tag), collaborates on songs, with Lucy providing the lyrics and melody and Sommers creating the song structure.

They are now booking engagements in preparation for the Journey To Memphis (J2M09) competition slated for June 6 in Vancouver, Wash. at the Cascade Bar & Grill. For more details on the J2M9 (June 5-6), go to cascadeblues.org. For more info on thelucyhammondband, check out ad or Bandstand online or in this issue, or visit www.thelucyhammondband.com or Lucy Hammond's Facebook page. Catch them May 22 at The "New" Phoenix, 12525 S.W. Canyon Rd, Beaverton, 8:30-12:30 and May 29 at Santorini, 11525 S.W. Barnes Rd, 8:30-12:30; and of course, June 6 at Cascade Bar & Grill, 15000 E. Mill Plain, Vancouver, Wash. Competition starts at 8.