Mavis Staples - Live In London

Mavis Staples

Live In London Anti-Records By Greg Johnson When it comes to soul and gospel vocalists, does it get any better than Mavis Staples? It would be pretty tough to come up with anybody with as fine a resume. Mavis has worked professionally for…
Rich Layton & Tough Town

Mardi Gras Celebrations in Portland

You don’t need to head to New Orleans or Rio to celebrate Carnival season; there are plenty of parties happening right here in the Portland area. Here are a handful to note: Mysti Krewe of Nimbus presents the Ninth Annual Portland Mardi Gras…
Paula Harris - Speakeasy

Paula Harris – Speakeasy (Self Produced)

Speakeasy Self Produced By Greg Johnson Paula Harris made quite a statement when it came to her 2012 debut, Turning On The Naughty, with its rambunctious and bawdy blues presentation. It was a prime display of what had garnered her a third-place…
Rich Layton and Tough Town - Salvation Road

Rich Layton and Tough Town

Salvation Road Never Lucky Records By Greg Johnson Rich Layton, a first-hand veteran of the Houston Gulf Coast scene has been plying that same authentic sound in the Portland area for many years. Layton’s a sly songwriter who just happens…
Jimmie Vaughan Trio - Live at C-Boy’s

Jimmie Vaughan Trio

Live at C-Boy’s Last Music Company By Greg Johnson If you’re ever in Austin and checking out the music scene (what else would you be there for, right? Okay barbecue, too), head over to the South Congress and just a few blocks away from…
Cedric Burnside

Cedric Burnside

Benton County Relic Single Lock Records By Randy Murphy The word “relic” holds many meanings — it’s a thing that stays behind once the original is lost, or what remains of the possessions of saint. It’s also something cherished,…
Shemekia Copeland

Shemekia Copeland Booked for Jack London Revue

Hailed as the “New Queen of the Blues,” Shemekia Copeland never holds back. Her instantly recognizable voice—capable of being sultry, assertive, and roaring, delivers every song with unparalleled honesty and passion. Her wide-open vision…
Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Living Legend, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Coming to The Alberta Rose

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, mentor of Bob Dylan and traveling companion of Woody Guthrie returns to the Alberta Rose. One of the last true links to the great folk traditions of this country, with over forty albums under his belt, Elliott is considered…
Tuareg Guitar Master Bombino

Tuareg Guitar Master Bombino Back in Portland

Mike Rubin of The New York Times recently described a performance by Bombino: “On a recent night in Williamsburg, an ecstatic crowd jammed the dance floor of the club Brooklyn Bowl to see one of the world’s greatest living blues guitarists.…
Rich Layton & Tough Town

Rich Layton & Tough Town Salvation Road Album Release Party Slated for The Secret Society — Sister Mercy To Open Show

New album and a new name: Rich Layton & Tough Town are keepers of the flame for American roots music with their high octane swamp rock, country, rockabilly, honky tonk, and blues echoing from an East Texas roadhouse. The band's signature…