Performers 2023 | Portland Old Time Music Gathering

Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee ★ Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons ★ Bet Your Bottom Dollar ★ Laurel Bliss ★ Canote Brothers ★ Devil’s Club Darlin’s ★ Jamie Fox ★ Leela Grace ★ Andy Grummon ★ Happy Valley Sluggers ★ Amy Hofer ★ Olivia Horgan ★ Trevor Holder and Conner Vlietstra ★ Sally Jablonsky ★ Marta King ★ Medicine Fiddle Film★ Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms ★ Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms Country Band ★ Maggie Lind ★ Luthier Workshop ★ Alex MacLeod ★ Tony Mates ★ Richard Melling & Karen McCracken ★ Steph Noll ★ Caroline Oakley ★ Kate O’Brien ★ Lori Prime and Ken Torke ★ Jane Palmieri ★ Paradise Drifters ★ Rats Gone To Rest ★ Schnoll Family Band ★ Andrew Small ★ Sunfish Duo ★ Sunday Cabaret ★ Ashlee Watkins and Andrew Small ★ Marshall Wilborn and Andrew Small

Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee ↑↑

Bar Band – Alberta Abbey Cafe/Bar – 126 NE Alberta St. Friday, Jan. 13 6:00-7:00 pm

Square Dance Band – Downstairs Ballroom – Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14 7:00-8:00 pm

Drawing inspiration from many great string bands along the Virginia-Carolina Blue Ridge, The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee bring together the best elements of old time mountain music and traditional bluegrass to produce a uniquely authentic old time sound. The Floyd County-based string band plays regularly for dances and festivals around the region and in 2021 they won the old time band contest at the 85th Annual Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, VA. Featuring Ashlee Watkins (guitar/banjo), Andrew Small (fiddle/ mandolin), Trevor Holder (banjo), Conner Vlietstra (guitar/fiddle/mandolin), and Marshall Willborn (bass), The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee’s powerful harmony singing and energetic instrumentals have made them one of Southwest Virginia’s favorite string bands.

Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons ↑↑

Friday Night Concert, Auditorium, Alberta Abbey 126 NE Alberta St. Friday, Jan. 13 8:00-8:45 pm

Workshop: Redefining Protest through Music. Auditorium, Alberta Abbey 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14 – 4:00-5:00 pm

Seattle songsters Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons give life to voices that have long been silenced in American culture. Their award-winning performances are highlighted by story-telling that, rather than bringing the past to life, vividly shows how the past still lives in the present. Through their songs, audiences witness current issues crop up again and again in folk songs, dance tunes, acoustic blues, and prison ballads.

Ben & Joe bounce from fiddle & banjo breakdowns to a cappella field hollers, early jazz to gospel songs featuring Piedmont guitar style and rattlin’ bones. With the same versatility that won them the International Blues Challenge in 2016, and allowed them to record with National Heritage Fellow Phil Wiggins, the duo celebrates the ways Americans have triumphed over oppression through the vitality of their art. Audiences walk away from Ben & Joe’s concerts and workshops inspired to learn more of their own heritage, and engage more deeply with their communities.

Workshop: Redefining Protest through Music. Acts of protest tap into layers of our heritage and identity that strengthen the foundations of what we are fighting for. So how can we root ourselves more deeply in our heritage and identity, thereby strengthening our fight against injustice?

Using roots music as a lens, Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons draw on stories, songs, and the people behind protest movements from around the world, connecting them with layered conceptions of heritage. By redefining the terms “protest” and “heritage”, Hunter and Seamons invite audiences to explore and reimagine our shared humanity.

Bet Your Bottom Dollar↑↑

Accompaniment for the 2-Step Dance Lesson, Cajun Honky Tonk Night, The Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge, 4830 NE 42nd Ave. Thursday, Jan. 12, 7:45-8:00 pm

Steph Noll and Rose Minkler are a banjo and guitar duet who enjoy singing and playing together in and around Portland. They play a variety of old time and vintage country songs along with any other sweet harmonies or sassy numbers that catch their ears. You’ll love learning to 2-Step with them playing.

Laurel Bliss↑↑

Maybelle Carter Guitar Intro Workshop – Third Rail Theater Company Room, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14 – 3:00-3:50 pm

Bellingham, Washington vocalist and dobro player Laurel Bliss was exposed early in her life to the music of The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers, and The Stanley Brothers That exposure has inspired a lifelong dedication to unearthing and learning vocal chestnuts. Laurel has a composed, straightforward, yet tender approach to singing, that suggests an earlier era. Her heartfelt vocals have made her a stand-out in acoustic and bluegrass music. The joys of playing by ear and learning to sing with others through the festivals of Weiser, The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Voice Works and the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop have shaped her approach to music. She currently plays fiddle and guitar with The Happy Valley Sluggers, a Cajun and Old Time band from Bellingham, Washington.

Maybelle Carter Guitar
Find the melody and keep the rhythm the Maybelle Carter way.
Fingers and picks all welcome in this introduction to the most imitated lead playing style.

Canote Brothers ↑↑

Kids’ Show – Downstairs Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. – Saturday, Jan. 14, 2:00-2:50 pm

C Tunes Fiddle Workshop – Auditorium – Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 12:00 – 12:50 pm

Greg and Jere Canote are identical twins whose music is all about having a good time. They do, you will. It’s steeped in vintage Americana — forgotten fiddle tunes, swing classics, and quirky novelty songs — but with their own twists (and a few of their brilliant original takes on the world around us). They’re fabulous musicians, moving effortlessly among fiddle, guitar, banjo, ukulele, and various hybrids, and their genetically-matched voices recall brother duets from the Blue Sky Boys to the Everlys.

C Tunes- The Next Frontier
If you’re comfortable in the usual fiddle keys, but you haven’t ventured into the happy realm of C, in this workshop we’ll explore accessible C tunes from Blaine Smith, Hoyt Ming, and Melvin Wine!

Devil’s Club Darlin’s↑↑

Saturday Night Square Dance, Downstairs Ballroom, Albert Abbey 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 9:00-10:00 pm

The Devil’s Club Darlin’s are a Bellingham based Old Time Stringband formed in 2015 having well over 200 years of music experience. Performing primarily for dances in the PNW and most recently using their voices to present songs from their mentors from days gone by. The Darlin’s are now a full fledged performance old time stringband read for your listening and dancing pleasure. From Bellingham and beyond they are Laurel Bliss on fiddle and guitar, John Clark on banjo, Dream Frohe on bass, John Hatton on guitar and ukulele and Howie Meltzer on fiddle.

Jamie Fox↑↑

Artist in Residence – Friday night concert, Auditorium, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Friday, Jan. 13, 9:00 pm

Métis Fiddle Workshop – Auditorium, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14 3:00-3:45 pm

Jamie Fox is a Métis fiddler of the Aaniih and Nakoda tribes. She grew up on the Fort Belknap Reservation of Northern Montana where she was immersed in a lively fiddle and dance tradition in the community. The tunes and dancing played there derive from a mixture of Celtic, French, and Native American cultures – local Saturday night dances were a positive bridge in the racial divide of what it meant to grow up on the reservation and be mixed blood.

She will be accompanied by her good friend and incredible musician, Scotty Leach – pianist and fiddler hailing from Centralia, WA. Through his lifelong immersion in folk music traditions, he has acquired the ability to transition effortlessly from Appalachian old-time to New England dance music to Cape Breton style piano backup and fiddling. His energy and intuition on the piano enliven Jamie’s playing to tell a story with the Métis tunes.

