November 2024 Check-In's

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The SuperJazzers At The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Friday, November 1, 2024

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SuperJazzers is a group of four like-minded musicians from Portland, Oregon, blending diverse influences from artists like Ornette Coleman, Elliott Smith, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, The Beatles, Ravel and John Coltrane. Saxophonist Tim Wilcox, pianist David Goldblatt, bassist Bill Athens, and drummer Charlie Doggett create a rich, dynamic sound that fuses classic jazz traditions with modern improvisation. Their decade-long collaboration has resulted in a compelling mix of emotional depth and a large arsenal of original compositions, appealing to fans of both modern jazz, classical and popular music.

George Colligan hosts a Late Night Jam Sesh at
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Saturday, November 2, 2024

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The George Colligan Quartet performed two earlier sold out sets at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM followed by this Jam Session at 10 PM. The prior performance ran late so we were able to enter the room about 9:50 PM and see about 30 minutes of the end of the 8:30 PM standing by the wall. We didn't get seated for our performance until 10:20 PM as the people sitting at our table for that performance were the very last people to leave the room.

The Portland Region has a tremendous amount of jazz talent which is one of the main reasons we moved to this area. There are multiple colleges and private instructors in Portland that provide jazz music instruction. George Colligan had a number of musicians in the audience come up and perform in various combinations. Everyone that performed was very talented.

George Colligan is not only one of the great jazz pianists of his generation, but he has earned an international reputation as a multi-instrumentalist (drums, trumpet, organ, keyboards), composer, accompanist, teacher, and bandleader, as well as popular blogger(jazztruth.blogspot.com). Winner of the 2015 DownBeat magazine Critics Poll (Keyboard), he has had a long association with living jazz legend Jack DeJohnette; recent touring took Colligan around the U.S. with "An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover." He has also recently toured the U.S. and Canada as a leader with his trio featuring legends Buster Williams and Lenny White. With over 130 albums to date as an accompanist, Colligan has worked with a long list of jazz greats, including John Scofield, Buster Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, Chris Botti, and many others. His latest album, "King's Dream" (PJCE Records 2022) is his 36th as a bandleader, and features PSU faculty and alumni. Colligan, a New York resident for 15 years, now resides in Portland, Oregon where he is a Full Professor at Portland State University. He has recently won two Region Arts and Culture Council grants, A South Arts Jazz Road grant, and a PSU Faculty Development grant. Colligan recently won the PSU College of The Arts Dean's Council Award for Research, Scholarship and Creativity(2020), and also won the Researcher of the Year Award from the PSU College Of The Arts(2021).

George Colligan has toured, recorded, and/or performed as a sideman with Lonnie Plaxico, Gary Bartz, Benny Golson, Gary Thomas, Miguel Zenon, Tom Harrell, Steve Coleman, Eddie Henderson, Ralph Peterson, Vanessa Rubin, Steve Wilson, Dave Weckl, Richard Bona, Jane Monheit, Ravi Coltrane, Lenny White, Michael Brecker, Mike Clark, Nicholas Payton, Sheila Jordan, Janis Siegel, Christian McBride, Billy Hart, Charles Fambrough, Mingus Big Band, Al Foster, Mark Turner, Don Braden, Lew Soloff, Gunther Schuller, Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Carl Allen, Rodney Whitaker, Lee Konitz, Jamie Baum, Michal Urbaniak, Ron McClure,DJ Logic, Randy Brecker and Stefon Harris, among others. "Colligan is an equally deserving torch-carrier of the piano trio tradition..." John Kelman , All About Jazz "One of the best kept secrets in jazz..." Chris Hoven, All About Jazz

Stephen's Trabeculectomy Right Eye Operation At
Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center
Portland, Oregon
Monday, November 4, 2024

So far the operation seems to have gone OK. The purpose of the operation is to allow an alternate path for fluids to leave my eye to not build up pressure which could cause the glaucoma in my right eye to expand. I already lost 70% vision in my right eye but fortunately my right eye focal point is still clear which allows me to still read with my right eye.

