Louis "KING LOUIE" PAIN

Back in 2012, I posted a blog entry here about my long friendship with former Tower of Power guitarist Bruce Conte.  After Bruce passed in August 2021, Oregon Music News asked me to write a remembrance of Bruce.  I used…

On 7/9/21, I had the pleasure of collaborating on a t.v. spot for the 2021 Oregon State Fair.  It was a cool process, with Tag Team Audio producer Richard Moore, engineer Randy Johnson, and three corporate/state fair folks all kicking…

A very small silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it's offered the opportunity to reflect on past experiences--including memorable gigs.  

For example, while still a beginning organist living in San Francisco, I got a call from a former…

On a day when Tracy and I have received nothing but bad news about the present and flat out grim news about the near future, it was very pleasant to receive some unexpected GOOD news just now. Namely, we belatedly…

Yesterday, while reading a Facebook post about New Years Eve gigs, I got to recalling my most memorable NYE gig—one that didn’t even happen.   

The story begins in comical fashion.  In early 1998, Peter Dammann, then-guitarist and manager for the…

The story of Jimmy Mak’s is way too big for one person to tell.  It could fill a library!  But for me, as for many other musicians and music fans, the impending closing of Jimmy Mak’s—at least at its current…

During my ten-year stint in the Paul deLay Band, we worked on dozens of Paul's quirky, brilliant, original songs. But the one we worked the longest and hardest on—by far—was “Remember Me.” Week after week in early 2001, we'd assemble…

In gathering and posting materials for my new website, I got reacquainted with some of my old recording projects.  One that stood out was the 1994 release (long out of print), "Soul Diva Meets the Blues Monsters" by Linda Hornbuckle…

The other day, in a Facebook post about an organ rental I’d just done, I included a photo of a particularly lovely Hammond B-3.  The post stimulated a lot of comments--mainly about the photo!  The pictured B-3 was indeed a…

The Oregonian dubbed me “Portland's Boss of the B-3,” but in part that's because I'm the best-known of a very small group.  Oh, there's some wonderful gospel organists playing in Portland churches, but as far as blues-jazz B-3 guys, we're…

I was an "early adopter" of video recorders, purchasing a Quasar VHS top-loading VCR soon after the machines made their debut.  I don't remember the price, but it was steep, and the blank tapes were no bargain either at $16…

Last night, I played a gig with "Big Monti" Amundsen at the Trail's End Saloon in Oregon City, OR.  Nothing too remarkable there: I'd played five or six times with Monte before, and back in the day I played at…

Well, Tracy and I just spent three days in Anaheim, CA at Winter NAMM 2012.  We had a great time, but three days later we're still experiencing a NAMM hangover.  For the uninitiated, here's the Wikiedia entry for the NAMM…

The Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group has the night off at Jimmy Mak's this Thursday (1-12-12), but it'll be a busy week for me nonetheless.  First, on Wednesday, Tracy and I are flying down to Oakland, California for our friend…

In looking for some video clips for this website, I came across a "Monte Carlo Club Reunion" camcorder recording from 1987.  By that time, the San Francisco nightclub being celebrated had been gone for about a decade.  But its spirit…

Something most people don't know about me is that I've been renting out Hammond B-3 organs & Leslie Speakers for nearly as long as I've been playing them.  For a long time, it was a rare thing--someone would call me…

UPDATE , 2-28-12: The 5-18-12 Wicked Wilson Pickett tribute by the Portland Soul All-Stars, referred to below, is being converted to an Etta James tribute (see details under the "Gigs" tab).  Stay tuned to this website re/ future…

I played a gig in Bend with Renato Caranto, Edwin Coleman III (from Soul Vaccination) and Derek Sims this past Saturday.  The gig was great: part of the Jazz At Joe's series.  The ride home was expected to be another…

The website has been up about a week now, and I've been getting lots of positive feedback.  For me, the experience--especially gathering materials for the site--has been a real walk down memory lane.  At times this has been pure fun--like…

Well, I've finally broken down and gotten a website!  I hope you enjoy it.  If you explore a bit, I think you'll discover some pretty cool stuff: bios, CD tracks, photos, gig posters, videos, and much more. 

Most of the…