The finest in Portland soul, jazz, disco & outsider funk. Lost tapes rediscovered. Interviews with local musicians. Presented by Bobby D, the program has become the oral history platform for the Albina Music Trust label & arts education entity.
On air each Friday from 7-8pm PST. Stream at www.xray.fm or flip the dial to 107.1FM in Portland.
Instagram: @albinamusictrust
[email protected]
Disclaimer: All media presented within the site is made public for non-commercial purposes. This site does not profit from sound clips, downloads, images, etc. If you are the owner of copyrighted material presented within the site and wish to have it removed, please contact.
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Night School (2014-2022)
Community radio is a beautiful thing. Over 350 episodes, I've had the pleasure of activating 107.1fm each Friday evening. The show began as just a dude w/ some records. But I'd like to think it's taken on a greater role - a public memory project, an amplification of marginalized histories, a platform for cultural preservation.
Thank you: I have nothing but gratitude for XRAY FM. Special thanks to Chase Spross and Dave Fulton who have been a constant presence, keeping the station on air. Albina Music Trust will continue to partner w/ XRAY going forward. And I'm pleased to know that my partner Calvin Walker will remain on the board. An archive of musician interviews remains here at www.nightschool.us
Thank you, XRAY FM!!!
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Summer Of Sound
SUMMER OF SOUND is coming!!!
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TIME SOUND: ALBINA"S JAZZ REIMAGINED
Portland’s Black music history has been largely misunderstood. As local institutions have told the story on behalf of Albina’s Black community, it is rare that the community has controlled the narrative. Originally conceived in 1981 by Thara Memory & World Arts Foundation, the rebirth of Time Sound sees Memory’s longtime students Charlie Brown III & Domo Branch leading Greaterkind through a suite of local compositions w/ arrangements by Noah Simpson. Featuring oral history accounts from Albina’s elders, the program amplifies Portland’s Black cultural heritage through the lens of a new generation.
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SOUL CONVERSATION
The streets of Albina reveal little trace of the thriving Black community that once lived here. Much of what we can discover today rests in the collective memory of the elders who lived it. In collaboration w/ @vanportmosaic & @alberta_housepdx , tonight’s event brings together Albina’s elder musicians to activate memory through storytelling. Facilitated by Calvin Walker, the event features Paul Knauls Sr., J.W. Friday, Norman Sylvester, Kenneth W. Berry, & Jeddy Beasley. Archival photography showcasing Abina’s historic music culture will be presented. The event concludes with a performance by Charlie Brown III, Domo Branch, Lo Steele, and Ian Michael Lindsay.
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WALL TO WALL SOUL
In 1960s Portland, the Cotton Club was a pillar in Albina’s Black community. A destination for touring acts & a common ground for locals, owner Paul Knauls, Sr. has famously described it as, “The only place on the West Coast with Wall To Wall Soul.” Now over half a century later we have collaborated with Knauls & @clydesprimerib to present photography, newsprint & poster art depicting this legendary epoch in Portland music history. Clyde’s has long served Albina’s elder musician community. Utilizing archival materials, this permanent installation ensures that the walls throughout the venue represent the community it serves. Tonight’s opening for the show features live music from @browncharlie3& friends + a release party for two previously unreleased 1970s LPs - Lights Out & Transport.
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Keep Alive The Dream
We made a film! "Keep Alive The Dream" airs Monday on OPB and at Hollywood Theatre. The film documents African-American communities in Oregon honoring MLK's legacy. Please check it out..
Working as an archivist and producer on the project, this was a monumental undertaking. We pulled roughly six decades of footage featuring Albina's activists, community leaders, artists, musicians, and youth. We documented the Albina community's historic struggle for peace and social justice, and made space for pioneers in the community to speak on those issues.
Culminating in World Arts Foundation's MLK celebration, our film showcases Black Joy and the culture-building that community events such as this can provide.
Working with these two gentleman has been an incredible ride - executive producer Kenneth W. Berry and director Elijah Hasan. Pulling from World Arts Foundation's vast archive of material + navigating the guidelines of OPB's broadcast standards was no easy task. We put in some heavy hours. Shout out to Donny Adair for his narration. And not least of all, our executive director "aka The Boss Lady" Ms. Sandra Wadsworth, for keeping us together and focused!
