Soul Sisters Productions & Jimmy Mak's present: A Benefit For Bruce Conte: East Bay Grease Meets the Portland Soul All-Stars! Bruce Conte, guitarist with Tower of Power for seven years and seven albums, will be joined by some of Portland's funkiest musicians for this very special Jimmy Mak’s event. Bruce faces ongoing financial difficulties stemming from leukemia and diabetes. Now, for the second time, Bruce's Portland friends and admirers are pitching in to help. Those will include: myself, Andy Stokes, LaRhonda Steele, Ty Curtis, Brian Foxworth, plus special guests! Bruce Conte's uniquely funky guitar playing on T.O.P. classics, including "What is Hip," "Don't Change Horses in the Middle of the Stream," and "Squib Cakes,” have influenced generations of guitarists. Since leaving T.O.P., Bruce has played & recorded with Rick Braun, El Chicano, and others. Bruce has also led his own bands, including Hot Street, which included me. Soul Vaccination bandleader Dave Mills and I brought Bruce to Portland to play at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival and Jimmy Mak's in 2011, with the latter gig being captured on a memorable CD, "What is Hip.” A year later, Bruce contacted leukemia. This event, like previous benefits staged for Bruce in Portland ("What is Hip,” 2012) and Oakland, CA ("East Bay Grease,” 2013) is being produced by Muddy Award-winning Soul Sisters Productions. SSP, owned by my wife Tracy Turner-Pain and Susan Mills, produces various types of events, with a focus on helping musicians facing serious medical issues. Advanced tickets available thru TicketTomato.
$15 reserved seating; $12 general admission