School of Blues Short Documentary

School of Blues Presents: Skip Jones @ Fri Nite Blues Jam Nov 30 - 7pm w/ Resurrection Blues Band! Jalisco Mexican Restaurant 941 Pearl St Eugene. Over the last 20 years, frontman Skip Jones has enjoyed working with such bands as: The Coasters, The Drifters, The Platters, Joe Houston & Bo Diddley. He toured with the great Canned Heat in 1985-86 holding down Larry Taylor’s bass position. , James Thornbury, James Bradshaw and Henry Vestine.

 Project PRO/AM  (PPA) & School of Blues

PPA is a pilot program where professional artists
and business people teach young people, both
academically stable, and those at risk... to learn
all phases of a Dinner Theatre and a collaborative
Performing Arts Program. The professional food
and beverage component will be a culinary school
training program that will prepare students to not
only become skilled in all phases as workers, but
also provide entrepreneurial training and hands
on management opportunities. Then if desired,
cross trained in Theatre Arts. And vice-versa.

As an after school and summer program, PPA will
utilize family, community and school personnel to be
involved with students internship and participation
in PPA. The Executive director of PPA will
coordinate and act as case worker as to students
progress, liaise with family, educators, and
any other relevant person or agency involved in student's
counselling for future school and or job placement.

PPA will initially outsource much of the class room
curriculum with established culinary and business
programs in local high schools and college/
technical schools where resources are available.

The Theatre Arts program will be a first phase,
where students will be involved with production of
a  musical chosen where the professional theatre
 company will have trained and rehearsed all
students involved as cast members, and all other
aspects of show. However, the professionals will
appear and perform in the shows that will be
competitively priced and staged like any regional
level Dinner Theatre Operation.

The student productions will then be performed and
produced by the students themselves  for
the amateur non-profit program. And where appropriate;
gratis pricing. ( As inducement for underprivileged
youth to encourage their participation.)

The long range goals of PPA will be to coalesce the
program into a School for the Performing and
Culinary Arts. The students will be challenged to
work towards completing their formal education
while gaining invaluable experience, skills, problem
solving, in an atmosphere designed to instill self-
confidence and social interaction and team work
with peers in a culturally diverse environment.

Students will learn valuable customer and human
relations, with cross training in the guest
relations aspects of Theatre, Food & Beverage
and Hospitality Industry.

PPA will use resources available to evaluate
students skill level and proficiency to assist in
capitalizing on their strong areas and develop
leadership skills with internships at participating
organizations and businesses PPA will partner
with.

PPA will utilize a mentor-ship model where college
level students will mentor the younger students
and tutor those who have need to bring their
academic scores to acceptable levels as "staying in
school" will be a requirement for participation in PPA. School of Blues is a Blues focused component for aspiring young musicians mentored by working Blues artists and educators.

Contact: Steven Masone stevemasone@gmail.com
(541) 517-5224

Hank Shreve Performs @ Friday Nite Jam Venue In Eugene

Friday Nite Jam Jalisco Mexican Restaurant 941 Pearl st. Eugene, Oregon
When:Friday November 9, Dinner Set 7 pm  Under 21 allowed until 10 pm....2 am close. Food and full bar service until last call. NO COVER! Open "Blues Jam" (Emphasis on Blues) 8 pm Sign Up 7 pm Table Reservations for Dinner only. Call 541-517-5224



"Hank Shreve is quite simply one of the best harmonica players I have ever heard. He is a fiery, open minded, unique, musical harmonica player that can share the stage with any living player of any ability and hold his own or out shine them. He is a monster musician and a great person on top of that!"                                                                           Jason Ricci

Hank Shreve began playing harmonica at the age of 8 and has established himself as a major harmonica talent on the blues scene in the Pacific Northwest. Between the age of 8 - 18, he became proficient on other instruments such as Drums, Keyboards, Guitar, Dobro , Lap-Steel and Vocals, 

​

Hank Shreve - Lollipop Mama 2013-07-04 Live @ Waterfront Blues Festival, Portland, OR

