SONGBONES

Welcome back! This is part two of the interview with horn player extraordinaire, Mikey Stevens. If you’d like some backstory on Mikey, take a listen to Episode 10, Part One.

In this episode, Mikey talks about a harrowing drive to the best gig of his life, and tells us about a dramatic event that changed the course fo his life and how he is dealing with it as a musician.

Mikey Stevens is a well-loved, Southern Oregon trumpet and guitar player. If you’ve played music in Southern Oregon, you’ve likely played with Mikey at some point. He has a lot of stories to tell, a lot of wisdom to share. You can find out more about Mikey Stevens on our Spotlight page at www.songbones.com/spotlight where you’ll find original songs recorded and performed by Mikey, and videos of Mikey performing live.

Welcome to Episode 11.

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA- (INTRO/OUTRO) - Les Hayden

Love You More Today - Mikey Stevens

No Name- Mikey Stevens

What Good Am I - Mikey Stevens

What A Wonderful World (Live Performance) - Mikey Stevens

Hosted & Recorded by Michelle McAfee

www.songbones.com

© 2018-2020 SONGBONES PODCAST

Mikey has a quiet confidence, slightly shy, and doesn’t like to go on about himself. In Southern Oregon or Northern California, if you’re a musician, a songwriter, or have a band, you’ve likely played with Mikey Stevens. At a festival somewhere, some summer, you might’ve heard a trumpet solo ripple out across the place that made you wonder if you accidentally dropped acid and were hearing Miles Davis blow the horn - but not exactly. Mikey has his own style of making the trumpet sing, of putting tasty guitar licks exactly where they need to be with not one note extra. Mikey plays the space between.

Most everyone who knows Mikey knows him as a player. A friend. A neighbor. But to my delight, when I interviewed Mikey for the March podcast, I found out that he has also written and recorded songs. Songs no one else has heard, except a few of his closest friends. We are featuring his songs on our spotlight page - the only place you can listen to Mikey’s original tunes, except maybe in his living room.

Two years ago Mikey had an abrupt, dramatic change of course in his life. And still, even now, he says what he always used to say, “I’m the luckiest man alive.” SONGBONES Podcast is doing a special two-episode feature on Mikey. He’s lived a rich life. He has a lot to tell, and he wants to share his story… with you. - MM

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA- (INTRO/OUTRO) - Les Hayden

Two Steps Forward Three Steps Back - Mikey Stevens

Open Up Wide - Chase

When Katie Smiles- Mikey Stevens

Hosted & Recorded by Michelle McAfee

www.songbones.com

© 2018-2020 SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST

A decade ago I walked up a few creaky wood stairs onto a covered front porch full of piles of shoes and entered Robin Jackson’s house in Portland, Oregon with the Songwriter Soiree in full swing - a monthly open mic with guest musicians, a fun neighborhood vibe, and a community that welcomed me in and gave me a plate of food and a chair.

You may have heard or seen Robin Jackson perform previously in March Fourth Marching Band, Vagabond Opera, or more recently in 2019 with dance/electronic artist, The Polish Ambassador. Robin is a multi-instrumentalist, a man about town, performing with his six-piece band The Caravan when he’s not facilitating retreats or touring with other artists. He has released two albums, Dark Stars (2017) and Dust Diaries (2012), has 10+ years experience touring the world with bands, and hosts the Soiree Retreat, a four-day event open to anyone interested in art, the craft of songwriting, learning music, or enjoying community and connection.

Robin talks about life on the road, life after the road, his passion for creating community through hosting music events, and how those events have changed his life.

Welcome to Episode 9.

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA- (INTRO/OUTRO) - LES HAYDEN

ROSES AND GOLD - ROBIN JACKSON

DYNOMITE - MARCH 4TH MARCHING BAND

OCTOBER RAIN - ROBIN JACKSON

PORTLAND TRAFFIC - ROBIN JACKSON

HOSTED & RECORDED BY MICHELLE MCAFEE

WWW.SONGBONES.COM

© 2018-2020 SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST

John Elliott is a San Fransisco based singer-songwriter who doesn’t pull any pull any punches lyrically. The man has a lot of heart, and it really comes through in his songs. His voice is warm in texture, powerful in range and emotive ability, and is a sound I could listen to for hours on long, late-night drives.

