The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest

The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest, is a collection of 318 traditional and recently composed jigs and reels played for dances in Portland, Oregon. National standards and local favorites are included. The music derives from New England, Irish, Scottish, Quebecois, Appalachian, and English sources, all of which are included in the book. Chord suggestions are provided. There is an extensive commentary on each tune. Disography, bibliography, indices, and more are included.

Since it's publication in 1997, The Portland Collection has become the standard for contra dance musicians all across the United States and has also become popular among fiddlers of many other genres. The book is praised for its clear, readable format; its sturdy covers and binding;its informative, entertaining commentary; and especially for the repertoire itself. This music is suitable for any acoustic instrument. Beginners and accomplished musicians alike will find tunes that match their skill levels in this book.

A companion recording for the book, A Portland Selection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest, was released in 2000. Editors Susan Songer and Clyde Curley, joined by fiddler George Penk, play a representative cross section of the music in the book. This recording is for sale elsewhere on Amazon.com.

Susan Songer has enjoyed music as long as she can remember. In grade school, she played piano and eagerly participated in square dancing during P.E. classes. She played folk songs on guitar with informal groups during and just after college. Susan moved to Portland with her family in 1982 and set up a psychology practice shortly thereafter. She discovered contra dancing in 1986 and loved it immediately. In 1989, she took up fiddle and revisited the piano. Three years later, she was playing these instruments regularly for dances with her husband, Lanny Martin, in various bands all named after various aspects of cats. She also plays piano in a number of other configurations. Susan is founder and director of the Portland Megaband, an orchestra of about 70 dance musicians that plays for special contra dances at least once a year. She has been a tutor for beginning fiddlers at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes several times. Susan has retired from psychology and remains involved in music publishing projects. Clyde Curley got his first guitar in 1959 when he was in 9th grade. He has been playing folk music ever since on an increasing arsenal of instruments. Seeing Doc Watson at a San Francisco State folk festival and hearing the records of the New Lost City Ramblers in the ’60’s were serious formative moments. He moved to Oregon in 1970 to begin a 31-year career teaching high school English and raise a family—and to play in a variety of bands specializing in several musical styles. Clyde has extensive experience as a musician and teacher at contra dance camps and music festivals up and down the West Coast. In Portland he played mandolin and banjo with the contra dance band Jigsaw and appeared on several recordings. Now in retirement from teaching, he lives in Friday Harbor, Washington, where he continues to play for dances and plumb the secrets of old-time fiddling. Clyde also writes occasional articles for Strings magazine and is currently teaching himself to write fiction by hacking away at a murder mystery set in Portland.

Susan and Clyde enjoy playing for contra dances together. They are often joined by fiddler George Penk to play either single evening events or week end camps.