Hank won the Northwest Harmonica Championship in 2008 and CBA’s Muddy Award for Best Harmonica in 2009 and 2013. Hank has performed at the Toronto Jazz Festival and the Cognac Blues Passions in France with Karen Lovely, and Seattle’s Bumper Shoot with Magic Dick and Lee Oskar.  In November 2018, Hank will teach at the Jason Ricci/Winslow Yerxa Harmonica Collective, in New Orleans, with John Nemeth and Rick Estrin

Also Featuring: Brian James, 2014 Nashville Blues Challenge winner. David Vanderhoff, G TAllbright, Shawn Jackson, and Fifteen year old Prodigy Guitarist Marco Pena.

​

Eugene-Springfield Oregon School of Blues: Blues Jam Session W/ Brian James

Sunday Afternoon Blues Jam Session-all ages
Where: Dark & Stormy  420 Main St. Springfield, Or ...A cutting edge concept Garden Bar with Art Gallery and Original Music Venue. Gourmet Food Trucks on property. Eat & Drink in Family Friendly atmosphere. Excellent Chefs!

Brian James

When: October 21st & Every Sunday After - 3:00 pm sign-up… start @ 3:30 pm until…... no cover -Adult Beverages and Food-Truck Garden Bar 

 W/ Brian James the Nashville guitar slinger and frontman Brian James brings his brand of blues and soul revival to the stage every time he sets foot on it. The Nashville 2014 Blues Challenge Winner and 2015 IBC representative reawakens the real music inspired by the pioneers while authentically contributing to the future of roots music. 

Why?:To pass the torch to aspiring musicians, preserving The Blues, and for the pure love the Blues! 

With special guest artist Fifteen year old guitar prodigy "Marco"

School of Blues is a non-profit 501-(c)-(3) organization 

For info call (541) 517-5224 and see link...https://masoneassociates.blogspot.com/2011/04/project-pro-am.schoolofblueshtml

Friday Nite Jam in Eugene, Oregon... W/ Brian James

School of Blues School of Blues Friday Nite Jam in Eugene, Oregon... W/ Brian James

School of Blues presents 

 Friday Nite Blues Jam Session-all ages

Where:Jalisco Mexican Restaurant 941 Pearl st. Eugene, Oregon
When:Friday November 2nd. Dinner Set 7 pm  Under 21 allowed until 10 pm....2 am close. Food and full bar service until last call.NO COVER!

Nashville guitar slinger and frontman Brian James brings his brand of blues and soul revival to the stage every time he sets foot on it. The Nashville 2014 Blues Challenge Winner and 2015 IBC representative reawakens the real music inspired by the pioneers while authentically contributing to the future of roots music. A fiery national touring act Brian James and The Revival have played festivals and clubs building a loyal following anywhere they go in support of his first release ’The Remedy” co-produced with drummer Tom DelRossi. Low end power house, Bart Pike of the late Jerry Reed’s band on bass. Brian James and The Revival represent an analog vibe in digitally saturated age.

Why?:To pass the torch to aspiring musicians, preserving The Blues, and just to have fun playing the Blues! 

With special guest artist Fifteen year old guitar prodigy "Marco"

School of Blues is a non-profit 501-(c)-(3) organization 

For info call (541) 517-5224 and see link...https://masoneassociates.blogspot.com/2011/04/project-pro-am.schoolofblueshtml

School of Blues presents 

 Friday Nite Blues Jam Session-all ages

Where:Jalisco Mexican Restaurant 941 Pearl st. Eugene, Oregon
When:Friday November 2nd. Dinner Set 7 pm  Under 21 allowed until 10 pm....2 am close. Food and full bar service until last call.NO COVER!

