LaRhonda Steele with Ants in the Kitchen
perform exceptional show at the Gemini Pub
Article & Photos By Kane Taylor
June 2019 Page 3
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Left to right: Geoff Metts, guitar; Brian Harris, piano
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Upper left: Dane Ryan, bass Upper right: Mike Collins, drums LaRhonda Steele
The Gemini Pub in Lake Oswego recently hosted an exceptional perfor- mance by LaRhonda Steele, backed by the band Ants in the Kitchen. Steele performs with various groups, including bands like Ants in the Kitchen, a seven-piece stage band with a sterling horn section. She recently completed a four-city tour with King Louis Pain. They conducted work- shops and engaged performances. In Columbia, Steele and Pain workshops included a performance of a particular song, followed by their discussion of the origins of Blues, Gospel, and R&B, with explanation of the progression of one genre developing into and encompassing another. They described the songs from African American slaves and included examples of songs written for and performed at Civil Rights movements. With Blues and R&B, for example, they discussed the sim- ilarities and the differences. Topics included related aspects of American Jazz. Attended mostly by young people, the questions asked by the audience mainly expressed interest in the personal preferences of Steele and Pain, and what the personal ex- periences of these well-travelled mu- sicians were. They also hosted jam sessions at music schools in concert demonstrating call-and-response songs, pointing out hidden messages that relate to church music. Many of the young attendees expressed spe- cial interest in Rap artists as well. Steele recounts a Jazz Festival she attended in Juno, Alaska, and anticipates excitedly the Pareta Soul Festival coming in July, 2019. She also mentions some travel with Frog Town with Phillip Pelletier, and notes the amazing work of Andy Stokes, a former member of Frog Town. Steele co-directs an Inter-Faith Choir, noting the rhythms and syn- copation of Gospel Music, focusing on the expressiveness of the mu- sic. She describes it as learning to walk and chew gum at the same time. Steele also talks about her early singing experience. Her sister wanted to sing with their church choir and took Steele along. She says she felt good singing in church with the choir and did so for about 13 years. Initially, all of her singing experience was in church. Many people who sing church music feel uncomfortable perform- ing secular music. Because she is legally blind, Steele needed to find work she could do as an adult. She still feels a bit uncomfortable about performing both kinds of music, but also notes that there is not always a clear crossover point. Mavis Staple, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight include Gospel songs and even similar stylings in their secular music and were able to succeed personally in that mode. At some point, Steele began getting paid for her work and realized she could use music as a way to support herself. She does not like to mix Gospel music with the secular performances but will sometimes include songs like Oh, Happy Day, for example, and audi- ences love it. My spirituality comes across, she declares, as she might include songs like Imagine and You Are So Beautiful. Artists such as Ray Charles, Little Richard and Sam Cooke started out singing in church, and their soul and spirituality does come out in some of their work. Even Nina Simone started out as a Gospel pianist. She needed money so she started singing for pay in supperclubs. One is to be forgiven for any discomfort with making the crossover in music, and in fact it is to the benefit of us all. With her chance to be heard, Steele notes that a lot of work came to her either because someone heard her sing or told someone else about her. She worked with Curtis Salgado, Margaret Linn and Janice Scroggins who recommended her to others. She appreciates consistently being out working and improving her stagecraft skills in the field. She always holds to a good work ethic and is always building good relationships with other musicians as well as audiences. Being a working professional musi- cian takes energy and sacrifice. She says We were blessed. She has mainly worked in the Pacific North- west/Portland region because her growing children need her. She al- ways put the kids right up there, and would not want to be away from them. She wants to raise them herself, and since one daughter recently graduated with honors from college and another is starting out on her way to college, she has done a good job so far. In addition to securing her daugh- ters in their higher education, she looks forward to completing a CD of Folk and Gospel songs, and she is writing tunes as well. She hopes the recording will be available within the next year. Her basic plan is to take care of her family while always advancing in her work writing, re- cording and educating others. More of the above-mentioned workshops are in the future. She also is put- ting a CD together to set down the songs marchers performed when they walked with Martin Luther King Jr., so her goals are high. When enjoying her music performances, one would not think she needed to improve much, but live music needs to be fed and nourished in order to stay live. Ants in The Kitchen is a hotshot seven piece stage band. The lineup is: Geoff Metts, vocals and guitar; Dane Ryan, bass and backing vocals; Mike Collins, drums and backing vocals; Brian Harris, Pano and backing vocals; Scotty Snake- man Franklin, tenor sax; Allan King Toot Kalik, trumpet and Chris Everybody Loves Raymond, tenor sax, baritone sax and harmonica. LaRhonda Steeles appearances with any other musicians, any band, are always world-class. She is amazing. Her energy does not stop, and she connects with the audience while also showing them something special, that something extra in the music. Her sincerity is also a driving force in her work. To book her or purchase any available recordings, see the website www. larhondasteele.com and FaceBook.
Appearing every Thursday At Clydes, 5474 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland See Bandstand Page 2 for more For Bookings, call 541-232-6650
saturated phats
Ben Rice Trio
Left to right: Chris Everybody Loves Raymond, tenor sax, baritone sax and harmonica; Allan King Toot Kalik, trumpet; and Scotty Snakeman Franklin, tenor saxophone
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