In some respects, this film is just the beginning. We'll have some exciting news to share in the coming weeks, regarding our future preservation work in Albina. We're building capacity as we speak! And it's not without the support of community members and local orgs that have been supporting us along the way. You know who you are!
So please, if you like...check out our film. The live screening is at 3pm on Monday, January 17, 2022 at Hollywood Theatre. We've reduced the capacity to 50% and closed concessions, so there will be strict masking and distancing. The film airs again that evening on OPB at 7pm. Keep alive the dream!
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Transport’s “Disco Fantasy Land” Has Arrived
It's a beautiful thing when a couple guys who've never been on an album before can change that. Today Transport's "Disco Fantasy Land" has come to life on vinyl. It's been a stone cold delight working with Randy Monroe and Narvy James on this one. Thank you to the Oregon Cultural Trust for making it happen.
Recorded in 1978, the original reel was tossed in the garbage. The band broke up and like most Albina recordings from this time there was minimal coverage of the music. In 2016, while exploring a defunct recording studio in Portland I came across the master tape cut direct from the board. What I heard had me out of my seat with a flood of emotions. Portland had disco?!
Fast forward a few months and bassist Randy Monroe came through XRAY, curious about the tape. I put it on and this man lit up. Randy had not heard the tape since around the time it was recorded. Before long, I found myself sitting up late with Randy, sifting through the sights and sounds in his archive. It's amazing how music can activate the memory.
This album is a tribute to some of Albina's greatest talents gone too soon: Michael Cooper, John Sanders, Roslyn Johnson, and Bob McLarty to name a few. With nearly half the band having passed on, I'm grateful for the time we've been able to connect with those still with us. Randy has become like a brother to me and putting this record out means a lot.
A major shout out to the audio/visul surgeons whose work behind the scenes has brought this project alive. The source tape of the recording was in complete disrepair. Gus Elg preserved it, making literally thousands of manual edits so you can hear things like every 1/16th note the hi-hat is making.
Similarly, Brian Mumford and I worked to preserve the original photography and poster found in the record. Brian reconstructed concert photography of the band into a series of film strips with a noir-inspired touch. Brian is an old friend and his work can be found across all of our releases as well as many on the Mississippi Records label. Sam Slater and Eric Mast also lent a hand in the visual production you see.
Last but not least, Jared White has been on this every step of the way, bringing the quality control to greater heights and just about everything else behind the scenes. We are still packing these records up at Clinton St!
Toward the end of our session last night, Narvy looked at Randy and said, "Man, it only took me 66 years to get on a record. Making me feel like I'm getting old or something." Randy replied with a chuckle, "Yeah, you're right. You are getting kinda old.”
Come by and chop it up with these guys on June 5th for our listening party at Clinton St. Records. I hear they also sign autographs! More info TBA. In the mean time, we have the record available online and elsewhere.
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AMT x BBE = Burnin’
Today is the day! I'm pleased to report after years of transcontinental back-and-forth we've now earned the luxury of reissuing this album by Carl Smith & The Natural Gas Company. I'd like to thank the musicians, BBE Records in the UK, Peter Adarkwah, Zaf Chowdry, Jake Holloway, and Carlee Smith for bringing this project to life!
Recorded in 1980, the record features a who's who of Portland's jazz-funk community. However, in its time the LP fell victim to a tax write-off scheme masterminded by rural farmers in central Oregon, causing it to disappear overnight! It's crazy, but this really happened. And the tragedy is that the group was an institution for aspiring jazz musicians, lasting over five decades. Over a hundred musicians circulated in and out of the band, including multiple Grammy winners and Jefferson Airplane's original vocalist. This was their only commercial recording.
With BBE's grace, I had the privilege of licensing, art directing, and facilitating an oral history of the group featured in the album's liner notes. The remaster is impeccable, stretching the original LP across two 180 gram discs at 45rpm. It's rich, complex and with notes of Northwest candor. And no, I'm not talking about wine....this is disco!