Nashville guitar slinger and frontman Brian James brings his brand of blues and soul revival to the stage every time he sets foot on it. The Nashville 2014 Blues Challenge Winner and 2015 IBC representative reawakens the real music inspired by the pioneers while authentically contributing to the future of roots music. A fiery national touring act Brian James and The Revival have played festivals and clubs building a loyal following anywhere they go in support of his first release ’The Remedy” co-produced with drummer Tom DelRossi. Low end power house, Bart Pike of the late Jerry Reed’s band on bass. Brian James and The Revival represent an analog vibe in digitally saturated age.

Why?:To pass the torch to aspiring musicians, preserving The Blues, and just to have fun playing the Blues! 

With special guest artist Fifteen year old guitar prodigy "Marco"

School of Blues is a non-profit 501-(c)-(3) organization 

For info call (541) 517-5224 and see link...https://masoneassociates.blogspot.com/2011/04/project-pro-am.schoolofblueshtml

Fifteen Year Old Guitar Prodigy Emerges in Northwest Blues Scene

                        

Marco Peña and Band; "Troberg"

by steven masone

Last time I found a Diamond in the rough, was when Steve Clausman, of Claussie Productions, and I listened to a tape by fledgling rockers and band mates... called City Kid. What we heard caused us to arrange to see them at their next practice session in their garage. They were a power trio instrumentally, with a lead singer. Later, renamed TESLA. Frankie Hannon, was a 16 year old guitar prodigy. Singer Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta were the original City Kid who later added guitarist Tommy Skeoch. 

TESLA

Steve Clausman hired me to partnership with him to consult on working with another one of his Bands; Ian Shelter. Steve was new to the music business, and asked me after the audition if I thoughtCity Kid had potential, I told him if he didn't sign them... I would! We already had a concert planned for Ian Shelter at the American River College Campus in Sacramento and let City Kid open up for Ian Shelter. Steve was promoting Ian Shelter's EP "Show You" 

...otherwise he would have given top bill to City Kid, which was my recommendation. Of course City Kidstole the show! 

Ian Shelter EP "Show You"

I met Marco Peña at a Blues Jam in Eugene, Oregon just last month and did a set with him and other jammers.

As soon as he started playing, he was "Shredding" like I remember Frank Hannon did that sold Steve Clausman on signing him and City Kid. The "Buzz" about town of a "Guitar Prodigy" has hit the Eugene music scene. Marco Peña started jamming with seasoned pro's just in the last month. Marco and his band mates have only been together a couple of months and pulled off two... one in a half hour sets at the Maker's Faire held at the Science Center where this video was taken.

Bass player Aidan Goodwin and Drummer Tom Troberg

However, the "Buzz" will also be revving up about the band "TROBERG" soon. This Power Trio has had very little practice time for all the songs they did in their debut show. Marco Peña has signed with Masone & Associates' "School Of Blues." School Of Blues is a blues and rock component of Project  PRO/AM  (PPA)

PPA is a pilot program where professional artists
and business people teach young people, both
academically stable, and those at risk... to learn
all phases of a Dinner Theatre and a collaborative
Performing Arts Program. The professional food
and beverage component will be a culinary school
training program that will prepare students to not
only become skilled in all phases as workers, but
also provide entrepreneurial training and hands
on management opportunities. Then if desired,
cross trained in Theatre Arts. And vice-versa.

As an after school and summer program, PPA will
utilize family, community and school personnel to be
involved with students internship and participation
in PPA. The Executive director of PPA will
coordinate and act as case worker as to students
progress, liaise with family, educators, and
any other relevant person or agency involved in student's
counselling for future school and or job placement.

PPA will initially outsource much of the class room
curriculum with established culinary and business
programs in local high schools and college/
technical schools where resources are available.

The Theatre Arts program will be a first phase,
where students will be involved with production of
a  musical chosen where the professional theatre
 company will have trained and rehearsed all
students involved as cast members, and all other
aspects of show. However, the professionals will
appear and perform in the shows that will be
competitively priced and staged like any regional
level Dinner Theatre Operation.

The student productions will then be performed and
produced by the students themselves  for
the amateur non-profit program. And where appropriate;
gratis pricing. ( As inducement for underprivileged
youth to encourage their participation.)

