Hanukkah starts next week and Christmas is just around the corner, so we know that readers are weighing the costliness of music shows against the price tag of holiday prep, but we’ve got the scoop on a new free jazz night at Keys Lounge, a new hip-hop collab from Covi. and Drae Slapz, and a New Year's Eve cowboy prom, starring Jenny Don’t and the Spurs. Get all the music tea that’s right Hear in Portland.Â
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Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s).
The Session at Keys Lounge
With the recent news that jazz-focused bar and pizza joint the 1905 went out of business, it’s time to count our blessings and keep track of the bars and venues that are hosting jazz on a regular basis. Local jazz trumpet player Pablo Rivarola recently launched a new weekly jazz series at Keys Lounge, a vintage-inspired cocktail restaurant-bar in an old locksmith building (with brand-defining signage). Since late September, you can find Rivarola at Keys every Tuesday hosting the Session and jamming with a revolving door of local jazz musicians. Even better: The bar offers all-day happy hour on that day and don't charge a cover. Upcoming installments will feature appearances from experimental jazz guitarist Mike Gamble and drummer Machado Mijiga. (Keys Lounge, 533 NE Killingsworth, every Tuesday, 8 pm-late, FREE)
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MUST LISTEN:Â
New release(s) from a Portland-relevant artist.
Just Have Fun!, Covi. & Drae SlapzÂ
We love a good local music collaboration, especially when hip-hop is involved! Portland based rapper Covi. teamed up with producer-rapper Drae Slapz to drop a listen-worthy new joint EP at the top of November called Just Have Fun! The first proper Covi. project since his 2018 debut Escalate With Me, the lighthearted title of the project ends up being spot-on, because the five tracks are all quite fun(!) to listen to. The EP represents the best work we've heard from Covi. to date, kicking off with three hyper-lit club-ready bangers—“Bout It,” “Donald Duck Orange Juice” and the twerk-worthy “Scoring Title.” My personal favorites are “Agent Covi Banks,” which features a quieter delivery from Covi. and “Tell Me Something” where we learn that the artist's euphonious and melodic approach can create addictive listening.
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Some upcoming music buzz to add to your radar.
New Year's Eve Cowboy Prom: Jenny Don't and the Spurs, Jame Jones and the Chupacabras
Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Portland’s longtime purveyors of cowpunk and outlaw country, have been carrying on in honor of their beloved former drummer, Sam Henry, who passed in 2022. (Henry also performed with Jenny in her previous band DON’T, and was best known for his work with punk rock group the Wipers.) There’s a lot to love about Jenny Don’t and the Spurs’ sound, even to someone who wouldn't consider themself a country-western music fan. Over a foundation of cinematic strumming, the twangy vocals of Jenny Don’t feel nostalgic and pitch-perfect. She demonstrates a mastery over vibrato that, at times, strikes us as reminiscent of Dolly Parton. Look forward to this upbeat desert rock to kick in the new year. (Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth Ct, Sun Dec 31, 9 pm, $30, tickets here, 21+)Â
