Artist Bios
THE PITCHTONES 
The Pitchtones are a genre-defying acoustic string band known for their humor, musicianship and powerful vocal harmonies. They perform an eclectic blend of Bluegrass, Folk, Cowboy, Gypsy Swing, Cajun and Rock. These versatile musicians can really connect with an audience. Their extensive repertoire can tap the tastes of almost any music enthusiast.
Band Members:
“Powell Butte Pat” Erwert started playing banjo during the bluegrass craze of the 70’s. He toured with the Bluegrass-Swing Band, Briarose, playing the Seattle Folklife and Britt Festivals. His musical influences include blues, ragtime, folk, Celtic, western, big band swing and bluegrass.
Gary “Booker” Bowne has delighted Bend audiences as a musician and actor for many years, starting with the legendary Bend country-rock band, Loose in the Saddle. He has graced the stages of the COCC and CTC theaters, the Crooked River Dinner Train as well as the Sisters Folk Festival.
Tommy” Leroy” Freedman has played an eclectic mix of Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Klezmer, and World Beat in Portland and Bend. He has performed at Seattle’s Bumpershoot and Folklife Festivals, Portland Bite, Bend’s Fall and Summerfest, and the Sisters Folk Festival.
“Fiddlin’ Jo” Booser is one of Central Oregon’s most sought after violinists. She has performed with classical and Choral ensembles, but she feels right at home on the bluegrass circuit. She adds her beautiful vocal harmonies and some powerful fiddling and flute playing to the already solid sound of the Pitchtones.
LINO
Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Lino graduated college with two degrees (History and Pre-Med.) from Miami University of Ohio. But Lino’s calling has always been to compose and perform music, so after college he moved to Los Angeles to do what he loves most.
Lino began studying guitar at the age of nine with classical master, George Bachmann. During his high school years, he was naturally drawn to rock music, although it never diverted him from his interest in classical. “I was very lucky to have been instructed in classical music before I ventured into the rock realm,” Lino explains. “It made me a well-rounded musician and gave me a lot to draw from as a composer later on. I learned to appreciate all styles of music, instead of just focusing on one particular genre.” This is evident in Lino’s incredibly unique and versatile layering of guitars in combination with acoustic and classical instruments and his bold blending of musical styles. And it’s what makes his music so distinctive. “This style of music is very personal and exciting for me because it is the most honest music I have ever recorded. I don’t try to accommodate the latest trends in a particular musical style or write music that would comfortably fit into a particular existing format,” Lino explains.
In September, 2006, Lino released his third CD, entitled “Miami Jam”. Lino’s guitar-based instrumentals with strong influences of smooth jazz, classical and world music follow his tradition of using layers of guitars accompanied by sax, flute, cello, violin and piano. This unique style continues with this phenomenal follow-up to his previous releases “Return to Avalon” and “Satin Blue”.
Miami Jam (released by Splash Entertainment/EverSound), which features a cover of Mason Williams’ Classical Gas, received rave reviews and charted well on NAR (#19 within two weeks of its release). Return to Avalon reached #11 on NAR within a month of its release received NAC airplay (through NAC Record Promoter, Roger Lifeset-Peer Pressure Promotion) as well as DMX, MUZAK and Soundscapes. Satin Blue reached recognition in the top 40 NAV charts within a month of its release with the title track receiving NAC airplay nationwide as well as features on DMX, MUZAK, Soundscapes, previously on The Weather Channel and cable music stations. Music from all three releases is being targeted for placement in major motion pictures, television and cable programming.
Lino Music is a departure from his previous rock recordings, which include Seven Skys, a pop/rock project (Zero Records, released in Asia, 1996); 88 Crash, a heavy modern rock album (MTM Metal, released in Europe, summer, 2001), and V33, a raw mix of modern, industrial and techno rock. Lino’s rock projects receive heavy placement in cable, television and independent film projects.
Lino’s composing skills are also in demand in the television and film industry. Lino also enjoys writing for local television and film production and recording and producing other artists in his own J-Wolf Studios located in Bend, OR. In addition, Lino performs on other artist’s recordings, most recently for (SAGA lead singer) Michael Sadler’s solo release Clear (michaelsadler.com).
When Lino isn’t working on music, you’ll find him on a local lake or river – his love for fishing is primarily what brought him to Central Oregon. Writing is another outlet for his creativity and what led him to complete a manuscript for a Sci-Fi thriller called “Terminus”.
Lino is currently working on his fourth CD, due to be released this December or early 2013. Keep checking back for pre-release samplings!
SLICK SIDE DOWN - July 29, 2012
MOON MOUNTAIN RAMBLERS - August 5, 2012 
Ramblin’ in from all parts of the territory, the Moon Mountain Ramblers have drawn five musicians together to create an original sound and a soulful interpretation of traditional bluegrass, jazz/swing rock and country tunes – a sound that can only be described as Slamgrass straight from Americana
The Moon Mountain Ramblers have performed at festivals throughout the Northwest including: the Sisters Folk Festival, Siskiyou Bluegrass Festival, Northwest String Summit, 4 Peaks Music Festival, Mountain Stomp, Prospect Bluegrass Festival, Bend Brew and others.