The long range goals of PPA will be to coalesce the
program into a School for the Performing and
Culinary Arts. The students will be challenged to
work towards completing their formal education
while gaining invaluable experience, skills, problem
solving, in an atmosphere designed to instill self-
confidence and social interaction and team work
with peers in a culturally diverse environment.

Students will learn valuable customer and human
relations, with cross training in the guest
relations aspects of Theatre, Food & Beverage
and Hospitality Industry.

PPA will use resources available to evaluate
students skill level and proficiency to assist in
capitalizing on their strong areas and develop
leadership skills with internships at participating
organizations and businesses PPA will partner
with.

PPA will utilize a mentor-ship model where college
level students will mentor the younger students
and tutor those who have need to bring their
academic scores to acceptable levels as "staying in
school" will be a requirement for participation in PPA.

Hank Shreve: Live @ Westside Jam, Eugene,Oregon

"Hank Shreve is quite simply one of the best harmonica players I have ever heard. He is a fiery, open minded, unique, musical harmonica player that can share the stage with any living player of any ability and hold his own or out shine them. He is a monster musician and a great person on top of that!"                                                                           Jason Ricci

Hank Shreve began playing harmonica at the age of 8 and has established himself as a major harmonica talent on the blues scene in the Pacific Northwest. Between the age of 8 - 18, he became proficient on other instruments such as Drums, Keyboards, Guitar, Dobro , Lap-Steel and Vocals, 

​

Hank Shreve - Lollipop Mama 2013-07-04 Live @ Waterfront Blues Festival, Portland, OR

Hank won the Northwest Harmonica Championship in 2008 and CBA’s Muddy Award for Best Harmonica in 2009 and 2013. Hank has performed at the Toronto Jazz Festival and the Cognac Blues Passions in France with Karen Lovely, and Seattle’s Bumper Shoot with Magic Dick and Lee Oskar.  In November 2018, Hank will teach at the Jason Ricci/Winslow Yerxa Harmonica Collective, in New Orleans, with John Nemeth and Rick Estrin.

​

Hank has shared the stage with delta-blues legend Honeyboy Edwards, Smash Mouth, Merle Haggard, Norton Buffalo, Gregg Rolie, Marcia Ball, Sista Monica Parker, Amy Clawson & Pam Tillis, Terry Robb, Magic Dick, Lee Oskar, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Karen Lovely, Deanna Bogart, Roger Fisher (from Heart), Curtis Salgado, DK Stewart, Lloyd Jones, Paul deLay and many other well-known national and international acts.

Hank and his band, (The Hank Shreve Band) have performed at numerous notable venues/events such as The Waterfront Blues Festival, Big Sky Blues Festival, Fourth At The Fort Festival, Willamette Blues/Brews Festival, Eugene Celebration, Oregon State Fair, Highway 99 Blues Club (Seattle), Jazzbones (Tacoma), Sasquatch Brewfest (Eugene)....The Hank Shreve Band has won the CBA's Muddy Award for Best New Act 2012, and Best Regional Act 2013, 2014, & 2016.



Apart from being one of Eugene, Oregon's  respected and well-known musicians, Hank is an official Artist-In-Residency at Music Masters in South Eugene where he teaches music with a curriculum that includes Harmonica, Drums, Guitar, Lap-Steel and piano. See Hank's website @ https://www.hankshreveband.com/

Kim Sticka PTSD Music and Arts Foundation Launches Task Force in Eugene

Note from Publisher: I met Ron Sticka through my efforts to form a Guitars for Vets program in Eugene, Oregon.,

 I was invited by Ron to attend the First Annual PTSD Symposium on July 21 and to join discussion at a specia

l luncheon with a cross section of various mental health professionals and others impacted by PTSD-relate

d experiences. I was very impressed by the entire program and the outreach for more awareness of the broad

 spectrum of people who suffer this condition.  Colonel Sticka has offered to spearhead a grass roots initiative

 to form a PTSD task force to continue dialog and have a working group composed of volunteer experts seeking

 solutions and better approaches for the real problems.

