Glory! The old-time music gathering is hardly a week away! Shazzzzzam!

Dang. Saturday there are twelve competing gigs, some of which qualify as highlights for the year. Is this not a fine place to live? If you want to do some dancing this week you'll have to dance with the kiddies Saturday when Maggie Lind and gang do the PCDC family dance. Or splash on some Old Spice and take your date to The Buckles dance Sat nite.

Next week you can get all the square dancing you need at the old-time gathering. Enough to suit you for the rest of the year. Have you checked it out? http://www.bubbaguitar.com/festival/index.html
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From Paul Silveria, aka Professor Banjo:

Hey kids! Do you play old-time music? Fiddle? Banjo? Guitar? Ukulele? Sing? Anything? Professor Banjo will be hosting a Kid's showcase at the Portland Old-Time Music Gathering so you can share your talent and/or enthusiasm with a whole roomful of folks! The showcase will be in the auditorium of the Norse Hall on Saturday Jan. 16th from 2:30 to 4pm. If you'd like to sign up to play, just e-mail your name to psilveria@gmail.com or sign up at the Norse Hall info table before the showcase on Saturday, Jan 16. The showcase is open to anyone who can reasonably claim that they're not a grown up...
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Which reminds me, Paul plays "items" in the Quality Shine band which is being featured in a Best of White Eagle showcase at The Crystal Ballroom this week. The big time on Burnside!
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Wednesday night is the debut of the North Portland Jug Band featuring a stellar lineup. Catch it at Miss Delta. Can't get enough of that jug band music, and this one looks real promising.
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Earl White's band, with special banjo-monster guest, rarely performs publicly, depriving Portland of some great music. Wouldn't you know it, when they do decide to do some shows, they hit like ten mules pulling out of a bog. Check the calendar - there are at least three Earl White gigs coming up shortly!
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I'm just beginning several nights of pleasure (get your minds out of the gutter,) snuggled under my comforter and flannel sheets, bedroom window open, heat turned off, reading light on. I'm working through the newest Old-Time Herald, right now in an article about the late Ray Alden. One of the stories concerns a 1979 visit he and Paul Brown had with ailing North Carolina banjoist Fred Cockerham. Cockerham is a revered god in the old-time music world, cohort of Tommy Jarrell and The Camp Creek Boys. Fred was playing "Fall On My Knees" for his visitors when his wife told them she loved that tune and that Fred would sometimes play it all afternoon!

If you are a musician of any level or genre, you know the experience of losing yourself in a tune. I have a couple of dobro and finger-picked guitar tunes that I can play by the hour. I don't care if I ever play anything else. For whatever reason, the one tune is perfect for me and the instrument. Playing it brings out the most satisfying, exhilarating tones from the wood box. The sound engulfs you when the instrument is on your lap or shoulder, and it puts you in a pleasant, mesmerized trance, kind of like just before your eyes shut for an afternoon nap. I just can't wait to play the tune again. Hell yes, I know how Fred Cockerham felt
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CALENDAR
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1/4 MON Lost Creek old school bluegrass at Lucky Lab, 1945 NW Quimby - FREE 6:30

1/5 TUE Jackstraw bluegrass at The Laurelthirst Pub, 2958 NE Glisan, 503-232-1504 - FREE 6-8

1/5 TUE Foghorn Duo at McMenamins Edgefield - 2126 S.W. Halsey St., Troutdale - FREE - 21+ 7pm

1/5 TUE The Sodbusters every Tuesday at Fire On the Mountain Buffalo Wings, 1706 E Burnside, 503-230-9464 7pm

1/5 TUE Johnnie Ward & The Eagle Ridin' Papas drive their 1932 blue Jugonaut at Mock's Crest Tavern, 3435 N Lombard St (corner of Wabash & Lombard) 503-283-5014 8pm

1/5 TUE Steve Cheseborough old style acoustic guitar blues and rags, and Troubled Boots at legendary restaurant and music room Brasserie Montmartre, 626 SW Park Ave 8pm