The Ramblers consist of Dan McClung slappin’ the upright bass, Matt Hyman pickin’ the guitar, Dale Largent holding it down on percussion, Joe Schulte choppin’ the mandolin, and Jenny Harada sawin’ the fiddle.
Matt (or Mai as he goes by) is a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. His style of singing ranges widely from bluegrass, blues, and rock and roll and his guitar playing is bluegrass in foundation while his lead work hints on blues, jazz and rock. On stage, he projects a high energy and a colorful perspective of the music that he plays and his willingness to share the experience with the audience highlights his style.
Jenny Harada Wasson started playing the violin at the age of 10 in Bend, Oregon. She studied the Suzuki Method and played in symphonies throughout high school and college. She received a Bachelors of Art in Music Performance at Beloit College in Wisconsin. While in Wisconsin she got her first taste of bluegrass, performing during ultimate Frisbee games. After moving back to Bend, she met mandolinist Joe Schulte who introduced her to Dawg music and whiskey, a powerful combination. She was the original member of the Chili Dawgs, which eventually morphed into the Moon Mountain Ramblers.
At 28 years of age, Joe Schulte is a bit of a late bloomer in the musical world, but has been on a very unique musical journey. Raised in Alaska but now considered a local Oregonian, Joe has allowed his life to become fully engulfed in the world of music. He is now a full time music teacher owning a successful private studio in downtown Bend, Oregon. What might set Joe aside from many other players, and teachers, are his musical influences. Joe is a firm believer that there is magic in all musical styles and genres, even if one is not a big fan of the music in general.
Dan McClung was born and raised in the Ft. Worth, Texas area where his musical career began early. “I remember watching The Grand Ole Opry live on TV with my parents. I had just turned three years old and begged for a guitar for Christmas. When it arrived I soon discovered it was only a toy guitar and would never really be playable. I was so upset I proceeded to bust it up on the hardwood floor.” Piano lessons began in third grade; trumpet was played from the fifth through twelfth grades in school; and a “real” Sears Silvertone guitar arrived during the sixth grade along with an awareness of Bob Dylan and The Beatles.
Soon Dan was beginning to write songs, which has continued to be an area of great interest. At the age of twenty-four during a trip to Canada, Dan met some folks who would turn out to be life-long friends. By quirk or fate, they all played acoustic instruments but needed a bass player. Dan volunteered to be the bassist and soon had an acoustic bass (which he named Rosie) and did some serious wood shedding to get up to speed on this unfamiliar instrument. This first band became known as Home Made Stew from which one of the founding members, Patricia Conroy, went on be named the Canadian Country Music Association’s “Female Vocalist of the Year” for 1994 and garner “Album of the Year” status for her sophomore release (CCMA – 1993).
LLOYD JONES - August 12, 2012
So, who exactly is Lloyd Jones?
Portland, Oregon roots artist Lloyd Jones has recorded six critically acclaimed albums, toured internationally, and racked up dozens of major
awards and accolades. He’s a relentless road dog, hitting festival stages, Delbert’s annual Sandy Beaches Cruises (he’s been a regular on six winter
cruises), and clubs all across the land to enthusiastic crowds who can’t get enough of his swampy blues, his backporch picking, his serious-as-anthrax
funk, soul, roadhouse two-beats, and old-school rhythm and blues (back before the R&B tag was somehow appropriated for other musical purposes,
apparently when we weren’t looking). Yet he may be the most invisible, best-kept roots/blues/Americana secret on the contemporary scene.
What’s he sound like?
Jones is a master of the soulful understatement, the raw growl, and the groove. From his roots in muddy Oregon soil, he’s forged a 30-plus-year
career as an impassioned singer and fierce guitar slinger, a clever and soulful songwriter, a bandleader, record producer, and an almost strident
torchbearer for all that’s true and good about America’s music. Jones is his own true artist who works diligently at pushing American roots music
forward.
What he does, he says, is “combine New Orleans rhythms, the simplicity of Memphis music, and the rawness of the blues, all for the 21st century. This
music is not about louder and faster. It’s about time, meter, groove. I thought Muddy and Walter and those guys were pushing the envelope in their
era. They were using effects, they were inventing their own sound. They were modern. I want to look at it in a contemporary way.” The gist is all the
same — Lloyd Jones is the total package.
Played with anybody we know?
Consider this: Robert Cray sings his praises the way Sister Rosetta Tharpe sang gospel. Delbert McClinton won’t cruise the high seas without him. Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Joe Louis Walker and Coco Montoya saw fit to record his songs (and some of those songs have turned up as soundbed music on national TV shows). He counts McClinton, Charlie Musselwhite, Marcia Ball, Bonnie Raitt, Tommy Castro, Jimmy Hall and other luminaries among his friends and musical cohorts, and can tell you stories that’ll curl your toes about touring with the likes of Earl King, Big Mama Thornton, Otis Clay, Etta James and scores of others.
