MusicViews at One Longfellow Square

Laney Jones has an innocent persona brimming over with love for music and song, and so does her band. They opened Wednesday evening for the formidable Spuyten Duyvil, who was just as charmed by her as we were in the audience. more

Spuyten Duyvil played their hearts out on Wednesday evening. If you’ve heard their new CD, The Social Music Hour Volume I, then you know the gritty sound and feeling of their music.
[Editor's note: We are featuring both a live performance and CD review of Spuyten Duyvil.] more

A big crowd showed up Wednesday evening to hear Hanneke Cassel. Hanneke, who looks like a Nordic goddess, took the stage flanked by the hardy-looking Christopher Lewis on guitar, and the extraordinary Mike Block on cello, who is by the way, Hanneke’s husband. more

On December 21st, Peter and I went to see Inanna Sisters in Rhythm’s “One Love, One Heart” Winter Solstice Celebration - our third time seeing them at One Longfellow Square. My, my, my they get better with age. What a group of gorgeous, talented women! more

... She has a voice for the ages. She’s not a placid, sing-songy, half-way kind of person. She engages her whole being with her voice, and pours the passion into it. She throws her head back and becomes a column of light. ... more

They started out with a Django Reinhardt tune. I closed my eyes and I felt the stresses of the day fall away. These guys were so good, I relaxed into their excellence. more

I find myself frequently saying, “That was the best concert I’ve ever been to” – and I mean it every time I say it. So I say it again! Why was it the best concert, you might wonder? more

Sorcha and the Clearing took the stage after a fine performance by opening act, Rusty Belle. Sorcha is well-known in Portland for her diverse musical ability and great voice. Although she has played a lot of roots music, this five member band expressed more of her hard driving sound. more

The sidewalks were frozen and everything had the pallor of a winter night as I arrived for this event. There was a nice crowd gathering, carrying their pints of Funky Bow Oatmeal Stout to their seats. Rusty Belle arrived just before 8 o’clock. more

The beautiful and talented Portland fiddle player and vocalist, Lauren Rioux, gathered a marvelous cadre of musicians for this year’s Yulegrass lineup. Included were world-famous banjo master, Tony Trischka, award winning, flatpicking guitarist and singer, Scott Law, the bouncy and joyous Amanda Kowalski on stand-up bass, and the incomparable Mike Block on cello and vocals. more