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The Cascade Blues Association Presents
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The Cascade Blues Association Presents
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Sneak
Preview # 1 (Phillip Walker)
March is rapidly approaching and that can only mean the Cascade Blues
Association's winter Blues party, the Willamette Delta Showcase, is
drawing nearer. Once again, we have booked the Aladdin Theater on Saturday,
March 9th, for the return of this stellar "Muddy Award"
nominated event, bringing to Portland those national artists we've been missing
for much too long. For the past couple of months, we have been focusing on
the musicians who will be taking part in this year's show, already covering
legendary Gulf Coast Bluesman, Phillip
Walker, and Delta guitarist Robert
Lowery. This month, we will look at the incredible harp
player, R.J. Mischa, who will be performing the opening set,
kicking out what will surely be another night of memorable Blues.
This will be R.J. Mischo' s first appearance in the City of
Portland. But, that doesn't mean he lacks the credentials of recognition
as one of the West Coast's premier harmonica players. Mischo
is originally from Minneapolis, where for more than 20 years he developed a
reputation as one of the Midwest's best Blues musicians. Twice named the "Best
Harmonica Player" in Minnesota, Mischo has performed
onstage with many renowned Bluesmen, ranging from Sonny Rogers to Mojo
Buford. Teamed with guitarist Kid Morgan and singer Percy
Strother, Mischo released two albums in the early `90s for
the Blue Loon label, garnering praise from many critics and radio
personalities. This acclaim helped take him to Europe where he has since been
constantly in demand (in fact, R.J. will be returning from his
second European tour in the past four months just days prior to the Willamette
Delta Showcase). This also led to his being signed with the German Crosscut
Records label, with whom he has released three excellent recordings
including his latest, "West Wind Blowin'."
Mischo moved to California in 1998, first settling in the San
Francisco Bay area. Quickly he established himself as a member of the upper
echelon of the region's harmonica artists, performing regularly in Mark
Hummel's famed Harmonica Blow Downs, alongside greats like Billy
Branch, Kim Wilson, James Harman, James Cotton and Rick Estrin.
He has also worked with longtime West Coast favorites like Little Jonny
& the Giants, Steve Freund and Rusty Zinn.
It is with great pleasure the Cascade Blues Association welcomes R.J.
Mischo to Portland for what will surely become a regular stop once
audiences hear what he has to offer. To make this an exciting experience
for R.J, we have laid the task of putting together a backing band
into the capable hands of multi-"Muddy Award" winning
guitarist, Robbie Laws. Playing with Robbie
will be Tom Royer on drums, Phil Haxton on bass,
and Dover Weinberg on keyboards. So, we know that this will be a set
of Blues that'll surely light the house afire! Just how good is R.J.
Mischo? Well, "Living Blues" Magazine states that
his playing "surpasses many better known harp driven Blues players."
Come down to the Willamette Delta Showcase and judge for yourself.
Hey, it's not too late
to become a sponsor for this year's Willamette
Delta Showcase. Packages begin at only $100 and include tickets to
the show. Help the Cascade Blues Association continue to bring in
these wonderful musicians and remember, all contributions are tax deductible to
the fullest extent allowed by law. For further information, contact Willamette
Delta Showcase Chairperson Greg Johnson at (503) 223-1850
or by e-mail at cbastaff@cascadeblues.org.
We would like to take the opportunity to thank those who have already committed to help with this year's event:
Fidelity
National Title Insurance Company
CBA
Board Member, R.D. Dill
Ken Johnson's DrumOne.com Sponsorships are still available. For more information, contact Greg .Johnson at cbastaff@cascadeblues.org or by phone at (503) 223-1850.
© 2002 Cascade Blues Association