Métis Fiddle Workshop

This workshop will explore the Métis (Native American) fiddle styles of North America, particularly of Montana. We will cover tunes that are “crooked” (free-metered) reels and will focus on the Métis duck dances (tuning the fiddle AEAC# and these particular tunes work great for playing for square dances). We will learn traditional tunes, working on bowing, ornamentation that makes the Métis rhythm unique. All tunes will be taught by ear. Students are encouraged to bring a recording device.

Leela Grace ↑↑

Clogging Workshop – Downstairs Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 5:00-6:00 pm

Leela is a nationally-known singer, songwriter, banjo player, recording artist, percussive dancer and teacher of music and dance. Originally from Missouri, she spent a beautiful 8 years in Portland, teaching popular banjo, by-ear harmony singing, and Appalachian clogging classes. In 2014, Leela embarked on the new adventure of motherhood and in late 2015, Leela and her family moved to northern Vermont following a job opportunity for her husband. After many “adventures” in the snowy northern lands of the east, she has returned to the Pacific Northwest, inspired and ready to resume teaching and performing in her home community.

Leela has performed and taught nationally for over 25 years, first with her family, and now as a solo musician and with her sister Ellie Grace (as Leela and Ellie Grace – check this video of them clogging together). As a teacher of music and dance, Leela has inspired literally thousands of school children, banjo students, percussive dancers, and singers of all ages through the classes, school assemblies, week-long camps, and lessons that she has taught across the U.S. and Canada since she was little more than a child herself. She is a kind, entertaining, experienced teacher who offers clear, understandable instruction to singers, musicians, and dancers of all levels.

Andy Grummon↑↑

Square Dance Caller – Saturday Night Square Dances, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Andy is a banjo player and square dance caller living in Portland, OR. The highlight of their square dance career was calling a gender inclusive dance at the Q Center in 2019. Andy’s goal is to create a supportive and fun dance environment in the service of bringing the joys of square dance to those who may have been traumatized by middle school gym class. The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting.

Happy Valley Sluggers ↑↑

Cajun/Honky Tonk Night -– The Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge, 4830 NE 42nd Ave. Thursday, Jan. 12, 7:00-7:45 pm

The Happy Valley Sluggers play the Cajun two-steps and waltzes which emanate from the dance halls and roadhouses that dot the countryside of southwest Louisiana. It’s definitely dance music. One simply cannot sit still while listening to the compelling back-beat of a Cajun twostep. The Sluggers feature: Mike Schway, fiddle and Cajun accordion; Laurel Bliss, Cajun fiddle; John Clark, bass, Nina Richardson, guitar; and Andy Rick, pedal steel.

Amy Hofer↑↑

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Amy Hofer is a caller and fiddler who lives right here in Portland. She helped organize the Portland Sunday Square Dances at the Village Ballroom, Dare To Be Square West! and was an organizer of the Portland Old Time Music Gathering. The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting. Photo by Jeff Lefferts.

Kids’ Open Mic with Olivia Horgan↑↑

Kids’ Open Mic with Olivia Horgan. Downstairs Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. – Saturday Jan. 14, 2022, 1:00–1:50 pm

Here’s a chance for your child to shine at a special hour of open mic performances especially for young people. Sign up at 12:30 in the Ballroom with Olivia and her assistant.

Trevor Holder and Conner Vlietstra↑↑

Foundations of Traditional Fingerstyle Banjo: 2 & 3 Finger Banjo Workshop, Auditorium, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14 2:00-2:50 pm

With Trevor Holder and Conner Vlietstra

In this workshop, we will showcase and teach several styles of old time banjo from intricate 2- and 3-finger styles to other strummed styles similar to clawhammer. These styles of banjo were popular in old time music before the 1960s, and were recorded by many banjoists during that time including Uncle Dave Macon, Charlie Poole, Gid Tanner, and many others.