The record is part of Zaf's Private Wax series on BBE which highlights marginalized albums like this one. I've collected and spun each of these records since their release and am now pleased to be a contributor to the project.
Working with Carlee Smith, navigating the family's rich musical heritage has also been fascinating. We've amassed a small museum's worth of material. And the musicians involved shed so much light on what we've collected. The power of their stories elevated this project to a new level.
There will be an outdoor album release party later this month at Music Millenium. You're welcome to join us in celebrating these musicians and their work. I'll post the flier below in the comments. I've also set up a preorder in the comments for those that would like to order the LP from us.
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Slickaphonic LP Out Today
Back at it! Slickaphonic is now the third LP released by Albina Music Trust. Now available at www.albinamusictrust.com.
Back in 2016, my guy Randy Smith strolled up to XRAY FM and dropped the bomb that is the promo pic you see on this album's cover. I'd been at the club, watching Randy Starr & The Players for years. After sitting with Randy, it became clear the depth of this man's catalog: Slickaphonic, Groove Tube, Sophistacated Funk Band, and Flirt. Back to the salt mines as they say...
After months of digging, I tracked down the source tape for a 1975 session helmed by Slickaphonic. Fittingly, the tape was the only Black-boxed tape in a mountain of White-boxed tapes. Upon listening, the elegance and technicality of this groove-based nonet had me hooked immediately. I have listened to this recording countless times since and to this day am still picking up the nuances.
Randy is one of the coldest cats I've ever met and the fact this record represents his earliest work is too apt. More on the rest of the band is in the album breakdown on our site. There you can also learn about our next release which is up for preorder. I'm so glad to see this in the world today.
Shout out to the team that made it happen: Bob Stoutenburg, Dave Fulton, Gus Elg, Brian Mumford, Eric W Mast, Kit Garoutte, Ken Berry, Jared White, and Sam Slater. This record was made possible with Support from the Oregon Community Foundation. It is a World Arts Foundation production.
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The Mayor Turns 90!
Happy 90th to the honorary Mayor of Albina, Paul Knauls! Tonight we celebrate Paul with a virtual storytelling event honoring his legacy. This has been months in the making and with many hands involved. It's also the 300th episode of my soul music program "Night School" on XRAY FM.
6-8pm PST streaming live at www.worldartfoundation.org
Like many of us, I've had the pleasure of working with Paul Knauls over the years. He's hosted multiple Albina Music Trust events, he's contributed to our oral history sessions, shared his extensive collection of musician photography, and so on. Paul is someone you just want to be around as much as you can and soak up the warmth, wit, and visionary energy he possesses.
Paul began coming through XRAY FM in 2015. Sitting back in the studio listening to old soul records has been our jam. Here and there, I've sourced lost music from the Cotton Club, a venue he ran in North Portland in the 1960s. Seeing Paul light up when the beat drops has been one of the greatest joys. His tales of of Albina the way it once was have captivated me time and time again. And though I've heard his jokes about a thousand times or more...they're still funny!
So tonight we celebrate Paul and that which he does for so many of us. Our event features public officials, musicians, community members and more. We have a few surprises up our sleeve so trust when I say this will be a HISTORIC event.
Shout out to the team that has brought this together: Winta Yohannes, Paul Knauls, Jr., Alex Chiu, Eric Mast, Lymay Iwasaki, Gina Altamura, Moe Lincoln, Nuri Hobbess, and Chase Spross.
Tonight's event is a partnership between Albina Music Trust and Albina Vision Trust. It is made possible with funds from the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition and the Oregon Cultural Trust.
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Legendary Beyons: Now on LP!
It is a fine day when three outstanding musicians walk into a record shop to see their album on the wall. After fifty years together, this band finally sees their music on vinyl. I present to you the next release from Albina Music Trust, The Legendary Beyons! This record made possible by The Regional Arts & Culture Council.
This has been a journey years in the making & it all started w/ World Arts Foundation's annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With Ken Berry's blessing, Thurtis Channel from the band visited AMT's booth, sharing polaroids of The Beyons & a recording of their music from 1977. I later sat w/ Thurtis & eventually all members of the group at XRAY FM, listening to their stories & seeking to better understand their musical legacy in Albina.