Siri Indian Cuisine
Portland, Oregon
Tuesday, November 5, 2024

We decided to try this place as it is near the medical center where I had my follow-up eye exam and its website said: "Enjoy the best quality Indian food, dine in, take out, all you can eat lunch Specials and catering." Thus we came for the "all you can eat lunch Special" but they had no lunch buffet. Their website also said they are closed on Tuesdays, but they open at 2 PM on Tuesdays. Since we were there, we decided to have lunch there anyway. The food was good, well spiced, but I would not say it was anywhere near the best Indian food we've ever had.

Member Wine Flights At
Maryhill Winery Tasting Room & Bistro,
Vancouver Waterfront, Washington
Wednesday, November 6, 2024

No music today and they closed the kitchen early, but they did have truffle chips and almonds.
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Leon Cotter (Saxophone) At
Jack London Revue, Portland, Oregon
Thursday, November 7, 2024

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Playing Hugh Masekela South African Jazz Hit 'Grazing in the Grass'

Saxophonist Leon Cotter has led a musical double life, spending much of the last decade touring the country with soul/blues band, The California Honeydrops, while maintaining a reputation as a sought after sideman in Portland's local jazz scene. He returns to the Jack London with a set of music from South Africa. South Africa has (and continues to have) a thriving jazz scene that has paralleled the scene in the US since the early '50s. Over the years, musicians like Abdullah Ibrahim (aka Dollar Brand), Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela became internationally recognized, and Masekela's 1968 hit 'Grazing in the Grass' topped the US Hot 100 chart. This past summer, Leon and the Honeydrops put together a set of South African jazz that was performed at High Sierra Music Festival, and it was just too much fun to play that music only once. So if you missed that set (or even if you saw it and wanted to hear more), come check out 2 full sets of Cape Jazz, featuring: Leon Cotter (saxophone), Noah Simpson (trumpet), Kiran Raphael (piano), Michael Raynor (drums), and Andrew Jones (bass).

Soul Vaccination at
Trails End Saloon, Oregon City, Oregon
Shelli, Barbara & Me
Saturday, November 9, 2024

Soul Vaccination remains at the top of the Portland charts, and is one of the tightest Funk & Soul Bands in the PNW. As the Rose City's favorite, Soul Vax infuses the stage with the greatest soul standards, and has been a fixture in the Northwest music scene for over 20 years. This high energy 12 piece band features Brian Harris on Hammond B-3 and keyboards, along with the precision guitar playing of Mike Doolin. On bass, is Grammy nominated producer John Linn, and on drums is Ron Tuttle, always bringin' the funk and groovin' hard. Portland's own Regina K, and Mark Wyatt share their soulful vocal styles. Lewis Livermore and Dave Mills carry the backbone sound of the Soul Vax horns on trumpets, with Ron Regan, Gary Harris, & Timothy Bryson on saxophones.

Jazz Jam at
Keys Lounge, Portland, Oregon
Shelli, Barbara & Me
Saturday, November 9, 2024

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Youth Jazz Night At
Billy Blues Bar & Grill, Vancouver, Washington
Sunday, November 10, 2024

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This was the first time that Billy Blues Bar & Grill held "Youth Jazz Night" and they plan to continue holding it every Sunday from 6-9pm indefinitely. The youth jazz performers were very talented! Barbara and I really enjoyed the peformance as we got to see many different youth performers. The best was probably the big guy with the big bass saxophone who managed to swing it around while playing like a smaller guy would swing around an alto saxophone.

