Ramblings On My Mind

Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association President As I reflect back on the past of my involvement with the Cascade Blues Association there have been a great deal of memories. The good friends that I have made and the musicians and friends that…

Ramblings On My Mind – April 2017

Greg Johnson / CBA President Things have gotten a little harsh as of late. First, Portland’s premier blues icon Curtis Salgado suffered a mild heart attack while on tour on the East Coast. Mild? Is there really anything mild about a heart…

Ramblings On My Mind – March 2017

Greg Johnson / CBA President I want to start this month’s column out with a big announcement. The Cascade Blues Association’s 30th Anniversary Concert has been scheduled for Sunday, May 21 to take place at The Crystal Ballroom in Portland.…

Ramblings On My Mind: Feb. 2017

Greg Johnson / CBA President Well, 2017 has started off with a little good news and some very sad. The good news for the time being is that we do not have to worry just yet about The Melody Ballroom and the status of our monthly meetings. This…

Ramblings On My Mind – January 2017

Greg Johnson / CBA President This past December marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Cascade Blues Association becoming a business and a non-profit organization. There have been a number of changes since the inception, not only in how the…

Ramblings On My Mind – December 2016

Greg Johnson, CBA President For the past several years I have made a tradition of naming my top ten favorite albums of the year in this column in December. As I have stated before that my choices can differ from day to day, there are just too…

Ramblings On My Mind – November 2016

Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association President The Cascade Blues Association, like many non-profit organizations its size, is made up of members and especially volunteers. We are only as strong as those volunteers who help us throughout the…

Ramblings On My Mind – October 2016

Greg Johnson / CBA President Well this month’s Rambling column is not so much a rambling from my part, but rather an explanation. Every now and then, people ask just what they receive for their $25.00 membership to the Cascade Blues Association.…

Ramblings On My Mind

Greg Johnson / Cascade Blues Association President In my opinion, the Cascade Blues Association, or any other blues or music society, has a responsibility to not only promoting all artists equally, one and the same, but to help introduce newer…

Ramblings On My Mind – August 2016

Greg Johnson / CBA President I hear it all the time. The blues are dying. Bunk! Though it may seem like there are fewer venues and a lot less media attention, the blues as a genre is definitely not on the verge of collapse. It may not look the…