Pape 10 Portland Ob— rver, October 20, 1962
First annual no-hoet cocktail masquerade costume ball, presented
by the Leisure Hour Golf Club, 9 pm-1 am, Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Fores
try Bldg., (Washington Park Zoo). Donation $5 per person. Band: Velvet.
Prizes.
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Skeletons, Spiders and Things
Gene Diamond: Entertainer
by Dick Bogle
The C ity o f P ortland offers singer Gene D iam ond the best o f several
worlds.
His love a ffa ir with the C ity o f Roses began back in 1964 when he came
here the first time. He stayed fo r nearly two years and then moved south to
San francisco. The lure o f P ortland was too much and he returned fo r
another short time but left again, this time fo r Los Angeles. It may have
been a coincidence but he left L .A . about the time the Watts riots were in
fu ll swing. He has been a Portland resident ever since.
But ju st because he lives here doesn’ t mean the state’ s borders confine
him in any way. A bout three times a year, he takes o ff and performs in big
ger cities. About two months ago he concluded a tour o f Houston, Texas
and Reno, Nevada w orking w ith B ill Cosby, singer Thelma Houston and
the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Road trips like that while living in Portland, which Gene calls the most
livable city he has ever spent time in, provides the best o f both worlds. He is
one o f P ortland’ s most regularly booked performers but when the urge to
grow professionally or enchant new audiences surfaces, he is always in de
mand fo r road travel.
Gene says one o f the reasons he continues to live in Portland is that the
city offers him the outdoor activities he enjoys the most. He is a serious
golfer and don’t fo r one moment think that because he works all night that
he sleeps all day. This writer was once under the impression until I saw him
hit his first tee shot. His two hundred yard plus shot signalled the fact that
M r. Diamond likes the outdoors particularly when he has a g o lf club in his
hand. A fte r some urging he even admits to being an eight handicapper.
Like most black singers today, Gene first began singing in church. His be
ginning occurred in a Chicago, Illin o is Baptist Church. His firs t real gig
came with a sister o f Dinah Washington and a group called The Forays.
Gene hates to have labels placed on his style o f singing but when pinned
down says he sings jazz and blues w ith a strong gospel undertone. That pret
ty much sums it up but fo r the few who have never heard him, it should be
mentioned that his voice is deep, rich and fu ll toned. Diamond is adept at
singing the most poignant o f ballads and then exposes his flip side by hand
ling equally as well any tempo blues tune.
He is currently w o rkin g w ith a trio he put together featuring A rie tta
O ’ Hearn on piano, Larry Bard on drums and Larry A dair, guitar. He says
he chose those musicians because they know what they are doing and are
very versatile.
They fit quite w ill in to the D iam ond philosophy o f entertaining an au
dience. He has a strong a b ility to establish a genuine ra p p o rt w ith an
audience easily and naturally w ithout a lot o f phony platitudes and urging.
Gene says, “ I try to communicate as sim ply and as clearly as I can. I
don’ t like to see people try to perform or play over the head o f an audience.
You can lose them that way very easily. So I try to keep my music simple so
that the average person can understand how I ’m trying to interpret a piece
o f music.”
Even though Gene has recorded in the past, he would like to produce his
own album so he can pick his own material and thus be able to sing what he
wants.
He has an album in the works headed by Los Angeles tenorman Teddy
Edwards. I t ’ s about one-fourth complete and includes bassist Ray Brown
and tenorman Red Holloway. He says the band is eleven pieces and w ill be
enhanced with strings.
Beginning November 5th, Gene and his group w ill be perform ing at Tuck
Lung Fridays and Saturdays and in December, he moves to the Jazz Quarry
on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Children o f all ages w ill delight in the antics o f Anne MacGregor, Susan
K. Toevs and David Immcl as they present A Halloween Treat. Produced by
the Firehouse Theater, these three talented artists w ill take the audience on a
Halloween journey from the Pumpkin Patch to the scary places where Gob
lins lurk. The program w ill include songs, spooky stories and special Mime
treats as these three eternal children make their Halloween venture into the
land o f pure entertainment.
A Halloween Tree! w ill play October 22, 23 and 24th at the Firehouse
Theater. F riday’ s perform ance is at 8 pm. Saturday’ s at 1 and 3 pm and
Sunday curtain w ill be 2 pm. Admission is $2 fo r adults and SI fo r children
12 and under. Reservations are urged. A ll proceeds go to the Shirley J. W il
lis M em orial Scholarship Fund. For fu rth e r in fo rm a tio n call 248-4737
during regular business hours. The Firehouse Theater is located at 1436 S. W
Montgomery in Portland.
Terry Burka m odels for fash
ion shows recently held at Gene
va's. C lothing T erry is w earin g
wee furnished by Jeans W est of
Lloyd Center.
287-5023
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I n YAW S R estaurant
2005 N.E. 40th
Portland, OR 97212
249-1888
We Deliver
Anywhere
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
The Sojourner Truth Theater
& Dance Troupe
Presents:
"
‘VOICES FROM THE BLACKNESS DEEP
Directed by N yew u se Askari
V
Premier Viewing
BLACK LABOR EXHIBIT
Contributions v t Black 1 rade Unionists to Oregon s Labor Movement
6:30 P.M.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23. 1932
Hosted Cocktail Hour
Donation $5 in advance $6 at the door
Showing Oct. 29.30 & 31 at 8:00 p.m.
Ticket Outlets:
House of Sound, 3634 N. Williams Ave., 287 1960; N.E. Youth Service Center, 4815 N.E. 7th,
Shop, 707 N.E. Fremont, 281-6525; Broadway Heir Weaveia & Deaian
era, 1634 N.E. 7th, 281 9496. For more Inform ation cell,------------
— w
—
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THIRD ANNUAL BANQUET
PORTLAND CHAPTER
A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INST.
Music Provided by Frank Redding Combo
BENSON HOTEL - S W BROADWAY & OAK
Portland Community College
705 N. Killingsworth
¡Champagne Served at Intermissioni
*20.00 — Cocktails & Prime Rib Dinner
T
*. -,