Music & Member Wine Flights At
Maryhill Winery Tasting Room & Bistro,
Vancouver Waterfront, Washington
Monday, November 11, 2024

Tezeta Band At
Alberta Street Pub, Portland, Oregon
Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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The Legend of Fall Creek,
original title: "Bloody Bobby"
Tuesday, November 12, 2024

I was hunting around for something to watch on TV this evening and forgot that you can pull up "The Legend of Fall Creek" on Amazon Prime Video. It always surprises me when the above screen pops up about ten minutes into the movie.

Wine Dinner with Poderi Luigi Einaudi
Nicoletta's Table, Lake oswego, Oregon
Wednesday, November 13, 2024

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Owen Broder Quartet At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Friday, November 1, 2024

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Fundamentals Of Whiskey At
Westward Whisky, Portland, Oregon
Friday, November 15, 2024

Pizza For Dinner At
Cliff's Tavern, Vancouver, Washington
Friday, November 15, 2024

They have great pizza here. We arrived just in time to see the end of the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match. The Pendleton Whisky sign caught my attention. I knew that Scotland spells "Whisky" without the "e" so I was curious where Pendleton Whisky came from. It turns out that pretty much only the United States and Ireland spell "Whiskey" with an "e." Most of the rest of the world including Scotland, Japan, and Canada (which is where Pendleton comes from) spell Whisky withotu the "e." Unlike Scotland that has a law that "whisky" must be spelled without an "e", there isn't a hard and fast rule for the spelling in the United States. There are some U.S. exceptions such as "Maker's Mark," "George Dickel," and "Balcones" that are American brands that opt to spell "whisky" without the "e."

BrewLights At
Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon
Saturday, November 15, 2024

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Happy Hour Dinner At
Shanahan's Pub & Grill, Vancouver, Washington
Monday, November 18, 2024

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Brandonlee Cierley At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 6:30 PM

Line up: BrandonLee Cierley - Sax, Chris Clark Johnson - Guitar, Santiago LaRochelle - Keys, Marcus Rudolph - Drums, Zachary Schleiker - Bass. BrandonLee Cierley is a Saxophonist born in Tacoma, WA now relocated to Portland, OR whose music seemingly combines elements from sounds that have influenced his musical voice such as Modern Jazz, Groove, R&B & Hip Hop.

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Adriana Wagner Quartet At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 8:30 PM

Album: "She Sleeps, She Wakes." Line up: Adriana Wagner - trombone, Garret Baxter - bass, Matt Sazima - keys, Dae Bryant - drums. Trombonist and composer Adriana Wagner draws inspiration from a wide array of influences, combining traditional and modern jazz sounds. Her originals invite the listener on a visual storytelling journey through captivating melodies that can resonate above or become immersed within the composition's harmonic structures. The compositions are written from perspectives of heartbreak, struggle, beauty, and resilience. Influenced by many different music genres, she weaves styles together under a distinct jazz banner. Wagner and her quartet play with vulnerability and a dedication to the music that has no limits.

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The Christopher Brown Quartet - NYC in the 90's At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Friday, November 22, 2024, 8:30 PM

The Christopher Brown Quartet features Chris on alto sax, Greg Goebel on piano, Garrett Baxter on bass, and Dae Bryant on drums.

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The Ron Steen Jam At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Friday, November 22, 2024, 10 PM

Ron Steen hosts his legendary Portland Jam.

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Soul Vaccination at
Ponderosa Lounge & Grill, Portland, Oregon
Shelli, Barbara & Me
Saturday, November 23, 2024

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NW Women's Revue Friendsgiving
Sonny Hess, Lisa Mann, Myrtle Brown, Joanne Broh, Ellen Whyte, Claudia Paige At
Beach Hut Deli, Tigard, Oregon
Wednesday, November 27, 2024

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The music and food were great, but we probably wouldn't have gone if we knew it was outdoors in 40 degree weather. Even with gas heaters, it was still pretty cold. They appear to have live music every Friday all winter but I think we'll wait until Spring when it is warmer to come back.

Mystic Mama Band At
The Blue Diamond, Portland, Oregon
Friday, November 29, 2024

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