He’s shared stages and spotlights with Albert Collins, Cray, Raitt, McClinton, Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Dr. John, John Hammond, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, and a hundred more. And except for Albert and Junior, God rest their souls, all will pretty much still say nice things about him. For years he’s been living, learning and interpreting in his own way this music for which he has so much respect. He’s recorded award-winning albums for Blind Pig, AudioQuest, Burnside Records and Criminal Records that gained him international acclaim. He’s earned every fan he has the hard way — by laying it down stinkier than year-old cheese every night on every stage and in every recording session.
BART HAFEMAN’S HIT MACHINE - August 19, 2012
Hit Machine is a band you and your guests will never forget. Created by Bart Hafeman, the energy projected from this 4 piece band is highly contagious to say the least. The band plays hits from all eras as it’s not uncommon to here Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees), Kiss (Prince), Dynamite (Taio Cruz), You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC) all in the same set. The band has synchronized dance moves and many appropriate ways to involve the crowd in the performance to make it an unforgettable event. Hit Machine has been a guest of many prominent events surrounding the Portland Metro area including headlining Hood to Coast 2012 in Seaside, headlining the Fort Vancouver Fireworks 2012 and playing many Blazer Playoff games down at the Rose Garden.
ELLIOT
ELLIOT is a five-piece indie rock band from Central Oregon playing energetic, acoustic and melodic Rock with a heart for social justice. With smooth, pop-influenced vocals, wide open electric guitars, rhythm pianos and soaring harmonies Elliot’s sound is modern and tasteful.
Elliot has collectively released six albums and several singles in their eight-year existence, and are signed to Ten City Music. The band was created in Bend, Oregon.
Michael Summers, Casey Parnell, Corey Parnell and Nathan Walker were the founding members of what would later become Elliot. Performing in the Pacific Northwest under the name, “Go For Broke”, the band quickly grew in popularity, opening for such acts as Tait in packed arenas from 2003-2004. The band played their last show as Go For Broke in 2004 at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, OR, shortly after the release of their second full-length album, “Death of a Rockstar”. 2003’s, Death of a rockstar” was a more polished affair than its predecessor, featuring vocal harmonies and more piano than the self titled EP. Shortly after their album’s completion, Nathan Walker left the band to pursue other musical interests.
Evan Earwicker and Timothy Heil joined the group in 2007 and in November, 2008, ELLIOT produced and released their debut album, “Rocketships”. The album was recorded and engineered in Boise, Idaho under the direction of Telly award winning engineer Scott Pergande. The album was mastered in Nashville, Tennessee by five-time Grammy award winning engineer, Richard Dodd.
Elliot’s latest offering, Rocketships, is an exploration of both pop and rock themes. Their lyrics explore matters of faith and doubt, justice and injustice, the broken and the whole. The group’s lead vocalist is Corey Parnell, who describes Elliot’s music as both inspiring and challenging to listeners. “I just want to write music that gives people hope, helps them see there’s more to live for and more to do. I want them to get done listening and adopt an orphan, or help out at t local food ban, or just forgive somebody.”
Since 2007 the members of Elliot have also played a large role in the formation of “I Heart Event”. These event mobilize thousands of community members to partner with humanitarian organizations in cities throughout the Pacific Northwest, promoting social change.
MICHELLE VAN HANDEL - September 2, 2012
Michelle grew up surrounded by the fabulous music scene of metropolitan Portland OR. She played piano, sang, danced and started
composing when she was about 10 years old. Together with her mom, just for fun they would sit at the piano and jam on old church
hymns; she would play the chord parts and Michelle would improvise. Michelle grew up listening to all sorts of music but her
favorites ended up being Earth Wind & Fire, Sarah Vaughn, Donald Fagan, Basia & Miles Davis.
Michelle began learning the standard jazz repertoire when she was about 18 and starting singing in clubs a few years later. After high
school she attended the Phil Mattson School of Music, Clackamas Community College and graduated from the University of Oregon.
Throughout those years she spent a lot of time soaking up the jazz scene in Portland and had terrific mentors and teachers all along
the way.
For a few years Michelle directed the vocal jazz ensembles at the University of Oregon and won the Oregon Jazz Society’s scholarship for Outstanding New Jazz Vocalist. By her own admission, she had the good fortune of working with some of the Northwest’s finest musicians including the late bassist Leroy Vinegar; pianist, Andre Kitaev; and composer/guitarist, Mason Williams (Classical Gas). A few years ago she recorded her first CD, Watercolor Music, which is a showcase of instrumental tunes featuring Steve Prazak on flute, Jeff Leonard on bass and I play piano and sing vocalese lines. The new CD, Goodbye Blues is a cool mix of light rock, jazz harmonies and Latin-esque motifs.
