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The St. Johns Review * #14 - JULY 10, 2015 * Page 3
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
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5:00 - 5:45 & 6:10 - 7:10
Ben Rice
Ben Rice has been leaving huge impressions on audienc-
es around the Northwest and winning awards for his vocals
and guitar playing for the last seven years. In 2014 at the
International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee he left
the audience speechless with a raw emotional delivery of
his version of “Key To The Highway.” His second consecu-
tive trip to the International Blues Challenge fi nals in 2015,
with Lucy Hammond, he delivered an elegant performance
that highlighted his voice, writing, and guitar playing. After
that performance he was given the St. Blues Guitarist award
for best guitarist in the solo/duo competition at the 2015 In-
ternational Blues Challenge. His debut on the internation-
al stage in 2014 was a landmark step forward in his career
from being a regional act playing primarily around the NW
to a national and international touring artist. Captivating au-
diences and presenting himself as someone who has a lot of
depth in the various soundscapes of American music. Ben is
gaining fans all over the world who love his playing, sing-
ing, songs, and stage performance.
7:40 - 8:50
Ben Rice on
one of his
unique guitars
His original music blends Soul,
Delta-Blues, Rockabilly, Jazz,
and Funk into a Roots Stew. In-
LaRhonda Steele
LaRhonda Steele
began her musical jour-
ney in Jones, Oklahoma
at age 13 singing her
fi rst solo in church one
Sunday morning. The
journey continued to Portland, Or-
egon and is an amazing legacy of
musical experiences for which she
is ever awed and grateful.
Over the years she has enjoyed
working with local, national and
international artists: Curtis Sal-
gado, Norman Sylvester, Linda
Hornbuckle, Janice Scroggins,
Paul Delay, Obo Addy and Thara
Memory. She has had the pleasure
of recoding with Obo Addy, Janice
Scroggins, Norman Sylvester and
Ken DaRouchie.
Performing at the Lincoln Cen-
ter with Obo Addy in 2005 and her
yearly appearances at the Safeway
Waterfront Blues Festivals are just
a couple of the highlights of her
career.
She said Oregon is a perfect place
to have and raise a family. She
and her husband Mark are raising
two daughters and love living and
working in Portland.
LaRhonda currently enjoys
working with her own band The
17
LaRhonda Steele Band in which
Mark is the keyboardist and
co-producer of their collaboration
“Artistic Differences.” The CD
features 12 original songs written
and co-written by the duo. “My
Soul’s Song” is her latest record-
ing that feature a few of her gospel
favorites
Returning to her Gospel roots,
LaRhonda is the choir director
for the Portland Interfaith Gospel
Choir, whose mission is to employ
Black Gospel Music to spread the
message of Love, Equality and
Cooperation to the community
and world. She is Music Director
for Unity West Linn and performs
with “The Group” founded by Jan-
ice Marie Scroggins
Ever thankful for the support
she has received from the musi-
cal community and her fans, her
legacy of the love of music will
continue on as the Irresistible Soul
Music of LaRhonda Steele.
9:15 - 10:30 Dover Weinberg Quartet
Dover Weinberg , is on a brief layover from
a world-wide tour with the Robert Cray Band, and
will light up the stage with a cast of award-winning
musicians in a Guitar Masters Finale featuring
Lloyd Jones, Norman Sylvester, Michael Os-
born, Jay “Bird” Koder and Ben Rice, as well as a
young master in a four-generation tribute to 35 years
of music in the park.
Weinberg is a remarkably talented keyboardist
who has proven his mettle by playing with a long
list of Blues notables - not only local luminaries like
Duffy Bishop, Paul deLay, Ellen Whyte, Jim Mesi
and Lloyd Jones, but also all-time greats like Al-
bert Collins, Otis Rush, Big Walter Horton, Charlie
Musselwhite, Sonny Rhodes and Phillip Walker.
Weinberge jokes, “Some people say, ‘You can’t
hold a job!’ “They call me the Blues Slut because
I’ve played with everybody.”
This Friday Night lineup is a MUST SEE!
Welcome to the 2015 FREE
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
Food - Beer Garden - Entertainment and of course
GREAT MUSIC for three days!
fl uenced heavily by his parents
record collection from Al Green
to Alice Cooper, Teddy Pender-
grass to Marshall Tucker. Ben at
a young age began investigating
into Blues and its history. Starting
with B.B. King and going through
the various regions and time peri-
ods, he is inspired and infl uenced
by historical fi gures like Muddy
Waters, Mississippi Fred Mc-
Dowell, Robert Johnson, Big Bill
Broonzy, and Skip James to name
a few.
Ben spent his college years
studying Jazz Guitar at the Uni-
versity of Oregon as well as clas-
sical music, playing in the Celt-
ic Folk ensemble and Mariachi
group on campus. He has been
well versed in a lot of musical
styles that all contribute to the
unique sound of his originals.
As a performer Ben looks to
the greats for inspiration, always
striving to connect with the audi-
ence through his music and sto-
ries. He also has an interesting
arsenal of guitars playing reso-
phonic guitars and homemade
cigar box guitars. More important
than the visual appeal, Ben has
an amazing way of making these
guitars sound, often bringing au-
diences to tears with his slide
playing.
Ben Rice has been a growing
talent in the NW, winning awards
for his singing, guitar work,
writing, and performing and is
stepping into the national and in-
ternational scene using his vast
infl uences of American music to
fuel his music and performance.