Vol. 41 No. 1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE! Jan. Feb. Mar. Taborgrass: Passing e Torch, Helen Hakanson: Remembering A 2021 Musical LIfe and more... $500 Oregon Bluegrass Association Oregon Bluegrass Association www.oregonbluegrass.org By Linda Leavitt In March of 2020, the pandemic hit, and in September, two long-time Taborgrass instructors, mandolinist Kaden Hurst and guitarist Patrick Connell took over the program. ey are adamant about doing all they can to keep the spirit of Taborgrass alive. At this point, they teach weekly Taborgrass lessons and workshops via Zoom. ey plan to resume the Taborgrass open mic online, too. In the future, classes will meet in person, once that becomes feasible. et me introduce you to Kaden Kaden has played with RockyGrass (known as Pat), e Hollerbodies, and Hurst and Patrick Connell, the 2019 Band Competition winners Never Julie & the WayVes. Lnew leaders of Taborgrass. In 2018, Patrick As a mandolinist met Kaden at born in the ‘90s, Taborgrass, and Kaden was hugely started meeting inuenced by to pick. Kaden Nickel Creek. became a regular Kaden says that at Patrick’s Sunday band shied Laurelirst his attention to Bluegrass Brunch bluegrass. Kaden jam. According was also pulled to Patrick, “One closer to “capital B Sunday, Joe bluegrass” by Tony Suskind came to Rice, most notably the Laurelirst by “Church Street jam and brought Blues,” and by Brian Alley with Rice’s duet album him. We ended with Ricky Skaggs, Kaden Hurst and Patrick Connell up with this little “Skaggs and Rice.” group called e Kaden’s third major Come Down, Julie and the WayVes, Portland Radio Ponies. e Portland Radio huge inuence was ddler Kenny Baker. e Portland Radio Ponies, e John Ponies hosted a radio show and also played Montgomery Band, and the Slabtown at several regional festivals. Kaden said “ere are loads of other Rounders. (Look for a new album release folks who have nudged me one way or from Never Come Down in January I interviewed Kaden and Patrick on Zoom another—Béla Fleck, John Hartford, 2021.) about their backgrounds, their approaches Alison Krauss, e Stanley Brothers, to teaching, the challenges they face taking Stuart Duncan, Hazel Dickens and Alice Patrick played with Ashland, Oregon on Taborgrass, and the new ideas they Gerrard—but Rice, Skaggs and Baker are bands e Moore Brothers and e bring to the project. the most responsible for pulling me down Mighty Lonesomes. Aer he returned the bluegrass rabbit hole.” to Portland, Patrick joined Whistlin’ Rufus, with his father, Patrick Connell, Sr. Continued on page 5 OBA Membership & Ad Information Membership Information Website e OBA Board of Directors invites you Features include an interactive calendar to join the OBA and to participate in its that allows you to post your own events, e OBA Board many activities. Our membership benets excerpts from past issues of the Bluegrass www.oregonbluegrass.org include a subscription to the quarterly Express, and links for local bands. Come Bluegrass Express, frequent mailings visit us online! Visit the OBA web page Clayton Knight - President about events, and ticket discounts to today! [email protected] northwest bluegrass events. Annual www.oregonbluegrass.org membership dues are $30 for a General Pat Connell - Vice President Member, $50 for Supporting Performers, Article and Editorial Submissions [email protected] and $125 for Contributing Business Spon- e OBA Board invites you to submit Ron Preston - Secretary sors, as well as other options. You can letters, stories, photos and articles to e [email protected] join online or complete the application on Bluegrass Express. Published les remain the back cover and mail your check to: in our archives and art is returned upon Patrick Seaeld - Treasurer request. 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OBA Bluegrass Express - Winter 2021 2 Table of Contents Jan./Feb./Mar. 2021 Volume 41 / Number 1 Newsletter of the Oregon Bluegrass Association www.oregonbluegrass.org is Issue Features Vol. 41 No. 1 Cover Story Oregon Bluegrass Association Oregon Bluegrass Association Taborgrass: Passing e Torch .........................................1 www.oregonbluegrass.org Interviewed By Linda Leavitt Articles Bluegrass Express is a quarterly newsletter dedicated to informing members of the Oregon Helen Hakanson: Remembering A Musical LIfe ..........8 Bluegrass Association about local, regional By Patrick Connell and national bluegrass issues, events and Five Albums Worth Having ...........................................16 opportunities. By Patrick Connell Bluegrass Express Sta Columns & Commentary EDITOR Linda Leavitt Southern Oregon Voices ............................................... 12 [email protected] By Joe Ross GrassWord Puzzle .......................................................... 20 COPY EDITOR Created By Kerry Callahan Nancy Christie Calendars, Lists & Info [email protected] OBA Membership and Ad GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Information ...................................................................... 2 John Nice-Snowdy President’s Message ..........................................................4 [email protected] (805)748-6648 What’s Playing on the Radio ...........................................4 Waller Grant ................................................................... 18 ADVERTISING Finding Bluegrass In e Time Of COVID-19 .......... 22 Pat Connell [email protected] OBA Contributing Business Sponsors ......................... 27 Scheduled Jams. ............................................................. 28 WEBMASTER & WEB CONTENT OBA Supporting Performer Eric Herman Directory ........................................................................ 30 [email protected] ONLINE CALENDAR Donna Dunaif [email protected] OBA Bluegrass Express - Winter 2021 3 What’s Playing On The Radio President’s Message: It’s Mighty Dark To Travel Local Radio Bluegrass and Country Listings For each issue of e Bluegrass Express in 2020, I’ve had to acknowl- Everywhere And Free edge a well-nigh apocalyptic series of events that have aected our Oregon Bluegrass Radio www.oregonbluegrass.org community’s ability to gather together to play and enjoy this music Every day, all day that has sustained us for 75 years and counting. Jams, concerts, festivals—all came to a sudden halt in early 2020, leaving most of us Albany/Corvallis - KBOO a little dazed. Broadcast from Portland, can be heard at And by the time the “fourth horseman” arrived through the smoke 100.7 FM. See under Portland, below of the Pacic Northwest wildres, it really was too dark to see the Astoria - KMUN 91.9 FM path ahead that would lead to