Landmark debut
JESSE & THE NIGHT

Blues and rock from New Orleans transplant

Jesse Young is another of the New Orleans-to-Portland transplants who have managed to find the Landmark. Jesse lived in Mid-City, not far from the Mid-City Bowl, a hotbed of NOLA sound. Katrina, however, put a foot of water in his house and he accepted the invitation of the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival last year. And in Portland he still is, now playing with Steve Kerin, formerly of Lafayette, La., who went from jam to jam across the country before settling on the Portland scene. Steve’s sizzling keys have been a highlight as a solo. We’re looking forward his inclusion in a band.

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Reggae from the heart - voted Eugene's Best Reggae/World Beat Band for 2007

The drifting rhythms of the reggae groove are hard to find in the land of the big trees, but they are there... or in this case, here. I-chele has put together a sensuous unit of sound and built it carefully over the years, never losing the spark. Vince Black adds that true Jamaican feel and a large and talented percussion section weaves that tropical balance. With Roger McConnell on guitar.

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Landmark debut
DAVID BOWERS COLONY

Ghetto-grass from Bend, acoustic Indie guitars

David Bowers is a mainstay of the Bend bluegrass/acoustic scene, herein venturing across the mountains for a look at the valley/coastal scene. He brings along some strong-playing Bend locals for a series of gigs in the Eugene/Coast arenas. Expect something called Agrarian Rock or Ghetto Grass. It’s got to be Indie and its got to be visceral.

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STEVIE B

Singer and song writer who gives voice to the songs of nature and the spirit of shamanic visioning and healing

One of the Bay Area's best known folkies, Stevie's songs cleanse a room, making it feel fresher and closer to the cool ground. His connections in San Francisco include former band mate Country Joe McDonald. He plays all over the coast, from Mill Valley to Vancouver. His songs never fail to make everybody who listens a little lighter. Cast off your burdens!

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Landmark debut
WARDAFORCE

“Freaka-Funka-Licious” sound of Chuck Warda and company

Here’s a mystery inside an enigma. One magazine says Chuck Warda is either “insane or a genius.” Aren’t we all? His music sounds somewhat sane, a little on the jazzy side, with gentle puffs of coolness amid harmony. He’s from Connecticut, and was something of a name in Hartford guitar circles. Playing the Landmark for the first time, we get a new dose.

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J.C. RICO & ZULU DRAGON

Blues mainstay from Eugene brings on the soul and blues

For the past 15 years or so J.C. Rico has been tearing it up in Eugene, playing all the major clubs, working solo and with others, sticking to the true music of his soul. Last July he finally made the trek over the mountains to the Landmark and he liked what he saw and heard and felt. The voice is extraordinary, so we are glad he's coming back again. Consistently in the Top Three of the blues bands rated b readers of the Eugene Weekly, any outfit this talented cat is fronting should not be missed. He getting a nice groove on the coast, connecting to the crowd and getting down to the beach. Welcome back!

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From the caravan to the café, another world sound of the Gypsy

This group sports quite a list of instruments: violin, saw, accordion, shamisen, flamenco guitar, contrabass, percussion and voice. Romanian folk music forms the bulk of the material with a healthy helping of flamenco, Swedish folk music, klezmer, Gypsy jazz, other folk sources as well as original songs. The band formed in San Francisco in 2005 around the French fiddler Fabrice Martinez, who spent seven years traveling around Europe in a mule-drawn caravan learning and playing folk music, often in Gypsy villages. Backing the new CD "Samuria Over Serbia."

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Surf music ala the Ventures from Springfield

The Surfonics have been treating Eugene-Springfield fans to their own western-flavored brand of "old-testament" surf rock since 1993. Fronted by the infamous "Captain Reverb" (Mike Graves) with Kenny Sokolov: on drums and Trey Longstreth on bass The Surfonics recently self-released their first full-length CD of original surf music. The Surfonics were also the subject of a critically acclaimed piece produced for National Public Radio, and were featured in a video which aired on community access television. Noti Edwards, the spiritual guru of surf music and a mentor to this band, has been elected to the Rock Hall of Fame.

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Roots reggae from Santa Rosa, with a twist of Hawaii

Lead vocalist Ancient Mystic began writing and singing music in Hawaii at 13. From the islands the road has gone to New York to the Rocky Mountains to Paris. The Real Far Band came together in the fall of 2004 in Santa Rosa, Calif., performing for the first time in the spring of 2005. This is reggae roots music focusing on a rebel life style with a positive love message for humanity. The band consists of drum and bass, Osibesarockin the Kit and John Paul thumpin' the Bass. Paul and chriss I continue mastering the guitar sounds.

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Groovy blues and rock with one of the Northwest's top bluesmasters

Accomplished singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, arranger, and band leader, Jerry Zybach does it all. Thirty some years into it, he's at the top of his game and just keeps growing as an artist. Classical voice training as a young man gives him a unique take on the songs he loves. He has a great ability to project emotion whether he's playing his Gibson 135, his Harmony H50, his collection of resonators or acoustics, finger style and slide. He's ripped up the Landmark on many occasions and is one of the coast's favorite performers.

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April 26

9 p.m.

Acoustic alt country, original and refreshing - from Port Angeles

The mix here is what might be called new time old time or maybe new legs for an old horse. The spirit is Appalachian with soulful American roots, and a lot of jamband improvisation. Jason Mogi (banjo and vocals) and Kim Trenerry (guitar and vocals) are the originals in the group, he from California via the rock/jam scene, she from Georgia with a hill country background right out of a Carter family picnic. The newbie is Ches Ferguson, a Dead Head from the old days, now adding that bass line to the spry sharp harmonies. This band also brings a wealth of good cheer and energy from its base in Port Angeles, Wash. With a new member and a new CD ("This Old World") this new theme just keeps on keepin' on.

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