As we've gotten to know each other, we've had some really great experiences. I've had the joy of listening to the Beyons at rehearsal, supporting them in performing their music live at the Albina Soul Revue & The Portland Black Music Expo. James Tims & I were able to watch the reel of this recording spinning around & around on the machine as our engineer Gus Elg transferred it to vinyl. These experiences I am so grateful for; the grace & love this band has shown me is remarkable.
As we did with our last release in 2018 by The Gangsters, we gathered the group together in a private ceremony where they shared their oral history among friends & family. Calvin Walker facilitated the discussion & I was there to listen & for support. We owe Aaron Hall & Dig A Pony a huge thank you for hosting us as well as Chase Spross & XRAY FM for recording the session. The session was later transcribed to around two hundred pages of dialog. This was whittled down to twelve pages of oral history & photography which can be found in a 12"x12" booklet inside the record jacket. This booklet was carefully constructed over the past year w/ support from the band, design by Brian Mumford, & art direction by myself.
So here it is! Please consider purchasing a copy from the band directly: James Tims, Jeddy Beasley, Ira Hammon, & Thurtis Channel. I want to thank Jared White for extra special support in helping get this record into the world. You can also find the album at his wonderful sonic museum, Clinton St. Record & Stereo. A deeper description of the album project can be found at www.albinamusictrust.com.
Much love, everyone. Thank you for supporting us & these amazing musicians!
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Portland Black Music Expo
Behind the scenes at the Portland Black Music Expo w/ Legendary Beyons. It all goes down this weekend, streaming online. Many hands involved to make this thing happen. I have been standing by, supporting the vision of Tony Ozier & O.G. One.
We reached out to elders in the community to discuss Portland Soul Music History. Facilitated by Calvin Walker, those featured will be Norman Sylvester (Rated X), Bill Deiz (Seven Souls), & the man we call The Mayor, Mr. Paul Knauls, Sr. Some surprise guests, too. More info about the Expo and the schedule can be found at www.portlandblackmusicexpo.com
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Thank You, Redefine Magazine!
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Black Lives Matter
My life changed when I began working with Albina musicians in 2014. I had recently finished a piece on Nu Shooz for Wax Poetics and found myself in a deep gully, wading through Portland's musical history. But where could I find Black music? It was unclear as to why record manufacturers had left these musicians out of production. In other major cities on the west coast, I could readily identify artists in the Black music community. Why not Portland? At John and Valerie’s recommendation, I reached out to Calvin Walker and we met at XRAY. After that, everything changed for me.
I spent that afternoon listening to Calvin break down the vast cultural vacuum that had become Albina's musical legacy. Listening to Calvin's experiences from as far back as the Civil Rights Movement and into the Reagan era, it became clear that the Albina neighborhood housed a vibrant community of musicians. The neighborhood was quickly gentrifying. Local media and city officials had failed this population time and time again. There was little trace of any community having existed. As an Albina resident with access to a media platform, if I wasn't seizing this opportunity then I was part of the problem.
As a Waldorf teacher, I believe in the power of storytelling as an instructional tool. As many of you know, I've worked to make space at XRAY and on various platforms for Albina musicians to speak and to share their music. As journalists, I think it's important we acknowledge our own biases when working with Black individuals and Black cultural content. For this reason, I believe oral history is the best possible format to present Black music culture. Who needs to hear another white guy talking about Black music? I have never felt comfortable speaking for Black musicians. There is no run of adjectives or quippy inferences that can best another person's voice. If Albina musicians didn't have a platform of their own, then the work as I see it is to enable these individuals to speak for themselves.
But what happens off microphone is a completely different story. Curating, showcasing, presenting Black music...whatever you want to call it, there is a responsibility that comes with it. As I seek to understand what that responsibility is, I've been led to the interpersonal side of connection, vulnerability, and building trust with an exceptional community of individuals. How could I possibly be supportive? What action might be inspired through deep listening? There is no totalizing statement to address these questions. But I am listening and we are collaborating.
