Looking for something to hear, watch or experience this month? JPR arts reporter Vanessa Finney and Open Air host and music curator Dave Jackson shared recommendations ranging from new albums and live performances to outdoor concerts and a book release.
Fresh sounds worth hearing
Karsh Kale
Jackson recommends the new album from Karsh Kale, a tabla player who helped pioneer Asian fusion, a blend of traditional Indian music, electronica and dance music.
“It’s just the kind of thing that I listen to and go, ‘Ah, there’s something that’s different. I like that,’” Jackson said.
Kale stepped away from music for about a decade before returning with a new creative process that began with 28 paintings, which later inspired piano compositions and eventually became songs.
Jobi Riccio
Jackson also highlighted a new release from Jobi Riccio, who previously won the John Prine Fellowship from the Newport Folk Festival.
Jackson said her latest album expands beyond traditional songwriting.
“It blends a lot of that songwriting, but she actually shows kind of an indie rock side of her character as well,” he said.
Tank and the Bangas
He also recommends Tank and the Bangas, the New Orleans hip-hop group that won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2017.
“(Lead singer Tarriona 'Tank' Ball) is a great freestyle rapper and a poet," Jackson said. "She has a lot of positive messages in her music."
Jackson said the band's layered sound initially surprised him.
“The first time I heard it, I thought this is like if Frank Zappa was rapping,” he said.
Live music and festivals
Sage Cook and Aera Fox
Sage Cook and Aera Fox of We Dream Dawn will perform live at JPR on Thursday, May 21, at noon.
The pair serve as the core of a larger “semi-psychedelic” group and released their debut album last year, "Love Undoubtedly Underlies Everything."
Jackson said listeners may hear a familiar influence.
“It has kind of an ’80s vibe to it, I think,” he said.
The duo also performs Thursday at Dos Mariposas Vineyard in Medford beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Brews, Bluegrass and BBQ
Brews, Bluegrass, and BBQ returns Saturday, June 6, at RoxyAnn Winery in Medford.
The event includes barbecue, local beer and cider, and six hours of music featuring Desert Hollow, Mountaintop Sound, Bell Towers and Portland-based Never Come Down.
Jackson said the event offers more than a concert.
“It’s some good local music, good music coming in from Portland,” he said.
The annual event benefits the Rogue Valley Food System Network, which works to reduce food insecurity, support sustainable farming and strengthen local food systems.
Community Rising III
Community Rising III takes place May 29-30 at Pacifica Ranch in Williams.
The event raises money for Pacifica’s music and scholarship programs while also supporting educational opportunities for children and home-based learners.
Festivalgoers can camp on-site and browse food vendors, artisan booths and other activities.
Jackson described the event as “a miniature country fair.”
The lineup includes Yak Attack, Southern Oregon band The Frenzies, Emily Turner, Skyler Squglio and Jared Masters.
Eugene Gleemen Anniversary
The Eugene Gleemen, an all-male choral group based in Eugene and Springfield, will celebrate their 100th anniversary May 30 at the University of Oregon’s MacArthur Court.
Finney said the group has become part of the area's identity.
“They've been woven into the fabric of that area,” she said.
The spring gala is also an official America 250 Oregon event and includes historical exhibits and docent-led tours before the performance begins.
The concert also serves as a farewell to artistic director John Lancy, who has led the choir for 23 years.
Music beyond the concert hall
Classical piano at Applegate Lake
Pianist Hunter Noack will bring his "In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild" series to Applegate Lake on May 30 and 31.
Noack performs on a nine-foot Steinway grand piano placed outdoors. Audience members wear wireless headphones and are encouraged to walk through the landscape while listening.
Finney said the setting changes the experience.
“I was walking all up and down this dirt trail along the shoreline, and I heard the ducks in the water and him performing as well,” she said.
Music Oregon listening sessions
Music Oregon is expanding beyond Portland and holding listening sessions around the state.
The organization will host sessions in Eugene and Jacksonville for musicians, venue operators, educators, promoters and others involved in Oregon's music scene.
Finney said the sessions are intended to help strengthen the regional music ecosystem.
“They want to empower us,” she said.
The Jacksonville gathering takes place Wednesday, May 20, at Black Barn Farm.
Stories of home and history
From Ashland to Broadway and back
Ashland High School graduate Stephanie Leigh returns May 24 with her cabaret show "My Little Voice."
Leigh, who played Mary Poppins on Broadway for three years, combines songs with stories about her life and career.
“It’s a wonderful story of a local person going out and coming back,” Finney said.
Tickets available through Ashland High School.
Shasta Stories screenings
Autie Carlisle’s documentary series Shasta Stories will screen two films Sunday, May 31, at Terrene Wines in Ashland.
The films examine rural Tule Lake and include stories involving Modoc relocation and Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
Finney described them as stories about the region’s “entangled past.”
Singer Natasha Neece's memoir
Singer Natasha Neece will celebrate the release of her memoir, Rise Up and Rock: A Front Woman’s Journey, on May 23 at White Rabbit in Ashland.
Finney said Neece's story reflects a different path to creativity.
“She took up singing again in her 50s,” she said.
Neece took a 20-year break from music to raise children. She later founded the Led Zeppelin tribute band Living Loving Led.
Guests
- Vanessa Finney, All Things Considered host, arts reporter and host of the Podcasts, The Creative Way and My Better Half, JPR
- Dave Jackson, JPR music staff manager, music curator and host of Open Air, JPR