Why can't we launch a PTSD  Task Force?

 

By Ronald R. Sticka, 

 Executive Director, Colonel, USAF (Retired)

Our foundation sponsored the 2018 First Annual PTSD Symposium held at The Shedd on July 21.  The afternoon portion was covered by the media, but the morning veteran session largely went unnoticed.  Senate President Peter Courtney spoke well of our town hall concept and mentioned his concerns about suicide rates.  Senator James Manning, Jr., a retired Army Sergeant Major, then set the tone for this event. I joined psychologists Dr. Michael Leeds and Dr. Stephanie Rodriguez with a review of the nature and scope of PTSD and common treatment methods.  By my estimate, about one-third of our citizens are impacted by PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That's well over 1.5 million people in Oregon alone. PTSD is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual, now DSM-5, a standardized mental health resource.  PTSD seems to occur following a threat event perceived by the subconscious mind which overwhelms the conscious mind's capacity to process stimuli to a "fight or flight" decision. The result is a brain "freeze" and lack of defensive response. The short term memory and emotion processor, the hippocampus, shuts down much like an overloaded computer, but the hormone-regulating amygdala continues to ring the alarm bells sensing threat even after the real danger has passed.  We should be looking for ways to return the brain to a state of normalcy through a "freeze discharge" process, much like a reboot or rewiring of a computer system when the pathways are burned out. I call this restoration of neural pathways "resensitization".

Last year our state legislature enacted Senate Bill 129, tasking the ODVA Advisory Committee to review and report on the merits and benefits of appointing a task force to evaluate and make recommendations regarding the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD for all Oregonians.  It was also asked to decide on the composition of such a task force, funding requirements, and the likelihood this step would improve the treatment of PTSD. I appeared before the Advisory Committee and spoke in support of the task force concept. However the members concluded they did not have sufficient information to make requested findings, and recommended around $2,000,000 be appropriated to fund a study of PTSD.  Following that, the legislature instead enacted Senate Bill 1548, changing PTSD to PTSI, substituting the word "injury" for "disorder", and making June 27 of each year Oregon Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day. The task force concept enunciated in S.B. 129 has now expired by operation of law. So, things remain the same as before. Veterans and non-veterans continue to die by their own hands at an alarming rate.

Senate Bill 1548 is confusing at best, and does nothing new to enhance research or explore new therapy initiatives.  Our symposium this year gave primary focus to the youngest victims among us; those suffering abuse and neglect during their critical formative years.  Dr. Carmen Ionescu, child psychiatrist and naturopathic doctor, spoke about overmedication issues and alternative treatment options, some new and some quite old.  Other speakers discussed new therapies involving animals, farming, music and art, and outdoor camping. "What about putting working dogs into our schools?" asked Marian Stiegeler, a child therapist who now includes her dog, Caesar, in her counseling sessions.  Dr. John LeBow would have veterans at Camp Alma plowing behind a team of horses. The Youth House concept presents a bold new strategy for homeless teens. Dr. Beth Wheeler spoke about putting aside bias to do honest and truly objective research. Perhaps it should come down to the professionals, victims, and others most affected by PTSD to exercise some good old-fashioned American resolve, and harmoniously work together toward solutions.  How about forming a grass roots task force to explore those questions the legislature chose not to pursue? Giving PTSD a new name may have merit, but what to call it is the least of our concerns. It's time to pool our resources and get down to the important task of giving hope to all Oregonians in our quest to conquer PTSD.

