




The trio tearing it up at the Astoria Jazz Festival on 10/26/19 We were the headlining act at the festival.
King Louie & LaRhonda Steele in Cali, Colombia, 9-27-18 This was the final performance of our 9-day, 5-city Cali Blues & Folk Festival tour
King Louie & LaRhonda Steele with Cali Blues & Folk Festival organizer Michael Cadena in Bogota, Colombia. We had the honor of performing and engaging in educational activities in 5 cities over 9 days
With Lady Gaga keyboardist Alex Smith The occasion was an organ rental for a 2017 recording session with the pop star
With Five Blind Boys of Alabama organist Matthew Hopkins The occasion was an organ rental to the gospel legends for a 2-4-18 concert in Salem, OR
With my wife & manager, Tracy Turner-Pain, @ my Oregon Music Hall of Fame induction I thanked Tracy first, foremost, and longest, because I would not have been inducted without her tireless support
L to R: David K. Mathews, Dennis Chambers, myself I got to hear and meet the great Dennis Chambers at a Victor Wooten Trio performance
King Louie & LaRhonda Steele @ the 2017 Porretta Soul Festival We performed at this prestigious Italian festival accompanied by the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
With Yellowjackets keyboardist Russell Ferrante @ Revolution Hall, 2-19-17 Russell is an old friend from our Bay Area days
"Live at Riverhouse Jazz" was released at the end of July, 2017. It received 4 stars in Downbeat. Finally: a CD featuring my dream band (vocalists Andy Stokes, LaRhonda Steele, & Lisa Mann (doubling on bass); Peter Dammann, guitar; Edwin Coleman III, drums; Renato Caranto, sax; Danny Armstrong, trombone; and myself on B-3)
With the amazing young Brooklyn organist Cory Henry Cory loved the B-3 I provided for his 2017 WBF main stage performance, as well as the Nord C2d for the Blues Cruise
Louis & LaRhonda with Memphis soul legend Carla Thomas @ Porretta It was a thrill to meet and hang out with the wonderful Carla Thomas!
With Fred Wesley & Bernard Purdie @ Porretta I've known and played with Bernard Purdie for years, but I'd never met Fred Wesley before. Funk royalty!
LaRhonda, me, and my wife & manager Tracy Turner-Pain @ Porretta Tracy helped with all the planning & logistics of our Italian trip, as well as documenting our performances and much more
King Louie's Blues Revue at the 2017 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival The crowd was blown away by the all-star line-up, including vocalists Andy Stokes, LaRhonda Steele, & Lisa Mann!
The Paul deLay Band's recently-discovered 1997 live performance at the Notodden Blues Festival The CD created a lot of buzz, including rave reviews world-wide and a Blues Music Award nomination!
King Louie & LaRhonda Steele with Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra in Fremont, CA We had a blast playing a series of tune-up gigs with the Porretta Soul Festival's house band
At the Highway 99 Blues Club with the Lloyd Jones Struggle on 4-15-17 In addition to playing with Lloyd, LaRhonda Steele and I teamed up for a pair of set-opening mini-sets
Ty Curtis, David Kahl, & Jerry Jacques @ Winter Music Festival in Eugene, OR Playing to a packed house, 2-18-17
L to R: Dan Faehnle, Chris Brown, Jay Collins, Dan Balmer, & me We had some very special guests sit in at JM's on Thursday, 8-15-16
Nike design legend Tinker Hatfield playing my B-3 in Netflix documentary Tinker is a Renaissance Man; I've given him some organ lessons and sold him a B-3
With Andy Stokes at our 1-30-17 gig in Lake Oswego, OR We played a stripped down (trio) gig with drummer Edwin Coleman III. Big fun!
The late Jimmy Makarounis & Sweet Baby James Benton sharing a laugh Jimmy Mak passed away on 1-1-17--just 25 hours after his historic music venue's final show. R.I.P. Jimmy!
Santa's Angels gig @ Jimmy Mak's, 12-17-16 L to R: Brian Foxworth, Teresa James, Lisa Mann, LP, LaRhonda Steele (missing: Lloyd Jones)
Soulfilled Christmas 2017, @ Unity Church, West Linn, OR The line-up of musicians for this concert included LaRhonda Steele & her daughter Sarah, plus Arietta Ward, Tyrone Hendricks, Rpb Shoemaker, Carl Falls, Norman Sylvester (not pictured) and Renato Caranto
United By Music, North American Band, in St Louis on 11-20-16 (selfie by Tracy, at left) I had the honor of performing at a series of shows in St. Louis with some musicians & vocalists who have overcome incredible obstacles in life
King Louie & LaRhonda Steele @ the 2016 Clackamas County Community Festival We've played the festival, hosted by poet Emmett Wheatfall, twice now
The King Louie & LaRhonda Steele debut CD, "Rock Me Baby," was honored as one of the "Best Albums of Unlike most other CDs honored in the issue, our album was self-produced and mainly recorded in two days!
