Hey everyone -
I haven't sent one
of these out in a while. We're finally at a place where there's a stable, fast internet
connection so I'm checking in... This tour is going great! The band sounds better
and better each and every night. There's a synergy that happens when a group of
musicians spends this much time together, eating and drinking and sleeping and living
together, the result is a level of musical energy that's impossible to reach any
other way.
We're working our
way up the west coast from San Francisco with Kim Massie, a phenomenal blues singer
from St Louis. Several days in northern California, including a couple of gigs in
wine country, and now we're making our way through Oregon.
So: to all my Oregon peeps: Tonight (Wed Nov 10) we're
in Eugene, at Agate Hall: 1787 Agate Street, Eugene Oregon. Doors open at 7pm, music
starts at 8.
And then, tomorrow night (Thurs Nov
11) we'll be at Tony Starlight's Supperclub, 3728 NE Sandy Blvd, in Portland. That
show starts at 7:30pm and it's all-ages for the first 2 hours!
About the musicians: Solomon Douglas has assembled
an all-star band for this tour, consisting of musicians from all over North America:
Bria Skonberg - NYC (nee Vancouver BC) trumpet
Nick Dyson - Ottawa, ON trumpet
Ric Becker - NYC
- trombone
Patrick Breiner - Madison, WI - bari sax
Mike Cemprola - Philadelphia PA - alto sax
Pete
Petersen - Portland, OR - tenor sax
D'Vonne Lewis -
Seattle WA - drums
Eric Heveron-Smith - Boston MA - bass
Ted Gottsegen - NYC - guitar
and our fearless
leader, Solomon Douglas on piano and arrangements
And of course, Kim Massie singing some of the most soulful vocals
you've ever heard!!!
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KIM MASSIE
Kim Massie, a St. Louis musical icon, serves up a
platter of Blues, Jazz, R&B, Gospel and Funk with sweet, sassy and soulful sounds.
She is proud to have shared the stage with many of the blues greats and rocked the
St. Louis riverfront with Cyndi Lauper. A gifted vocalist, musical actress and corporate
commercial artist, she has received numerous awards and acclaim.
“When Kim Massie sings her brand of Jazz and
Blues, her voice gently grabs your soul and leads it someplace where inhibitions
melt and smiles are currency. She hits notes tenaciously enough to karate chop through
oak and emits chords tender enough to lull a newborn baby” D. Bass, STL Post
Dispatch
Kim performs nationally
and in Europe. She is a true storyteller in song and stage persona. She makes her
audiences laugh and cry while she hugs the rhythm of their hearts. She has released
four albums including her most recent The Best of Kim Massie.
For music samples, visit Kim Massie’s Myspace
Page or her website: kimmassie.net
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THE SOLOMON DOUGLAS SWINGTET
Solomon Douglas is a jazz pianist and bandleader, whose various bands
have played at more than fifty exchanges, camps, workshops and other dance events
in North America, Asia and Australia. His experience as both a swing dancer and
instructor gives him a deeper understanding of the music swing and blues dancers
love.
The Solomon Douglas
Swingtet is a ten-piece dance band whose repertoire is rooted in Count Basie and
Duke Ellington, with other big band standards and classic jazz tunes thrown in as
well. Although they often cater to a crowd that prefers up-tempo classic swing,
their repertoire also includes a delicious mix of blues music, ranging from the
early slow-drags of Duke Ellington (“The Mooche”), through the swing-era
big band blues music of Erskine Hawkins (“After Hours”), to the modern
big band blues of the 1950s (Basie’s “I Needs To Be Bee’d With”,
Ellington’s “Jeep’s Blues”), up through the more progressive
music of Oliver Nelson (“Stolen Moments”) and Quincy Jones (“Funk
Junction”).
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