Originally from Ringgold, Georgia, Trevor Holder grew up playing the banjo at fiddlers conventions in the Southeast, winning many awards including 1st place bluegrass banjo at the 2019 Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, VA. Early on, he developed a strong interest in the banjo playing of Don Reno and spent years learning his style. An avid proponent of numerous old time banjo styles, Trevor also takes influence from players like Uncle Dave Macon, Charlie Poole, Gid Tanner, and others. In addition to The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee, Trevor also performs with The Price Sisters, Five Mile Mountain Road, and co-leads traditional bluegrass band The Chattanooga Dogs with Conner Vlietstra.

Multi-instrumentalist Conner Vlietstra comes from a musical family from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has performed old-time, bluegrass, and country music at fiddlers’ conventions and festivals across North America, touring as guitarist with the bluegrass sister duet the Price Sisters and old time string band Five Mile Mountain Road. Conner also co-leads traditional bluegrass band The Chattanooga Dogs with Trevor Holder. In 2021, Conner was awarded first place in the traditional category at the Grand Master Fiddle Championship.

Sally Jablonsky ↑↑

Friday Night Concert, Main Auditorium, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St., Friday, Jan. 14 7:00 pm.

Beginning Fiddle Workshop, Main Auditorium, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 1:00-1:50 pm

Sally Jablonsky has been playing and studying traditional old time, and other fiddle styles for the past twenty eight+ years. She grew up going to the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes at Centrum, the Ludiker Fiddle Camp, Lady of the Lake dance camps, and regional oldtime music gatherings. Sally soaked up not only the tunes, but the specific bowing and sound of each fiddler she studied under. Since 2001, Jablonsky has played northern and southern fiddle styles in her family band for dances and at camps, she was the fiddler in Rabbit Foot Stringband in Portland, Oregon, and she plays electric guitar in the touring country band, the Misty Mountain Pony Club. Sally has taught old time fiddle workshops at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, at dance camps and old time gatherings, as well as privately from her home. When she’s not fiddling around, she is a painter and illustrator in Spokane, Washington.

Dry & Dusty & the Boys
Dry and Dusty is an old time sister duo from Spokane, WA. Ruthie and Sally Jablonsky grew up playing music with their parents, hiking around in the desert singing cowboy songs, and learning the old tunes from their extended family at fiddle festivals. The sisters will be joined by Ru’s husband Ben Feldman, a guitar noodler/pedal steel nerd from California, and by their friend Brian Zimmerman, a roaming weather predicting banjo player.

Beginning Old Time Fiddling with Sally Jablonsky
Come learn a fiddle tune or two! We will focus on bowing, basic technique, and having fun! This class will be for beginners, and I will send you away with some tabs, recordings, and resources to further your fiddling journey. (I am immune compromised, so I would appreciate distancing and mask wearing. Thanks!)

Marta King ↑↑

2-Step Dance Lesson Instructor – Cajun/Honky Tonk Night, The Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge, 4830 NE 42nd Ave. Thursday, Jan. 12, 7:45-8:00 pm

Square Dance Caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Learn the basics of 2-Step dancing and dance the rest of the night away. Marta has served on the Sunday Squares Square Dance and Dare to be Square – West! organizing committees and is a square dance caller. She first began calling in 2013 at Dare To Be Square – West! in LA. She is very fond of red lipstick, and aspires to turn every party into a dance party.

Medicine Fiddle↑↑

Film: Main Auditorium, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St., Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00 pm

Medicine Fiddle explores the music and dance heritage of the Fur Trade among Native and Métis families on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border. Fiddling and step (clog) dancing was introduced to Native peoples by French fur traders in the late 1600s and a century later by Irish, Scottish, and Scots-Irish trappers, lumberjacks, and homesteaders. Over the past two centuries, in the confines of family gatherings on remote reservations, this music has survived and has permeated the cultural memory of mixed-blood descendants. Some of the music and dance has absorbed a Native musical influence, and a Native spiritual culture sustains it. The stories, music, and dance are performed in family settings. (1 hr 20 mins.)

Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms ↑↑

Bar Band – in the Bar/Café – Alberta Abbey – 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 6:00-7:00 pm

Vocal Harmony Workshop – Third Rail Theater Company Room, Alberta Abbey, Saturday. Jan. 14, 2:00-2:50 pm

Moon and Sixpence Pub – Music by Caleb, Reeb and Friends — 2014 NE 42nd Ave. Sunday, Jan. 15 – 7:00 till late

Reeb Willms and Caleb Klauder met, sang, and liked it. They’ve been singing with each other ever since. They are a vocally-driven duo whose music stands out as subtle, powerful, and compelling. Their sound is elevated by Caleb’s distinctive and lyrical mandolin playing and grounded by Reeb’s unwavering guitar playing as they perform original songs and tunes as well as their favorite picks from traditional and country repertoire. Both originally hail from Washington State: Caleb from Orcas Island, and Reeb from the Waterville Plateau. They tour regionally and internationally with both the Foghorn Stringband and the Caleb Klauder Band.

Duet Harmony Singing with Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms

All levels welcome. Come sing a duet with us. The basic idea of harmonizing is to sing along with a lead or melody in a complimentary way that is harmonic. Most anyone can learn to hear and hopefully do this, given some dedicated ear training. In this workshop, we will start with the foundations of harmony singing, breaking it down into a few simple ideas that can be put into practice right away. We work on finding a tonic or root note, then build a chord, find an octave, and practice this exercise in different keys. We will learn a song, and practice these basic concepts, building confidence by first placing the melody firmly in our minds, and then branching out to sing a harmony part with attention to lyrical and melodic phrasing. Bring a song journal, and a recording device if you like.

Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band ↑↑

Cajun Honky Tonk Night at the Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge, 4830 NE 42nd Ave., Thursday, Jan. 12 at 9:30ish. Show starts at 7:00 pm.

One of the great things about Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms is that they immerse you in the sheer joy of classic country music until all other cares of life fade away. These two originally hail from Washington State, Caleb from the coastal islands, and Reeb from the high desert plateau of central WA. They have come together in music and are two of the most compelling musicians making country roots music in America today. When these two sing together, their honest incantations leave us spell-bound and smiling. Caleb’s burnished voice and lyrical mandolin style compliment Reeb’s spell-binding voice and rock-solid rhythm guitar playing in a way that is undeniably real. They carry the torch of their music around the world touring as a duo or backed by their cosmic honky tonk band, as well as with the Foghorn Stringband. There’s a lot to admire in this singular perseverance and honesty. Joining them will be Russ Blake on pedal steel, Ned Forkerth on drums, Annie Staninec on fiddle and Patrick Lind on bass.

Maggie Lind ↑↑

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Maggie Lind has been calling for square dances and playing music for them for more than a decade. She has drawn much of her calling repertoire from her mentors Bill Martin and Phil Jamison. Her enthusiasm, skillful teaching, repertoire of traditional square dances, and sung calling style inspires novice and experienced dancers alike. She has performed, called dances, and taught old-time music at Seattle’s Folklife Festival, the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, the Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention, Pickathon Roots Music Festival, and the Portland Old-Time Music Gathering, as well as countless weddings, parties, corporate events, hoedowns, street fares, house parties and campgrounds. The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting.

Luthier Workshop↑↑

Luthier’s Tables, in back of the auditorium (behind the curtain), Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 6:00 pm.

Luthier Talk: Violin and Bow Setup and Maintenance.
What makes a fiddle a fiddle?: Chat with the luthiers Anna Sandys, Jamie Herrmann, and Jacob Mitas and explore the eternal question while addressing issues of maintenance and touring select fiddles and bows. Followed by Q and A.

Jacob Mitas is a Bow maker, Violin technician, Fiddler and owner of Mitas Bows in NE Portland.

