Slide & Steel Guitars at Centrum

Tricks, Licks, and Techiques for Dobro

[Orville Johnson playing guitar]

For those of you dobro players ready to take your abilities to the next level, Centrum's Artistic Director for Slide and Steel, Orville Johnson, will be leading an intensive workshop in the dobro at Fort Worden July 10-13, 2008. Joined by Mike Neer, Mike Witcher, and Don Rooke, the gathering combines morning and afternoon workshops with access to dobro masters found almost nowhere else.

Registration is available here, as well as by calling Centrum at 360.385.3102, x114.

Kicking It in the Music Business: The Music of Mike Neer

Mike Neer, who has been kicking it in the music business for more than twenty years, will be teaching at Centrum's Dobro Intensive, July 10-13, 2008. 

Equally at home in myriad styles of music, Mike made a name for himself playing Hawaiian steel guitar with The Moonlighters from 2004 through 2007. “I fell in love with the instrument years ago, but after a few failed attempts to play it, I kind of gave up. It wasn’t until I found the Moonlighters and my National Tricone that I had a purpose for playing other than my own enjoyment. I now had a voice.”

Mike used his knowledge of jazz and old-time Hawaiian music to great advantage by fusing them together, much in the same way that the early masters like Sol Hoopii and Benny Nawahi did. “I like to approach the instrument fresh every time I play, and I like to improvise most of my parts. It’s just the way I’ve always been. I guess I have a pretty small attention span, but that’s resulted in me having better ears.”

WANTED: Bloggers

When we redesigned this site last year, we had a vision that at some point, we could invite community members to post/write for the site, sharing their passion with other members of the Centrum community.

That time is NOW!

If you are passionate about slide and steel guitars, and would like to share your knowledge and a sense of discovery with others, we want YOU. Please contact Keven Elliff at keven at centrum dot org for more information.

Don Rooke to Lead Dobro Workshop

Don Rooke is often referred to as one of the top five acoustic slide players on the planet. The mastermind behind the Canadian rock band the Henrys, Rooke pushes the sonic and harmonic envelopes in an acoustic fashion. And as a musical composer, he’s in a class by himself.

Rooke, who will be a faculty member at the special Dobro Intensive, this July 10-13 at Fort Worden State Park, is also known as one of the best guitar teachers in the business.

The Henrys are a Toronto-based, nearly instrumental quartet. Their music features the sound of an antique slide guitar called a Kona (and other slide guitars), along with the usual stuff-conch shell, quarter-tone trumpet, chordette, drums played with a root, sonar zombie, steel drums.

Good Seats Still Available for David Lindley Concert

David Lindley, whose electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues, and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish musical sources, will give an intimate concert at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater on Friday, February 8, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available here, as well as by calling Centrum at 360.385.3102, x117. 

Registration Opens for 2008 Workshops

Registration has opened for Centrum's 2008 workshops. Follow the links in the top right column to learn more, or bookmark http://www.centrum.org/admin/register.html, which is our new launch page for registrations.

New in 2008, we've upgraded the software we use to handle registrations, which will give you more information, more quickly than ever before. As always, your feedback will help us improve how we serve you.

New Food
Also new in 2008, we are excited to announce a new food partner at Fort Worden. Bon Appétit Management Company is bringing their passion for great food inspired by a deep commitment to sustainability and locally grown and produced fare. They share our own belief that food serves a much larger purpose for the community. Breaking bread together helps create a sense of community and comfort. We can't wait for you to come to Fort Worden to experience a new era in excellent cuisine. Learn more at http://www.cafebonappetit.com/fortworden/.

We look forward to seeing you at Fort Worden in 2008.

David Lindley to Perform at the Wheeler

Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, known internationally for his work with Jackson Browne, and for leading  his own band El Rayo-X, will perform a solo concert at the Wheeler Theatre in Port Townsend at 7:30 on Friday evening, Feb. 8.  This concert, presented by UpWest Arts and Centrum, marks Lindley's first appearance on the Olympic Peninsula in four years.

Lindley, who has long championed the concept of world music, performs in a style that brings new meaning to the word "eclectic."  The David Lindley electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues, and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish musical sources.  Lindley incorporates an incredible array of stringed instruments including the Kona and the Weissborn Hawaiian lap steel guitar,  the Turkish saz and chumbus, as well as the Middle Eastern oud and the Irish bouzouki.  The eye-poppingly clad "Mr. Dave"'s uncanny vocal mimicry and humor make his on-stage banter a highlight of every show.

David Lindley grew up in Southern California, first taking up the banjo as a teenager, and subsequently winning the annual Topanga Canyon Banjo and Fiddle Contest five times as he explored the American folk music tradition.  Between 1967 and 1971 Lindley founded and led what must now be seen as the first world music rock band, The Kaleidoscope.  In 1971, he joined forces with Jackson Browne, serving as Jackson's most significant musical co-conspirator until 1981.  In 1979, Lindley began working with old friend Ry Cooder on Bop Till You Drop and on the Long Riders soundtrack.  Their musical collaboration lasts to this day, and has spawned many recording projects and several world tours as an acoustic duo.

In 1981, Lindley created his own remarkable band, El Rayo-X, which integrated American roots music and world beat with a heavy reggae influence.  El Rayo-X toured the world for the next eight years.  And throughout his long and distinguished career, Lindley has been one of Hollywood's most in demand session musicians, lending his skills to the recorded works of Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Crosby and Nash, Warren Zevon, and many others.

Lindley will perform one show only at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale at the Centrum ticket office (385-3102 x114), at the P.T. Food Co-op, at Quimper Sound Music in P.T., and online at centrum.org.