Jeff Minniewether @ the Poor House Bistro, San Jose A highlight of my July, 2016 road trip with Lloyd Jones was getting to play with Jeff again
Vocalists Richard Arnold (hat) & Dennis Rowland (center) In July, 2016, former Count Basie vocalist Dennis Rowland sat in with the band
With drummer Edwin Coleman III & pianist James Mullen @ 2016 WBF Playing with James during our King Louie & LaRhonda Steele set was a special treat
With Christopher Colligan I had a tight connection between two of my WBF sets, but Chris made great time
With Ty Curtis @ 2016 WBF Ty was all smiles after our rocking set aboard the rocking Portland Spirit
Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group with guest guitarist Henry Johnson Part of the 2016 PDX Jazz Festival; 2-24-16
Louis & LaRhonda Steele on the set of KRCW t.v. We were helping promote our appearance at the 2016 Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts
The Return of the Portland All-Stars, 4-16-16 A wonderful time was had by all: 2 sold out shows, with the three star vocalists all killing it!
Jazz at Joe's curtain call, 12-26-15 Edwin Coleman, Renato Caranto, and I were all smiles following a memorable gig in Bend, OR
Jazz at Joe's, 12-26-15 My trio, featuring Renato Caranto, sax; and Edwin Coleman III, drums, really enjoyed playing for a warm Bend audience
Skype Live Studio with Ty Curtis Band, 12-22-15 I played a third time in the month of December, 2015, at this great venue. KINK fm sponsored the performance
Taping a KOIN t.v. special, "Blue Christmas," to air on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 2015 I used my Nord C2 Combo Organ with a vintage 147 Leslie Speaker
Taping KOIN t.v.'s "Blue Christmas" special--an Oregon Food Bank fundraiser--on 12-5-15 I had the honor of being Co-Musical Director of the program, which featured an all-star group of Portland musicians
Also with LaRhonda Steele and Renato Caranto in the Skype Live Studio, 11-17-15 We enjoyed playing songs from our CD, "Rock Me Baby." Video is posted at my website (along the left side)
Another hit show: "Andy Stokes Sings Love Songs," 11-7-15 @ Jimmy Mak's The band included Andy Stokes, vocals; Andy Warr, sax, Dave Iula, guitar; Leah Hinchcliff, bass; Brian Foxworth, drums
"Andy Stokes Sings Love Songs" at Jimmy Mak's, 11-7-15 The songs, learned especially for these shows, were by Peabo Bryson, Brian McKnight, Luther Vandross, Barry White, and more!
"Rock Me Baby" CD release, photo 2 LaRhonda Steele is simply amazing: a wonderfully soulful & musical artist
Esperanza Spalding with the Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group, 12-31-14 Grammy-winner Esperanza Spalding sat in at our New Years gig @ Jimmy Mak's
With Esperanza Spalding @ Jimmy Mak's, 12-31-14 Esperanza is a Portland native who was mentored by Mel Brown, Thara Memory, et al
The Portland Soul All-Stars @ the 2015 Portland Classic VIP party A scaled-down version of the all-star band played the LPGA event for the 2nd year in a row
L to R: Danny Armstrong, Allan Toussaint, Jules Broussard, and me At the '15 Safeway Waterfront Festival with some wonderful musicians
Ty Curtis Band @ Jimmy Mak's, 3-20-15 Another memorable night at Jimmy Mak's, this time with the Ty Curtis Band
Ty Curtis @ Jimmy Mak's, 3-20-15 Ty Curtis is a young artist to watch for: a triple threat as a blues guitarist, songwriter, & vocalist
Benefit for Bruce Conte @ Jimmy Mak's, 3-6-15 with Andy Stokes, vocals; Brian Foxworth, drums; Renato Caranto, sax
Bruce and I had a ball at his 3-6-15 benefit at Jimmy Mak's Bruce suffers from leukemia and diabetes, but he still plays fantastic guitar!
Barry Finnerty sits in on guitar at Bruce Conte's benefit, 3-6-15 Barry, an old Bay Area friend of Bruce and me, has recorded with many jazz legends
With the amazing Joe McBride @ Jimmy Mak's The Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group played with Joe on 2-26-15. Memorable gig!
The Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group with special guest Joe McBride The pair of sold out shows were part of the 2015 Portland Jazz Festival
The Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group @ the Oxford, 12-28-14 A pair of special Sunday shows, our Central Oregon CD release event, were oversold
King Louie's Portland Blues Revue at the 2014 Jazz at the Oxford For an unprecedented third straight year, Louis' blues revue sold out its shows at JAO
Renato Caranto hit it off with Bay Area trombonist Danny Armstrong at JAO Back in the day, Louis & Danny worked together with Bay Area standouts Marvin Holmes and Jules Broussard
With Renato Caranto & Mel Brown @ Jimmy Mak's, 8-22-13 On this night, the B-3 wouldn't start. No worries: Nord to the rescue!
The Portland Blues Revue, featuring Curtis Salgado & LaRhonda Steele, @ Jazz At the Oxford, 10-20-12