w.ptsdmusicarts.org/

A Review: Ben Rice Blues Band

By steven masone

    I first saw Ben Rice with Karen Lovely at Mac's in Eugene, Oregon. I had booked Karen at the Isleton Cajun Blues Festival opening for Elvin Bishop in the last Festival held in Isleton, Ca. I hadn't seen Karen since 2014, so had to do an update review on her new CD's. After hearing Ben, I had to do a review on his CD also. "Live At the Purple Fox Loft" has 18 songs...where do I start? From his version of Ida Mae, traditional blues tune to Somewhere Over the Rainbowinstrumental, his commitment to authentic blues roots, and pushing the envelope to show his modern versions of west coast blues with rock, funk, and soul, he is just what the doctor ordered to keep the blues relevant... making new fans, keeping the blues alive. His rendition of Key to the Highway was one of my favorites, but they were all good! You can sample the tunes on Amazon and pay 99 cents each or buy the CD getting all 18 at only 50 cents each.The CD is out of the box and innovative, while the live performance and Ben's banter with the audience about the songs, gives the listener a snapshot of Ben's affable personality and down to earth persona. 

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B01B7ZCQHQ?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Ben%20Rice%20Trio&index=digital-music&search-type=ss

Ben Rice and the Illamatics were the Cascade Blues Association’s representatives at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN, where they placed as one of the top nine finalists out of 250 acts from around the world. Along with their music is an exhilarating stage show featuring, cigar box guitars, resonators, and lots of crowd interaction. Ben Rice has already been established as a virtuosic guitar player with a soulful voice. His inventive twists on blues are creating a buzz up and down the West coast.''?

 Winning the 2013 Male Vocalist and Traditional Act of the Year from the Cascade Blues Association as well as Performance and Acoustic Guitar of the Year from the West Side Blues Society. Ben’s CD, “Pour Me Some Whiskey” is comprised of all original songs, is being hailed as one of the best CD releases from the Northwest. Although Rice is young, he has a lot of experience. 

Playing alongside some of the top musicians in the National Blues Scene. First picking up his fathers nylon stringed guitar at six years old, playing in school jazz band, and symphonic band during his high school years, he now has almost 18 years of playing experience. At this young age he's received numerous awards, prestigious nominations, and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the University of Oregon in 2011. In a musical world saturated with young guitarists, his reputation is building. Not as a “hot rod guitar player” but as a good band leader, great songwriter, engaging performer, soul inspiring singer, and a guitar player that can do it all, “Of course he does, it’s Ben, he can do everything"

Ben is one of the best guitarists I have seen in a long while and can't wait to see where his next level of success is going to take him. Looking forward to reviewing his past projects as well as future.

See his facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/benriceband/

Blues At Calapooia Brewing Company

Northwest Calapooia Blues Jam

                  



On The Road Review 

 By Steven Masone

I have been on the hunt for good blues jam sessions in southern and central Oregon for a while now. I found a Sunday afternoon jam at the Calapooia Brewing Company in Albany, Oregon. Most blues aficionados around the country think of Chicago, New Orleans, Texas blues and the SF Bay area as the talent pools for blues musicians. However, those in the know, the northwest, especially Oregon, has always been a proving ground for great blues artists to thrive and develop their craft because of the acceptance by music lovers from all genre's of the northwest music scene. 

The venue at the brewing company is family friendly till 8pm with great food and ambiance. The Jam leader goes by 'Froggy'...and sings a real swampy delta blues style, and plays a great harmonica and steel guitar. 

As I listened to their first set, right away it was evident these were mostly authentic bluesmen. In other jams I've attended, most players are firstly classic rock players and as one would imagine gets very loud. Here, it is all blues and all good! I sat in with them on the second set and my amp went haywire and was offered to use a custom Kroker tube amp by Jerry Kroker of Salem.. which I fell in love with.


https://www.facebook.com/Kroker-Amps-529410793831890/
 But the audience was better than most jam session audiences also. Partly, because they are spoiled by the great talent that obviously shows up on these Sunday sessions that start at 4pm every Sunday, and you could tell they were like family. Other core members of the house band with Froggy are Dennis Monroe (guitar and vocals), Bill Lewey (harp), Ron Rochi (drums) and Brian Egan (bass). Well worth the drive if you are far or close by. I hope to try the fare on the menu as well and will update that experience. Bring the kids, friends and family for a unique blues. good food, and musical Sunday afternoon!