John writes with stark realism in some songs and heady poetry in others, but the essence of his writing conveys the feels, the humanity, the beauty and absurdity of life.

He has toured the country and recorded several albums. John is focused on making a difference, with his latest tour featuring benefit shows he organized for nonprofit groups trying to make positive change in the world.

In this episode, John talks about who he is, what led him to the artist’s life, and how sobriety has affected his songwriting process.

Welcome to Episode 8.

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA - (INTRO/OUTRO) - Les Hayden

Hellbound, Bent, Heaven Sent - John Elliott

Hosted & Recorded by Michelle McAfee

www.songbones.com

© 2018-2020 SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST

The first time I heard Bob Beach blow the harmonica was at a David Jacobs-Strain show. He played rhythmic patterns that I didn’t know were possible on the tiny instrument and played more notes than the thing could possibly contain. The sound he made that night on stage completely redesigned my understanding of harmonica and what it could do musically.

Bob is a musician’s musician and lives in Philadelphia where he plays locally when he’s not touring nationally with other artists. Bob has played with Langhorne Slim, the Avett Brothers, Mason Porter, and is currently in a duo with David Jacobs-Strain.

His career began in 1969 when he joined a jug band. It was the first in a line of bands he played in over the next 4 decades. In this podcast, Bob dives into his musical history, his personal life as a working musician, and shares music from some key bands and collaborations that shaped his musical life.

Bob gives us a glimpse into the inner world of a lifelong working musician, what it takes to stay in the game, and what it means to PLAY music.

Welcome to Episode 7.

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA - (INTRO/OUTRO) - Les Hayden https://leshayden.bandcamp.com

LONESOME HIGHWAY - DC Band www.bobbeach.net

HOME IN YOUR HEART - The Harps www.bobbeach.net

GARBAGE MAN - Bob Beach www.bobbeach.net

HOSTED AND RECORDED BY Michelle McAfee

www.songbones.com

© 2018-2019 SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST

This woman is a powerhouse. Not only in vocals and performance, but also in how she communicates and sees the world…and she has the most enviable mane of hair i’ve ever seen! There is a mystery that surrounds Kris for me, like she could be a character out of a kerouac novel. When she’s on stage she gives herself completely to the performance and it feels like you’ve known her all your life. But run into her at a coffeeshop, and she’ll be polite and friendly, funny and warm, while exuding the sense of knowing the secrets of the world but she’ll never tell you.

She moved to Portland from California 20+ years ago and is unafraid to talk about her part in gentrification - displacing other people when she moved into NorthEast Portland and how folks now are still being displaced by “development & progress”. This woman knows her heart and is fearless in talking about the things most of us would rather not.

She was half of the duo Kris & Adam when she arrived in the Northwest, which later became Sweetjuice. Decades of touring and living the troubadour lifestyle came to a halt when her mother became ill and she had to remain in portland to caretake. So… she created a 10-piece soul band called The Hurt and played about as much as a band can play regionally during the 5 years she was tethered to Portland. Kris DeeLane and The Hurt consistently play shows at Alberta Rose Theater, Doug Fir Lounge, and The Laurelthirst. Kris is also a very key figure in The Next Waltz - a tribute to The Band’s “Last Waltz” by many of Portlands finest musicians to raise money for The Jeremy Wilson Foundation.

In this podcast, Kris DeeLane dives deep into many things other people might gloss over.

*Explicit Language*

We’d like to thank our very first sponsor for SONGBONES Podcast!!

Chickadee Remedy

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA - (INTRO/OUTRO) - Les Hayden HTTPS://LESHAYDEN.BANDCAMP.COM

Southern Church - Jeremy Sherman (PRS) / Lynne Publishing (PRS) - http://neosounds.com

Round The Bend - John Francis Jorgensen (BMI) / Lynne Publishing (PRS) - http://neosounds.com

Bad Woman - Julio Kladniew (SADAIC) / Lynne Publishing (PRS) - http://neosounds.com

RECORDED AND HOSTED BY MICHELLE MCAFEE (MUSIC / PHOTOGRAPHY)

© 2018-2019 SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST

Paul plays the hell out of a guitar and was a co-founder of the band Hanuman, a four-piece all-acoustic instrumental ensemble that released four albums, sold over 8,000 recordings and toured upwards of 200 dates a year all over the U.S. Running a band is like running a marriage, and well…..Hanuman broke up after a stellar run in the indie music world.

