- Dick Metcalf Contemporary Fusion Reviews Live Show Reviews
- Paula Santoro exciting live concert Paula Santoro/Jasnam Daya Singh house concert at Dr. Wheelz’ pad
- True jazz stars I-5 Allstars at ArtHouse Designs in Olympia, Washington
- Montavilla Jazz Festival Day 1, Act 6 – Rich Halley 5 with Vinny Golia
- Montavilla Jazz Festival Day 1, Act 5 – David Friesen Quartet
- Montavilla Jazz Festival Day 1, Act 4 – Joe Manis Double Drums Quartet
- Montavilla Jazz Festival Day 1, Act 3 – PJCE with Jasnam Daya Singh
- Montavilla Jazz Festival Day 1, Act 2 – Trio Subtonic with Dan Balmer
- Montavilla Jazz Festival Day 1, Act 1 – Ron Steen Quartet
- Charlie Saibel Tipsy piano bar Charlie Saibel’s first gig at Tipsy Piano Bar
- Montavilla jazz festival forefront creative expression Montavilla Jazz Festival 2017
- * jazzcamp portland ryanmeahger * Ryan Meahger’s Jazz Camp 2017
- Smoocho Gusto at Cascadia Grill, 2017/06/21
- A Tribute to John Keeslar LIVE SHOW review by Dick Metcalf
- Breaks and Swells Olympia fall arts walk Breaks and Swells LIVE SHOW review, Rhythm & Rye, Olympia, WA
- Steve Bentley Ensemble Great Northwest jazz supreme Steve Bentley Ensemble at Rhythm & Rye LIVE show Review
- Rob Scheps supercharged dynamic quintet Rob Scheps – Gil Evans Legacy Quintet – Olympia, WA
- Enchantingly memorable musical magic with FLOW (the Group) – Live Show Review, Royal Room, 2018/05/15
- Exciting jazz house concert LaVon Hardison – Live Show review
- Superbly entertaining guitar mastery Eric Tingstad – Live Show review, Harbor Sounds concert series
It’s been a whole host of years since the gang of players featured during the BENEFIT SHOW reviewed here had opportunity to get back on the stage (at least for me, since I had been out & about roaming the globe)… so imagine my pleasure when my friend Bartlett on Bass and his wife Jan told me they would be together again for this benefit at the Triad Theater in Yelm, Washington… I was looking forward to it, I’ll tell ya’, folks!
I rolled up in front of the venue about an hour before the show in my 1966 GTO & was almost immediately met by Steve, who was going out to get his axe… along the way, of course, we caught up a bit & I showed him the ride (of course)…
After following Steve inside the theater space, it was like old home week… most of the players had played with various & sundry groupings in Michelle Jones ultimately hip “Blue Bottle Cafe”, where I did lots (& LOTS) of live show reviews back in the day! This new Triad venue is more like a full-blown theater space, with a fine stage crammed with many folks I recognized from back in the good old days… Steve introduced me to several folks I hadn’t met before, lending the whole affair a truly “homey” atmosphere that makes it very attractive to me… I’ve no doubt I’ll be visiting this great little theater again soon.
Once folks started filling up the overstuffed couches & chairs, the band began to setup, & wound up looking somethin’ like this during their soundcheck:
As you can see from the photo, there’s a “country tinge” to the group, but knowing their various talents, I know they are a very diverse group, with high performance energy, so I could hardly wait for them to get krankin’ those tunes out… in the intermediate time, I also got to see Michelle and Flemming Olsen, as well as many others who wanted to join this great reunion time… as you’ll see & hear below, the band is just KICK-tail on one of my favorite songs from the band “Walter’s Birthday“, “Concrete Floor”… check ’em out & be SURE you’re there for their next performance… I give them a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, to be sure: