Posts Tagged: music

Looking for a family outing the week of Christmas that is affordable, relaxing and fun for children and grown ups alike?  Look no further than the 2011 Acoustic Christmas series with Wendy Goodwin & Friends!

The concerts are free admission and feature a 9-piece acoustic band of professional musicians including violins, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, percussion, piano and vocals.  The material is a collection of beloved holiday songs known to elicit toe tapping and the occasional boogie move from the toddler set (which is of course more than welcomed by the band.)  In it’s 8th consecutive season, Acoustic Christmas with Wendy Goodwin and Friends has become a cherished holiday tradition for many families since 2004!

Two concerts take place in Portland cafes offering a relaxing atmosphere for sipping a warm beverage and enjoying the season in community.  For a full listing of Acoustic Christmas concerts as well as Wendy’s complete holiday performance calendar, visit Wendy’s production company website: effesenden music.

CLOUD SEVEN CAFE CONCERT
WHEN:  Wednesday, December 21st at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: NW 10th & Johnson—on Jamison Square park in the Pearl
Street parking free after 7 p.m. or hop on the streetcar with a stop just steps away from the cafe!
DETAILS:  Doors open at 7 p.m.  The concert lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Beverages, local wines and pastries will be available for purchase.
www.cloudsevencafe.com

TABORSPACE COMMUNITY COFFEE HOUSE CONCERT
WHEN:  Thursday, December 22nd, at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:  SE 55th & Belmont—SE Portland
DETAILS:  Doors open at 7 p.m.  The concert lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Coffee drinks and pastries will be available for purchase.  Free, easy parking in the adjacent parking lot.
www.taborspace.org

Last month I played at Wilfs with the incomparable drummer Ron Steen and pianist Joe Millward.  It was my first time playing with Joe and definitely an experience I hope to repeat!  I was able to record several of the songs we did and have posted them on Youtube.  What a fun and musically fulfilling night this was!

K Bay—working title—is a song I wrote about Honaunau Bay in Kona.  Two of my greatest loves are music and being outdoors.  Honaunau Bay is an incredible place to snorkel.  I found the area to be very mystical—partly because the way the light would beam down through the deep waters below me and partly because it is adjacent to a Hawaiian historical site called Pu’uhonua o Honaunau which is loosely translated “Place of Refuge.”  It is a place where Hawaiians accused of a crime could basically exile themselves and escape punishment—which in ancient Hawaiian culture seemed to have typically been one of a few different brutal executions! 

Parlor Music- a piece I wrote back in the spring of 2009 for my daughter.  It begins with a short classical piece called Ständchen by Franz Schubert.

The CD is done!  The promotional material is out and we head to Germany in late October for a series of concerts.  I cannot wait to play with these wonderful musicians again soon!  We’ll also be appearing together at Christmas time in the Pacific Northwest.

The album will be released on September 13th but you can preview it here.

I’m looking forward to Wednesday, July 13th when I’ll be playing and singing with Ron Steen at the Jazz Club Wilfs at Union Station!  Last time I played at Wilfs was for Tasha Miller’s CD release party and it will be good to be back enshrouded in the vintage, red velvet look and feel of this classic Portland club.   It always makes me think of… yup, you guessed it, White Christmas with Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen…. which is a good thing!!!  Here’s a short video from last summer when I so enjoyed playing with Ron Steen, Kevin Deitz and George Mitchell.