In an effort to reconnect this work with Portland's Black community, I partnered in 2017 with World Arts Foundation - an arts and education non-profit serving Portland's Black community since 1978. My mentors Kenneth W. Berry and Michael Chappie Grice have dedicated their lives to arts and education initiatives in Portland's Black community. I have been supported, challenged, and deeply humbled in our time together. These men welcomed me into a Black space and have trusted me to execute work on behalf of an organization that is older than I am. This experience has pushed me to activate my role as an ally, to examine my whiteness and whether or not my actions are adding value to the community in Albina. My work in the community is a tribute to theirs.
The image above features Paul Knauls, Sr. and is part of an Albina soul music exhibit we had imagined unveiling for the public tonight. As per the governor's executive order in Multnomah County (announced last night at 7:15pm), our city remains closed. The exhibit has been up since the day the pandemic shut us down. We held a private screening the night before that happened in March. Musicians and members of the World Arts team came through. What happens now that we can't be together in groups?
Today is also the last day of school. Over the previous few years, I have been able to dedicate my summer as a volunteer working with Albina musicians full time. This year, many of those projects have been cancelled: Albina Soul Revue II at Revolution Hall, The Gangsters at Vortex 2020, the Wall To Wall Soul exhibit at Clyde's Prime Rib...the list goes on. We had been keeping busy in the off season planning this work for the community. This year, there is a new calling for how we do this work. I am listening and we are collaborating.
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Quarantine w/ Jeddy Beasley & Joe Staples
Tonight on Night School, I’m joined by Jeddy Beasley of The Legendary Beyons & Joe Staples of The Staple Brothers (yes, related to Mavis and the Staple Singers). Both men have been active in Portland with their respective bands since the 1960s! Both have been through the studio in the past and shared about their music. Tonight they join us by phone as we discuss race and their experiences in Portland and in the South. Link is here.
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Spoiler Room x Albina Music Trust: “Hotfunkcooljazz”
Tune in as we reinterpret the “Hotfunkcooljazz” film archive at Holocene. This catalog of VHS home video was shot in 80s North Portland by “Slick Rick” Bradley. It features Albina musicians as never seen before - crucial funk lost to the sands of time. Imagine live and socially distanced djs, radical videos and YOU in your living room GETTING DOWN 🔥 This show benefits Holocene and staff. Noooooo brainer
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Quarantine w/ Ron Steen, Norman Sylvester & Paul Knauls, Sr.
Tonight on Night School I'll be joined by pillars in Albina's musical community: Paul Knauls, Sr., Norman Sylvester, and Ron Steen.
We'll hear how everyone's doing in quarantine and I'll be pulling selections from the AMT archive. Tune in to hear near-ancient Albina tunes by: Chuck Moore & The All-Stars, Warren Bracken, The Mighty El-Dukes, The Seven Souls, Red Julian Quartet, Donnie Wells & The Tabs, et al. Tune in here.
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Albina Love Songs Tonight
Tonight selector Bobby D pulls from the Albina Music Trust archive to celebrate this lover’s holiday. Rare and unreleased reels, cassettes, and vinyl display the dynamic soul music of Portland’s Albina neighborhood. Pull up and tune in for the best in PDX love songs from the 1960s-1980s. Link is here.
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The Royallaires In Studio
Tonight I am delighted to welcome The Royallaires. Active in the early 1960s, this little known soul group just might have changed the course of rock ‘n roll. Rehearsing on Williams Ave., the band shared studio space with The Kingsmen whose breakout hit “Louie Louie” swept the nation cementing its place in the canon of rock. However, the tune’s musical arrangement finds its origin, in part, in the music of The Royallaires. Tune in this evening for more on this, the band’s history, as well as recently unearthed acetate tracks from the group. Link to episode is here.
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Ural Thomas Turns 80
We're very pleased to announce this party celebrating 80 years of Ural Thomas. If you find yourself in Portland for the holidays, I highly recommend marking your calendar for this year's Winter Soul-stice. The Pain will be unleashing new material. Ural's nephew will be onstage rapping. We have "Portland's Funniest Person" of 2019. And our MC team featuring "The Mayor Of Albina" and Calvin Walker will lead you through tales of the life and legacy of Portland's Pillar Of Soul, Ural Thomas. Not to be missed!
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