Events

Today the Jazz Café presents for your listening enjoyment these fine artists Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kevyn Lettau, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Bobby Hutcherson, Royal Jelly Jive, Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway, Chuck Leavell and much more. Broadcasting LIVE from Whirled Pies in downtown Eugene and streaming LIVE @ live.kocf.org

This jam is open to all acoustic instruments. We play a mix of bluegrass, folk, blues, and all around acoustic Jam tunes. Come enjoy!

Create art while enjoying inspiring music!

Art supplies are provided for free, all ages and abilities welcome.

Guided Art Activity:

Donations are appreciated but not required, hope to see you there!

Music by: David Helfand

www.davidhelfand.com

“David Helfand is a multi-instrumentalist who composes and performs original instrumental music on Celtic Harp, mandocello, octave mandolin, guitar, keyboards and performs with violist extraordinaire, Justin Lader.

Their music is an eclectic blend of original multi-cultural inspired music of passion and transcendence with inspirations from the Celtic lands, the Middle East, pentatonic meditation music, space music and progressive rock. They have performed throughout the Northwest and the San Fransisco Bay area and released three albums together to date. From 1996 to 2009, David recorded six albums as a solo artist and with ensembles.

David’s musical journey began in New York where he started as a drummer in high school and played with a band called Ruby Nash. While in school he dabbled with guitar and concentrated on the instrument when he started college. During the ’70s, he had the wondrous opportunity to see incredible concerts of some of the giants of British Progressive rock and folk rock such as Genesis with Peter Gabriel, the Strawbs, Jethro Tull, ELP and Gentle Giant along with a host of American bands.

Later unbeknownst to him, he was introduced to a band that would eventually inspire him to play the Celtic Harp. The group was The Incredible String Band with Robin Williamson and Mike Heron. After collecting all their vinyl albums in used-record shops and finding each one a treasure, in 1979 he had the opportunity to see one of the founding members perform live, which was Robin Williamson. By then, Robin moved to LA and formed a new band called the Merry Band with Sylvia Woods on Celtic Harp. At that point, David was looking for a new instrument to play and was transfixed by the sound of Sylvia’s harp. It was then and there that he said he was going to play the Celtic Harp.

Over the years, David has performed at many Northwest festivals and in 2003 was invited to perform at the environmental center in Cornwall, England, called the Eden Project. That same year, David performed at the harp conference, HarpCon in Bloomington, Indiana. In the mid ’90s he also produced and performed four concerts at the Lane ESD Planetarium with his former acoustic/electronic space music group Mythic Sky.

With Justin, David has performed at the Eugene Irish Festival, Music to Die For series, the Seattle and Santa Cruz library system, house concerts in Berkeley and Alamo Calif., Occidental Center for the Arts and Don Quixote’s near Santa Cruz.

David’s albums with Justin include the all acoustic harp/viola CD called “After the Rain,” their Celtic inspired album “From a Distant Time ” and their new Space Opus album “Through the Portal.”

David’s previous albums include “Beyond the Sea of Reeds,” which was inspired by his first journey to Israel, “At the Edge of the Cornish Sea,” by his first journey to Britain, “First Light,” “Callings From the Quiet Grove,” “Memories and Stardust” and with his former ensemble “Mythic Sky.”

David has performed and opened for Radim Zenkle, Robin Williamson and Tempest. And with Justin he has opened for Patrick Ball, Aryeh Frankfurter and Lisa Lynn.”

Blind Billy Blue and Natty “O” each found their way to the blues on different roads but they sure are two Blues Kindred Spirits. When you hear them play, you’ll know there is passion and feeling behind what they do. To them, this music is a gift, for their own souls and for the people they can share it with. And they are having fun playing and singing the blues. When you see them perform, so will you!

The blues have been at the heart of Natty’s life for as long as he can remember. He started playing guitar, writing music, and singing the blues as a kid and has never looked back. Natty has played with many groups including Michael Tracey and the High Tones, Kelly Thaibeaddus and the Etoufeé band, and he’s been an important musical presence at local blues jams for a long time. Natty has been an important personality in the regional Blues scene through his work as a DJ for “Breakfast with the Blues” on KRVM for over 20 years. When you hear him play and sing, you will know that you are in the presence of a true Blues Man!

Blind Billy Blue has always had music in his blood. He’s been singing his whole life, but now that he’s found the blues, Billy is finally feeding his soul right. Billy has a background performing classical, jazz, and sacred muisc…in his own words, he spent much of his adult life only singing at “weddings, funerals, Christmas, and Easter.” A couple of years ago, Billy was going through some real tough times and a friend told him he needed to find a way to “feed your soul.” So Billy turned to his music. In 2017, Billy started singing some karaoke which led to singing at bluegrass jams locally. He started playing around with the harmonica a few months later and finally found his way to his first blues jam in the Spring of 2018. Did he finally find the Blues or did the Blues finally find Billy? It doesn’t matter because he knows he’s found his way home. And when you hear Dusky Blues lay it down, so will you!