Jamie Herrmann is Laila and Dillon’s dad and he also happens to work as a violin maker and restorer. He grew up surrounded by traditional American fiddle music. His work has been found in the hands of players from Old time fiddler Bruce Greene to Doug – the Ragin’ Cajun – Kershaw; on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and on the concert stage. He enjoys being a resident luthier at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes.

Anna Sandys builds, repairs and renovates violin family instruments in NE Portland. Owner of Anna Sandys Violins.

Alex MacLeod↑↑

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Alex is a Seattle-based caller and musician who has called dances large and small across the Pacific Northwest, in grange halls and parking garages, backyards and living rooms, in barns, on boats, in schools, and even occasionally at a dance hall. He currently books the monthly Tractor Tavern Square Dance, in Seattle – get in touch if you’d like to play or call for one of the Northwest’s longest running square dance! The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting.

Tony Mates ↑↑

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

A fine fiddler, bassist, guitarist, singer, teacher and dance caller, Tony has appeared at festivals across the nation and is well known in the Pacific Northwest for his work with Northwest Folklife, The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and Dare to Be Square among many others. Tony says: “I started dancing and calling dances quite by accident, but I was in good company, back in the late 1970s, with Sandy Bradley, the Gypsy Gyppo String Band and many other fine trouble-makers to help out. 40 some years later it’s a thrill to see such a vibrant square dance scene all over the country. I like to call dances that aren’t too hard, and let the pleasure of the enterprise come partly from the dancers dancing to the music and the musicians playing to the dancers.” The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting.

Richard Melling & Karen McCracken ↑↑

Sing along Hosts, Third Rail theatre Co. Room, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 1:00-1:50

Karen McCracken and Richard Melling draw from the old-time, bluegrass and early country traditions, singing close harmonies and playing multiple instruments. Together they have a genuine old-time duet sound.

Steph Noll↑↑

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Steph Noll called her first dance around 2007 in the parking lot of Liberty Hall during a workshop given by Bill Martin. Since then she has enjoyed picking up dances from fabulous West Coast callers (and occasionally from a visiting Easterner). She has yet to not feel total delight at the sight of a hall full of grinning, dancing people. Playing music with friends and singing and dancing with her young kids are among her deepest joys, and she’s thrilled that her young boys have taken an interest in dancing squares (in between stage diving and running circles around the hall.) The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting.

Caroline Oakley ↑↑

Family Square Dance Caller – Downstairs Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. 3:00-4:00 pm – Saturday, January 14 – 3:00-3:50 pm

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Caroline Oakley is a musician and dance calling machine who has been teaching and calling old-time community square dances for over a decade. She enjoys fiddling, playing guitar, singing old country songs, growing vegetables, sewing, fermenting things, dancing, and numerous other forms of physical activity. She has called at many of the West-Coast’s premier old-time and bluegrass music festivals. Caroline is a music educator in Corbett, OR, teaches music to young families through Music Together and teaches community square dancing in local schools

Kate O’Brien ↑↑

Kids’/Family Jam with Kate O’Brien – Downstairs Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14, 12:00-12:50 pm

“Hi there! I’ve been playing violin pretty much my whole life. Even though, I’m a classically trained player I also play a variety of styles in the fiddle, country swing, blues and rock worlds. I am a student of the music and the instrument. I toured the world for 10 years playing violin and now you can find me playing in Portland with “Gerle Haggard” (a 7-piece all women Merle Haggard tribute band), or traditional country swing with “The Golden Age of Country Music Show & Dance Band” as well as sitting in with “The Family Band” playing outlaw country/blues every first Friday at Laurelthirst Pub.
I am the founder of Mosaic String Academy in SE Portland where we teach violin, viola & cello lessons with a focus on classical technique and repertoire that is infused with cultural and musical social justice: we equally integrate composers of color, female composers as well as various music genres, including fiddle! We teach everyone, all ages! But only if you’re a kid can you sign up for our Portland Fiddle Camp for kids, a summer day camp in SE Portland where kids learn fiddle tunes & then put on a concert. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you at the Gathering!”