1/5 TUE The Rising Phoenix Society at old-time stringband music every Tuesday at the County Cork Pub, 1329 NE Fremont - FREE, non smoking 8-10-...ish

1/6 WED Lauren Sheehan & Terry Robb acoustic vintage and fresh folk, country, blues, ballads and waltzes at McMenamins Rock Creek Tavern 10000 N.W. Old Cornelius Pass Rd., Hillsboro - (503) 645-3822 - FREE - all ages until 10pm 7pm

1/6 WED North Portland Jug Band debuts (Steve Cheseborough, vocals, harp, guitar, washboard; Arlo Leach, vocals, guitar, mandolin, ukulele; Heintz Neumann, jug) - Miss Delta Cafe, 3950 N Mississippi - (503) 287-7629 - 21+ Get there early and fatten up on southern feed! 7pm

1/6 WED Every Wednesday Trashcan Joe plays acoustic jugband jazz on home-made instruments at The Moon and Sixpence, 2014 NE 42nd (just north of Sandy) 9:30-11:30

1/7 THUR Quality Shine jug, blues & jazz with Dr. Something and the Pippin' Hot Love Engines at Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta St - 21+, non-smoking, 503-284-7665 - 21+ - $5 7-9

1/7 THUR Old-time jam session-Every Thursday - Todbott's Triangles (a Japanese eatery) - 2827 NE Alberta Street. North side of the street, through a wooden archway & down the winding path - How cool is that? 7-9

1/7 THUR Wild Hog in the Woods at Calapooia Brewing Co., 140 Hill St SE, Albany 7pm

1/7 THUR Adam Scramstad & Terry Robb acoustic blues at Halibut's, 25th NE Alberta 8pm

1/7 THUR Lauren Sheehan acoustic vintage and fresh folk, country, blues, ballads and waltzes at The Muddy Rudder Pub, SE 7th & Tacoma (just east of Sellwood Br) - FREE -21+ 8:30

1/7 THUR Water Tower Bucket Boys followed by Mossy Top at Sam Bond's Garage, 407 Blair Blvd, Eugene 8:30

1/8 FRI The great traditional singer Tim Eriksen (Cold Mountain soundtrack) in a Starry Woods House Concert, Cottage Grove, OR - Tickets: $15 Email perfectpitchbooking@gmail.com or call (541) 206-4686 7:30

1/8 FRI The Earl White Stringband with Cleveland, Ohio, banjo extraordinare Mark Olitsky and David Bamberger on bass at The Muddy Rudder Pub, SE 7th & Tacoma (just east of Sellwood Br) - FREE -21+ 8pm-11:30

1/8 FRI Sassparilla Jug Band at The Axe and Fiddle, 657 E Main St, Cottage Grove - 541.942.5942 8pm

1/8 FRI Jackstraw bluegrass at Sam Bond's Garage, 407 Blair Blvd, Eugene

1/8 FRI Water Tower Bucket Boys debuts new tunes - with Tumbledown and and Sneakin Out at Berbati's Pan, 19 SW 2nd Avenue (between Burnside and Ankeny) 248-4579 8:30

1/8 FRI Molasses at Luckey's, 933 Olive Street, Eugene(541) 687-4643 10pm

1/9 SAT Adam Scramstad, Al Rivers, Jason Johnson and Terry Robb - Fundraiser for Adam's trip to Memphis TN. to compete in the 2010 International Blues Challenge! - Cozmic Pizza, 199 W 8th Ave, Eugene - (541) 338-9333 1-4

1/9 SAT Lee Highway old style bluegrass at - Free Concert Wilsonville Public Library 8200 SW Wilsonville Road, Wilsonville 2-3

1/9 SAT Stumptown Jug Thumpers at Ethos Live sound stage broadcast on channel 23 - -Ethos Music Center, 10 N. Killingsworth Street 503-283-8467 4pm

