jonasgrumby

I went to see The Tiptons (an amazing all-girl saxophone quartet) at the Goodfoot Lounge the other night. I've seen them before (back when they were still calling themselves The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet), but Amy Denio was taking a break from the band back then. She's playing with the Tiptons again now, though, and is as amazing as ever. As was Jessica Lurie, who is (I think) the one member of the quartet who's remained a member from the beginning, and the other new members.

Even though I've been a fan of Amy Denio since the late '80s, when I was in high school, this is only the second time I've seen her live -- the first time was when I saw her playing with the Tone Dogs at the Portland Mayor's Ball in 1988 or so. I'd never heard of her before, and I had planned to just stay for a song or two before leaving to catch a different band in another part of the Coliseum, but I couldn't leave. I couldn't even look away... I was mesmerized. To this day, I'd put their album Ankety Low Day on my short list of favorite CDs of all time...

Although the Tone Dogs haven't played together for a long time, they apparently remain friends -- because the Tone Dogs' bassist, Fred Chalenor, was also at the Goodfoot show the other night, opening for the Tiptons in a band called Klezmocracy (with more free jazz influences than klezmer influences, it seemed... although I'm not complaining).

Fred has also been in a bunch of bands I love -- Pigpen, Caveman Shoestore/Hughscore, Zony Mash, and Faceditch. So it was a nice surprise to see him at the show too.

Man, I love being back in Portland. This kinda show would have never happened in DC...