CBA Officer Elections for 2011

Attention: open in a new window.

Have you ever thought of holding an officer position with the Cascade Blues Association’s Board of Directors? To be able to make decisions on how the organization will oversee their role in the Blues community and helping to promote, support and preserve our local music? Well here’s your chance. Every December, the five officer positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Membership Secretary) are open for any member who wishes to run for these roles. Voting is open to all members at the December General Membership meeting, to be held at The Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder St) on Wednesday, December 1st.

Here’s what you need to do if interested. Write a short bio about yourself, including your reasons why you feel you would make the ideal officer. Please submit these to the webmaster no later than November 25th at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . In the past we have printed these bios in the BluesNotes, but we felt that having them on-line at the CBA website will give more people a chance to see them prior to the election. The BluesNotes for December often arrived with very little time before the actual meeting, and this year the meeting takes place the very first day of the month.

If you are unable to submit a message, you can still run for office. Just make sure that you submit your written intent to run no later than November 29th to be placed on the ballot. You may send these requests by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you’re not interested in holding down one of the elected positions, but would still like to be on the Board of Directors, you can request to be considered for an At-Large Member position at any time by submitting a written request and attending the open Board Meeting of any particular month. At-Large positions run until July every year. We are also interested in hearing from anybody who may be willing to volunteer for numerous events throughout the year. Grant writers and people capable of raising funds for our organization are always a plus. We can always use the extra hands.

Bookmark with:

Additional Information

CD Reviews

"Industrial Strength"

Wendy DeWitt & Kirk Harwood

Wette Music

If you want to hear boogie piano done right, look no further than Wendy DeWitt. She has been tearing up stages with her Chicago and Texas styled playing for a number of years, working with the likes of Hank Ballard, Otis Rush and Steve Freund, while sharing performance time with people like Charlie Musselwhite, Hadda Brooks and Etta James. You can hear a lot of the masters like Otis Spann, Memphis Slim and Sunnyland Slim within her playing and her vocals may bring to mind fellow blues pianist Marcia Ball. In other words, Wendy has the full package that screams out for attention.

On her latest release, Industrial Strength, she has teamed up with drummer Kirk Harwood, whose rhythm supplies a natural beat behind her keyboard readings. Harwood’s credentials credit time playing with Norton Buffalo, Roy Rogers and Huey Lewis amongst others. They are joined by a host of guests throughout the disc including Chicago raised blues guitar maestro Steve Freund, pianist Macy Blackman, Western Swing Hall of Famer Tommy Thomsen from Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, Dave Aguilar from Norton Buffalo’s band and ragtime bassist Marty Eggers.

The music on Industrial Strength is very inspiring, especially the instrumentals. Her take on “Summertime,” combining it with the classic lines of “Flight of the Bumblebee” is brilliant. It makes the song romp, yet it is very recognizable and a delight to listen to. Tracks such as “Nervous,” “Boogie Woogie Stomp” and “Bass Key Boogie” sound like they could’ve come out of a speakeasy in New Orleans’ Storyville or a Kansas City gambling den some fifty-sixty years back. “If I Could Just” is a soft, heartfelt number with lovely piano filled with brushed drums and filled with emotional vocals. “Love And Appreciation” is a fun little ditty that opens with whistling and is backed with tuba. You cannot help but smile while listening to it. “Lucky Old Sun” is packed full of soul so deep that you just want to stand up and testify her playing and vocals are that powerful. The album closes out with the song “Gone,” where Wendy reflects on the memories of past friends, one by one, everybody leavin’ on.

Industrial Strength is highly recommended for anybody who has a love for piano blues. If you’re a fan of Marcia Ball or Eden Brent’s style of playing, you’re going to be thrilled with Wendy DeWitt. Definitely a keeper with this disc.

Total Time: 43:40

Nervous / Summertime / Lucky Old Sun / Don’t Tell Me You Love Me / It’s Too Late / Jungle Boogie / Boogie Woogie Stomp / Wings Of Love / Bass Key Boogie / If I Could Just / Love And Appreciation / San Francisco / Gone

Reviewed by Greg Johnson

Email the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Search, View and Navigation

Main Menu