Sunday, August 24, 2008
Misty River, Take My Mind
Today I got my grades done early drove into deep SE Portland to the Lents Summer Concert Series in Lents, Oregon. Lents is now a neighborhood, the home of the fabulous New Copper Penny, which is a bar that reminds me of Tonya Harding and Marlboro red packs. Actually, according to God Wikipedia, Lents was even its own incorporated Town for 20 years until behemoth PDX swallowed it up in 1912.
So what motivated me to take the trek to 92nd and Holgate to Lents Park on a Sunday afternoon? It was the recent news that this was going to be one of the final performances of Misty River before they took a one year leave from performing. Misty River is a mom, a daughter, and two accomplished musician friends who have been making the Pacific Northwest and the rest of the world with synthesis of their personalities, musicianship, and harmonies.
PDR and I have seen them perform at Wintergrass and the River City Bluegrass festival. They are always entertaining and engaging and each individual talent shines as well as a collective. They are noted for their vocal harmonies, which to my ear, are never cloying and overly clever. They also have a unique convergence of instrumental styles when they play. The combination of the accordian of Dana Abel, Chris Kokesh's fiddle and songwriting skills, the bass of Laura Quigley, and the fret work of her mom, Carol Harley combine to make an individual sound. It is has that special kind uniqueness that makes certain groups stand a part, whether it be Booker T and the MGs, String Cheese Incident or Nickel Creek.
Carol's has battled Leukemia in recent years, but it is somewhat reassuring that the
recent item in the Columbian gave no mention of health issues and that Corol clearly states that the band is only going to be away for a year.
posted by well-executed buffet at 3:58 PM
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