KEVIN SELFE & THE TORNADOES

High-energy blues from electric Chicago to Texas swing

Since moving to Oregon at the start of the year, Selfe has carved out a new scene for his music, playing in clubs and festivals around the Northwest. We are lucky to have him again, as his hot licks are causing his dance card to fill quickly. Before moving to Portland, looking for a change of pace, he played over 1500 gigs in 15 states over the past 10 years, conquering a wide circle of East Coast venues from his base in Roanoke, Va. He's dedicated to the blues and sells a sweet line of Texas swing before blasting into the SRV variations that make it hard to sit out the set. His Landmark shows have seen him bring in the Delta style as well and move right up north to Chicago, where he finds something in common with Muddy Waters.

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Saturday,
Oct. 6
9 p.m.

TIN SILVER

Americana from stomp boogie to fiddlecentric country soul

The successor to Rustica, this band brings Tricia Rojas, Alan Bowen and Paul Prato back together with some new songs and renewed energy. Helped along by Texas ex-pat Matthew Higgins on the drums, the band has a new badge as well as a new sound. More Texas than before with more originals, guitar/banjo/dobro player Bowen provides the bulk of the raw material. Higgins contributes the tight, bright, intricate groove he developed while cutting his teeth on Bob Wills country-swing standards. Paired with Prato’s bottomy electric and upright bass sound and punk-bred attack, Tin Silver’s rhythm section has uncommon fire and dynamic range. Rojas, the band’s other Lonestar State member, brings sweet violin and the aching, rafter-rattling vocals she developed singing in church choirs during her childhood.

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Over 20 years of rock, blues and memorable performances!

The Valley Boys have been a part of the Eugene/Springfield, scene for two decades. They play an eclectic blend of '50s and '60s rock, disco and ,blues The Valley Boys have played venues from little night spots like the Landmark to the Oregon Governor's Ball, they've headlined at county fairs and Ramada Inns from Seattle to California. The band started in 1983 when John Powell and Alan Reinoel split from a legendary local singer named Ron Lloyd. Gary Marullo joined the group in 1987 and that's the way it has stayed.

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THE SUMMIT UNDERGROUND

Mike Riley brings in the blues from up the mountains

Riley is a consistent and generous blues player who has lived the life all his life. This band is 15 years old, a testament to the mellow style and the depth of appreciation its members have for the music. The blues lives because musicians live the blues. Mike is backed by Vegas and LA session harp player Kooch Kucera, with Young Pappy Boynton on bass and Bongo Bob Pettit on drums.

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Rock and blues from a band with roots on the Oregon coast and New York

T. Ray and the Shades got a great shot in the arm this year with the addition of Matt Zekala, a guitar player from New York who learned his licks in the heady 1990s eastern jam atmosphere sparked by Blues Traveler. He provides a great counter-point to former South County resident T. Ray, the singer and shaker on the stage. And there is also Scott Johnston on the sax, transplanted from San Francisco. And pulling it all together is drummer Matt Murray, who grew up in Waldport.

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CAMP 3

Jammers from Albany can do a lot more than country

Booking strangeness does happen in the music world. This band was booked at the Landmark for a Johnny Cash Tribute and, yes, there was something of that in the show. But some in the crowd were all hopped up about Johnny and, gee, Johnny isn’t still alive, so the night was a bit of mess, a disappointment for those expected the Man in Black to come alive in Yachats. For those who realized the dead don’t rise, however, the show was plenty good, especially when the guys dropped the Cash thing altogether. We’ll see what happens next, when the three return.

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THE DIMES

From the Beatles to the present, hard-working indie rock

The Dimes are masters of the indie rock style that lets the story be told without drowning in sound. Johnny Clay cut his licks in the Austin, Texas, club scene but is happy he made the move to Portland. He runs his band around the country seeking a full-time living from his music. He’s loaded with new songs from a treasure trove of old newspapers found during a remodel in Portland. They are the basis of a new CD and have been getting good reviews in papers like Willamette Week.

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The queen of Memphis brings the Mississippi blues to Oregon

For 10 years Barbara Blue has held a steady gig on Beale Street, the center of blues in Memphis,  currently appearing at Silky O'Sullivans five days a week. Born and raised in Pittsburgh,Blue has performed with top notch artists such as Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band, Jeff Healey, Marcia Ball, Delbert McClinton, Maceo Parker, Al Jackson, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Tab Benoit, The Nighthawks, and Big Mike Griffin, snging from Pittsburgh to Detroit to Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Memphis. She has had her own band since 1989 and has a voice compared to Janis Joplin. She’ll be backed by the Jerry Zybach Band from Eugene.

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Friday,
Oct. 26,
9 p.m.

MARCI CURTIS BAND

A hit on the Salem scene, blues and jazzy styles with a hint of pop

Originally from Pendleton, Marci Curtis has been singing since age 5, getting her start in the church choir. She has worked with many jazz groups, such as Amack Records’ vocalist, DyAnne, out of Oakland. She helped found Textuur, which played the Los Angeles jazz scene and was featured in the independent film, “LA Blues”. She recently moved to Salem and was an immediate hit, winning “The New Voice of Salem” in a vocal sing off at Lefty’s last summer. Marci is backed up by guitarist Alex Curtis, bassist John Shaw and drummer Bongo Bob Pettit.

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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. In 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 by 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.

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!

The One And Only!
ANNUAL LANDMARK HALLOWEEN PARTY

featuring...

PAPAW’S BLUE JELLY BAND

Rock and blues from Mississippi, New York and Oregon

It’s time to break out the imagination and get ready for the Landmark’s Halloween extravaganza. It's going to be tough to top the wonderful stuff of the past, the game of Yachatzee, the Melting Tree from the Enchanted Forest, and who can forget the devolution of Robbie the Robot. Expect the unexpected from the creative population. Blue Jelly will be there to help things along, providing its solid brand of rock and blues numbers from a wide variety of sources. Winner of best costume gets $100 and there will be other prizes as well.

Pics from last year...