Bluegrass Express
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. 34 No. 2 INSIDE THIS ISSUE! Apr May June Hakanson Family, Velo Cult, Pretty Good for a 2014 Girl, and More.... Oregon Bluegrass Association www.oregonbluegrass.org Bluegrass Express ll in the Fami A The Hakanson siblings move into the world ly by Claire Levine Now, ages 24, 20 and 16, they benefit Ellie started playing at age six, and from the training and confidence they two-year-old Amy insisted on partici- gained in the family band. And they pating, too. (“She refused to not,” is the all are charting their own courses in way Ellie puts it.) the musical and non-musical world. Because the Suzuki method requires parents to play along with their children, Ellie’s mom Kathy would work with Ellie on her lessons every day. Amy would sit and listen, and she started playing before the official Suzuki-sanctioned age of three. They all have been part of a family band. One of them was one-third of the Giggle Sisters and has a rich history of straight-ahead bluegrass. Another is known as much for her dramatic Shakespeare readings and theater accompaniments as for her fiddle playing. The third identifies himself by how much trouble he got into at bluegrass festivals. Just a few old memories They are Ellie, Amy and Henry Ellie Hakanson remembers her first Hakanson, offspring of Rob Hakanson performances. They were recitals of and Kathy Fetty. They’ve all played Suzuki violin students, “rows and rows in various configurations of the of kids,” standing up and playing the Hakanson Family Band at some time same songs in unison. “As soon as you and are well known to Northwest got to a song you didn’t know, you’d sit Continued on Page 6 bluegrass audiences. down.” OBA Bluegrass Express - Spring 2014 2 Table of Contents Apr / May / Jun 2014 Volume 34 / Number 2 Newsletter of the Oregon Bluegrass Association www.oregonbluegrass.org This Issue Features Cover Story Vol. 34 No. 2 All in the Family.................................1 Oregon Bluegrass Association by Claire Levine www.oregonbluegrass.org Features Bluegrass Express Southern Oregon Report ..............10 Bluegrass Express is a quarterly newsletter by Joe Ross dedicated to informing members of the Oregon Bluegrass Association about local, regional Book Review: Velo cult: Bikes, Brews and Bluegrass and national bluegrass issues, events and Pretty Good for a Girl.....................13 opportunities. by Claire Levine Bluegrass Express Staff Get Yourself Ready for Festival Season ...........................17 EDITORS by John McCoy John Prunty Velo Cult.......................................... 29 [email protected] by Claire Levine (503) 383-8100 Columns & Commentary Christine Weinmeister [email protected] President’s Message...........................5 The Theory of Bluegrass.................24 COPY EDITOR by Matt Snook Betsy Yochelson at Eagleview Nancy Christie Bluegrass Festival 2013 Sound Advice ..................................27 [email protected] by Mark Gensman GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Calendars, Lists & Info John Prunty OBA Membership and Ad Christine Weinmeister Information ......................................4 What’s Playing on the Radio...........5 Scheduled Jams...............................35 ADVERTISING OBA Supporting Performer Pat Connell Directory..........................................37 [email protected] (971) 207-5933 Max Hancock and Henry Hakanson bring bluegrass to Hogwarts. WEBMASTER & WEB CONTENT Tony McCormick (503) 330-2239 [email protected] OBA Bluegrass Express - Spring 2014 3 OBA Membership & Ad Information The OBA Board www.oregonbluegrass.org Membership Information Website Officers of the Board The OBA Board of Directors invites you Features include an interactive calendar that to join the OBA and to participate in its allows you to post your own events, excerpts Colby Buswell - President many activities. Our membership benefits from past issues of the Bluegrass Express, and [email protected] links for local bands. Come visit us online! include a subscription to the quarterly Patty Spencer - Vice President Bluegrass Express, frequent mailings Visit the OBA web page today! [email protected] about events, and ticket discounts to www.oregonbluegrass.org Ron Preston - Secretary Northwest bluegrass events. Annual [email protected] Article and Editorial Submissions membership dues are $25 for a General The OBA Board invites you to submit letters, Dave Hausner - Treasurer Member, $50 for Supporting Performers, [email protected] stories, photos and articles to The Bluegrass and $125 for Contributing Business Express. Published files remain in our archives Liz Crain - Sponsors, as well as other options. To and art is returned upon request. OBA Roseburg Chapter President join, complete the application on the back [email protected] Please send submissions to: cover and mail with your check to: Ken Cartwright - John Prunty Oregon Bluegrass Association OBA Mid-Valley Chapter President [email protected] [email protected] P.O. Box 1115 Christine Weinmeister Portland, OR 97207 [email protected] Tony McCormick - Webmaster [email protected] Chuck Palmer - Membership [email protected] Chris Palmer - Publicity [email protected] Michelle Traver - Development [email protected] Volunteer Coordinators: Marlene Smith [email protected] Linda Leavitt [email protected] Members at Large: Charles M. Holloway [email protected] Chip Russell [email protected] Christine Weinmeister [email protected] Cleve Friedman [email protected] Fred Coates [email protected] Ian Joel [email protected] John Prunty [email protected] MaryJo Turner [email protected] Pat Connell [email protected] The OBA holds board elections each April as individual terms expire. The Board of Directors invites you to join our monthly meetings. We welcome your visit and ideas, opinions and proposals. Or, just come to see what we’re doing! We generally meet the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The location is subject to change. Call us or email any board member for time, location and directions. President’s Message What’s Playing on the Radio? Local Radio Bluegrass and Country Listings Well, folks…this is it - my last message as a president of the Oregon Bluegrass Association. Recently, the board of directors was asked a series of questions by a non-profit consultant. I Albany/Corvallis - KBOO thought I’d share one of my answers with all of you… Broadcast from Portland, can be heard at Why am I part of the OBA Board? It started as just being a fan of the music. Way back 100.7 FM. See under Portland, below in 2006, I stumbled onto a KBOO radio announcement for a Portland music festival called Pickathon. KBOO was broadcasting live and mentioned all of these acoustic and Astoria - KMUZ 91.9 FM local bluegrass bands. It sounded perfect, so I drove straight to the festival and didn’t Some syndicated programming look back. That year, unlike now, there were a multitude 503-325-0010 of local bluegrass bands on the side stage: Josh Cole Band, Flat Mountain Girls and Cross-Eyed Rosie to name a small “Cafe Vaquera” few. I began following those local acts around town, and one Tuesdays 9-11pm, Bluegrass/Old Timey of the Josh Cole Band shows happened to be a fall fundraiser Western/Folk with Calamity Jane for the OBA. They asked for volunteers and I signed up to [email protected] help at the RiverCity Bluegrass Festival that coming January. I met Josh Cole, OBA President at the time, and Chip Russell “Shady Grove” Saturdays 7-9pm (eventual President and pro bono sound guy extraordinaire for nearly every local bluegrass show in Portland). At the Regular folk program RiverCity Bluegrass Festival, I volunteered and saw a ton of Monday thru Friday 10am - noon phenomenal bluegrass. I met Chris and Chuck Palmer, the with bluegrass included producers of the fest, and must have made an impact with the board of directors at the time: Josh Cole, President and Columbia Gorge - KBOO Jon Ostrom, Vice President. They invited me to a board meeting at the Black Lab on Hawthorne (A meeting at a broadcast from Portland. Can be heard at Pub? Yes, count me in!) and so it began. I went quickly 92.7 FM. See under Portland below from being responsible for the newsletter, being on the Express Committee (that became Chris Palmer and I) to Corvallis - KOAC 550 AM Vice President and then to President for two terms... Syndicated public radio with some I remember I wrote a long (too dang long...I think I was the bluegrass included in regular butt of a joke or two) article about that RiverCity festival. programming It was the result of being enamored with the community 541-737-4311 as much as the music. Everyone I met welcomed me into the scene and I could see how connected they were with Eugene - KLCC 89.7 FM one another. I saw the chuckling and joking amongst the band members if they screwed up on stage. I saw the artists Local broadcast 541-726-2224 walking amongst the crowds all festival long - approachable, Mixed format “Saturday Cafe” smiling, saying ‘hi’ and all knowing each other. National Saturdays 11am - noon artists just hanging out with the fans is something to see. I “The Backporch” just felt that this was how things should be... 9 - 10pm Saturdays Anyway, I got involved because I wanted to be a part of the community most of all and second, I loved the music - Eugene - KRVM 91.9 FM acoustic, complicated and high lonesome. I couldn’t play “Routes & Branches” 3 - 5pm Saturdays anything, but I could help the OBA continue to serve this “Acoustic Junction” 5 - 7pm Saturdays awesome community. “Miles of Bluegrass” 7 - 9pm Mondays www.krvm.org 541-687-3370 Your community, your kindness, your passion for the music and desire to share it with others - to share it with me - was what roped me into Oregon bluegrass and for that I am forever grateful. I feel like we’ve continued to build a strong and enduring organization and Pendleton - KWHT 104.5 FM now have the funds to take things a step further.