1/9 SAT Portland Country Dance Community Family Dance!-Music and calling by Maggie Lind & Friends - Cost: $6 adults/$5 kids/babes in arms free/$20 max. per family - Info: (503) 981-2179-Fulton Park Community Center, 68 SW Miles, right off the I-5 Terwilliger exit map 5-7

1/9 SAT 71st Ave Ramblers at It's A Beautiful Pizza, 3342 SE Belmont St 7pm

1/9 SAT Steve Cheseborough old style acoustic guitar blues and rags at EaT: an Oyster Bar, 3808 N Williams Ave (at Failing St) - Plenty of beer here, along with oysters, gumbo, po'boys, jambalaya etc. 7:30-10pm

1/9 SAT Mary Flower fingerpicks blues and rags at O'Connor's, 7850 SW Capitol Hwy - 503-244-1690 - map 7:30

1/9 SAT Whiskey Puppy at The Muddy Rudder Pub, SE 7th & Tacoma (just east of Sellwood Br) - FREE -21+ 8pm

1/9 SAT Molasses Cozmic square dance, Eugene (Your guess is as good as mine!) 8pm

1/9 SAT Midnight Serenaders vintage jazz at Tony Starlight's Supper Club, 3728 NE Sandy, 503-517-8584 8pm

1/9 SAT "Best of the White Eagle" - Quality Shine with Philly's Phunkestra and Papagaiyo at The Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside, (503) 225-0047 - 21+ - $5 9pm

1/9 SAT The great traditional singer Tim Eriksen (Cold Mountain soundtrack) with Rachel Taylor Brown and Brothers Young - Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave 503-288-3895 - $12 in advance, $14 at the door 9pm

1/9 FRI The Buckles '60s country traditionalists, with fancy suits and Fender git tars at Duff's Garage, 1635 SE 7th Ave, 503.234.BEER - $5 9-12

1/10 SUN The Earl White Stringband with Cleveland, Ohio, banjo extraordinare Mark Olitsky and David Bamberger on bass at Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta St - 21+, non-smoking, 503-284-7665 8pm-10:30

1/10 SUN Foghorn hosts their regular Sunday night social with unamplified music at the Moon and Sixpence (2014 NE 42nd - Hollywood neighborhood) - FREE 9pm

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TURN YOUR RADIO ON!
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MON - Noontime Jamboree - Excellent country music on KBOO 90.7 FM, includes good dose of old-time. Listen on line at http://www.kboo.fm/index.php noon-1:30

MON - Blue Monday with Bill Rhoades Excellent blues on KBOO 90.7 FM, includes good dose of early country and acoustic blues. Listen on line at http://www.kboo.fm/index.php 1:30-3pm

THUR - Rise When The Rooster Crows - Traditional music on KBOO 90.7 FM every Thursday, 5:30-7:00am

SAT - Music From the True Vine - Every Saturday on KBOO 90.7 FM - Bluegrass, rotating deejay staff, some more traditionally oriented than others http://www.kboo.fm/index.php 9am-noon

SAT - Blue Rhythm/Blues Junction - Every Saturday on KBOO 90.7 FM - includes some great acoustic blues, jug, local and national 2-4pm

SAT - Song of the Mountains - Midnight Saturday, OPB-TV, Channel 10 - Bluegrass oriented sort of, acoustic music, often of a satisfying traditional variety - Show originates in Tennessee - Midnight

SUN - The Bill Monroe Bluegrass Show - Every Sunday on Reed College Radio KRRC 97.9 - Features bluegrass and old-time recordings and live performances 5-6pm

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THE WEB - This is a beginning, to be added to continuously
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FRI - The Country Caller every Friday! Live stream at http://volcanoradio.listen2myshow.com/ from New Zealand. Its square dance caller Cree Carrie Jo who used to hang out in Portland. Noon.

Gene Bach's weekly Siskyou Bluegrass on KYSC, Yreka http://siskiyoubluegrass.com/SiskiyouBluegrassShow.htm