Songs pour through Paul like water through a river canyon - the man has 11 albums under his belt, including his new release, Lost Days, Long Nights which you can find here: https://paulbenoit.hearnow.com. His solo work is laced with blues, folk and rock influences, his albums are the kind you want on repeat driving cross-country.

We played a string of shows from Southern Oregon to Seattle and just before he had to run to work on the last day, I caught him at home. We talked of being on the road, the travel bug and how he makes the troubadour life work.

Welcome to Episode 5.

MUSIC CREDITS

Ophelia (Intro/Outro) - Les Hayden https://leshayden.bandcamp.com

Pedalhorse - Hanuman https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hanuman00

Running Eiskrokodil - Loco Lobo http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lobo_Loco/

Lost Days, Long Nights - Paul Benoit https://paulbenoit.hearnow.com

Hosted and Recorded by Michelle McAfee

www.songbones.com

© 2018-2019 SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST

Have you heard Foghorn Stringband? Then you’ve heard Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms. Based in Portland, Oregon, where the old-time music scene is alive and well, Caleb and Reeb balance life working in four different bands and still manage to keep a small food farm thriving in their front yard. When they aren’t on the road with Foghorn Stringband, or The Caleb Klauder Country Band, or the The Cajun County Revival, they are out playing house concerts and small theaters as a duo.

Their vocal blend is uncanny and dreamy and makes me want to kick off my shoes, pull up a swinging chair on the front porch and sip lemonade. Caleb writes songs that get you up to do-si-do and is one heck of a mandolin player. Reeb is one of the best rhythm guitar players I’ve heard, with a right hand as steady as a metronome.

They play original music, old-time, bluegrass, cajun, country, and pretty much any style in between. I spent the afternoon with them, talking about songwriting, learning to sing, juggling projects, dealing with fear and The Great Big Fais-do-do. - MM

Welcome to Episode 4.

MUSIC CREDITS

OPHELIA (INTO/OUTRO) - LES HAYDEN HTTPS://LESHAYDEN.BANDCAMP.COM

LAST OF MY KIND - PAUL BURCH http://paulburch.com

NEW SHOES - CALEB KLAUDER https://calebklauder.com

SOLDIER’S JOY (Traditional) - POT OF EARTH PUBLISHING (ASCAP) HTTPS://WWW.NEOSOUNDS.COM/SONGS

BACK OUT WEST - WILLIAM NAUGHTON (APRA) / LYNNE PUBLISHING (PRS) HTTPS://WWW.NEOSOUNDS.COM/SONGS

CAJUN GUMBO - JOHN FRANCIS JORGENSEN (BMI) / LYNNE PUBLISHING (PRS) HTTPS://WWW.NEOSOUNDS.COM/SONGS

RECORDED AND HOSTED BY MICHELLE McAFEE ( MUSIC / PHOTOGRAPHY )

© 2018-2019 A SONGBONES MAGAZINE PODCAST

It was dumping rain one night when I got a call that Mickey Ryan was playing an impromptu show with his buddy Kory Quinn from Portland at Cocina 7, our neighborhood taqueria in Southern Oregon. It was one of those nights - hard to leave the wood stove and the couch. Mickey said, “I think you’ll really dig Kory’s songs.” And he was right. The next day I invited them to the cabin and put a mic up in the room.

Kory’s voice is disarming and full of no bullshit. He used to go to gigs via hitchhiking, that’s how Mickey found him. Mickey plays the hell out of a dobro, is steeped in bluegrass and gigs wherever the music takes him.

Kory shared his songs up close and talked of the craft of songwriting, The Muses, and his favorite thing about touring.

Welcome to Episode 3.

MUSIC CREDITS

Ophelia (Intro and Outro) - Les Hayden

Bad Moves To Make - Williams Naughton (APRA) / Lynne Publishing (PRS) https://www.neosounds.com/songs/10471

Ten Foot Rope, Dead Man, Annabelle - Kory Quinn https://www.koryquinn.com/

Podcast

Hosted and Recorded by Michelle McAfee ( MUSIC / PHOTOGRAPHY )

© 2018-2019 A SONGBONES MAGAZINE AND PODCAST