Lori Prime and Ken Torke↑↑

Jam Session at the Moon and Sixpence — 2014 NE 42nd Ave. Wednesday, Jan. 11 – 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Ken and Lori love old time tunes and know a bunch of them. Come join us for some of your favorites and maybe you’ll even pick up a few gems to add to that list! Bonus: A lot of your friends will be there. A lot of beers to choose from. Great pub food! We’ll be inside the very cozy Moon and Sixpence – just like old times.

Jane Palmieri↑↑

Square Dance caller, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00-10:00 pm

Jane Palmieri is a local Portland caller who has a special fondness for collecting and calling gender-free dances or outright changing dance calls to fit her queer agenda. She has been an organizer for the lively Every Wednesday Square Dance. Sometimes you can find her calling at community events, fundraisers, hoedowns, and weddings in the Pacific Northwest. The Saturday night square dances will include a number of callers in a Round Robin setting.

Paradise Drifters ↑↑

Cajun/Honky Tonk Night -The Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge 4830 NE 42nd Ave. Thursday, January 12, 8:15-9:00 pm

The Paradise Drifters from Seattle, piece together country, bluegrass, blues and old-time to create their own honky-tonk inspired sound, perfect for dancers and listeners and compulsive toe-tappers. Performing mostly original songs that sound like the best of the old stuff, along with a few old covers that sound new again, the band features: Tom Collicott, lead guitar; Carmen Ficarra: guitar, vocals and harmonica; Kate Lichtenstein: fiddle, guitar, keyboards and vocals; Alex MacLeod: drums and vocals; and Matt Setter on bass.

Rats Gone to Rest ↑↑

Saturday Square Dance, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 19, 8:00-9:00 pm

Arriving at Old Time from their punk rock roots, Devin Forest-Hines and Joel Brown have developed a raw and driving sound. Joined by Julay Brooks on guitar and Gabrielle Macrae (not pictured) on bass, Rats Gone to Rest channels the lawless energy and spirit of late night fiddle festivals, and rogue square dances.

Schnoll Family Band↑↑

Family Square Dance, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey Saturday, Jan. 14, 3:00-3:50 pm

Born the day after the 2011 Portland Old-Time Gathering, brothers Sam and Charlie Sheie (fiddle and guitar, respectively) lead the Shnoll Family Band. They are joined by their mothers Kate (banjo-ukulele) and Steph (banjo), with family friend Robin Wilcox on bass.

Andrew Small↑↑

Mandolin Workshop – Green Room A, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan 14, 12:00-12:50 pm

Tone, Taste, and Timing – Traditional Mandolin with Andrew Small
In this workshop we will explore the role of the mandolin in old time music while considering both rhythmic and melodic capacities. Using tunes from the traditional repertoire as vehicles for demonstration, we’ll dive deeply into topics including rhythm, accents, style, and tone production. We’ll also take time to go over some useful two- and three-finger chord shapes and inversions.

Andrew Small is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has performed around the world with artists including Sierra Hull, Chris Henry, Mandolin Orange, and the North Carolina Symphony. He performs in the house band for the PBS television show Farm and Fun Time and tours internationally as bassist for Bill and the Belles. Andrew has performed with acclaimed old time string bands including the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, Five Mile Mountain Road, Twin Creeks Stringband, and The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee. He won first prize in the 29th Annual MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest and has written and performed music for the soundtrack of the PBS documentary film Rock Castle Home and the Appalachian Trail History podcast series The Green Tunnel. Andrew served as the 2021-22 Artist-In-Residence for The Crooked Road – Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and he is a member of the teaching faculty for the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Program at East Tennessee State University.

SunFish Duo ↑↑

Instrument Petting Zoo with Sarah Ells Fish and Dan Fish, Basement Ballroom, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14 12:00-1:30 pm

Dan and Sarah are back to host the Instrument Petting Zoo again this year. It’s a favorite with small children as they have a chance to play around with instruments down on their level.

Sunday Cabaret↑↑

The Sunday Cabaret – with Host Brooks Masten – The Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge, 4830 NE 42nd Ave. Sunday, January 15, 1:00 — 4:00 pm

Didn’t get a change to perform at the Gathering? The Sunday Cabaret is your chance. This event is free and children are welcome till 4:30. Work up a couple of songs, come on over to the Spare Room Bar and Restaurant, sign up with co-conspirator Suzanne Savell (she’ll be the one with a clipboard) and get ready to perform. You will also be able to sign up at the Gathering table on Saturday Jan. 14 at the Alberta Abbey in the “Piano Room” (at the back of the auditorium behind the curtains). Any style of music is welcome and we encourage kids to perform. Kids are welcome till 4:00 pm. If you did perform at the Gathering, that’s ok too. You can still perform at the Cabaret. Our host Brooks Masten not only makes amazing banjos, he plays them as well. As he has the past few years, he’ll be serving as the congenial host. His ever-changing array of flamboyant costumes is not to be missed.

Ashlee Watkins and Andrew Small ↑↑

Southwest Virginia Style Clawhammer Banjo Workshop – Green Room A, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14 3:00-3:50 pm

Using the traditional dance music repertoire of Southwest Virginia as a guide, we’ll discuss the keys to rhythmic integrity, drive, and great tone while examining a number of common left and right hand embellishments. We will address common regional tunes and tunings, influential players, and learn a tune or two along the way to gaining a big-picture view of SWVA’s distinctive style of clawhammer banjo playing.

Having grown up in a musical family in New South Wales, Australia, Ashlee Watkins is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter whose powerfully unadorned vocals exhibit a refreshing directness of expression reminiscent of Maybelle Carter, Molly O’Day, and Hazel Dickens. She has been awarded a number of blue ribbons from fiddlers’ conventions around the Southeast for folk singing, old-time banjo, and guitar playing, and in 2022, she completed a Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship with Floyd County master musician Mac Traynham. Ashlee also performs with old time dance music luminary Larry Sigmon and SW Virginia’s all-woman string band The Mustard Cutters, and she has recorded music for the soundtracks of the PBS documentary Rock Castle Home and the Appalachian Trail History podcast series The Green Tunnel. Ashlee co-founded the Dorrigo Old Time Music School in Dorrigo, NSW, Australia and has taught workshops on old time music in Australia and the US. She currently teaches with Floyd County’s Junior Appalachian Musicians and Blue Ridge Strings Programs.

Marshall Wilborn and Andrew Small↑↑

Bass workshop, Green Room A, Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. Saturday, Jan. 14 1:00-1:50 pm

Supporting With Style – Bass Fundamentals with Marshall Wilborn and Andrew Small
Marshall and Andrew will dissect their approaches to playing the bass in a string band setting, with an emphasis on tone, time, and note choice. In regard to timing, we’ll go through some exercises, playing them with the metronome. We’ll discuss how to get a good tone and right hand pull of the string. We may also touch briefly on slap technique. We welcome all questions and comments and look forward to your joining us for this interactive workshop! BYOB (Bring your own bass!)

Marshall Wilborn is a 4-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year and respected songwriter who has worked and recorded with numerous artists, including the Johnson Mountain Boys, James King, Bob Amos, Delia Bell and Bill Grant, Jimmy Martin, Hazel Dickens, Michael Cleveland, and the hit and chart-making group Longview. Wilborn has also performed with his wife, the celebrated Lynn Morris, in her own bluegrass band. Marshall’s songs have been recorded by artists including Alison Krauss, Doyle Lawson, Sierra Hull, Rhonda Vincent, and Hot Tuna. As a member of the Johnson Mountain Boys, Marshall was honored as a 2020 inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.