Eclectic Music and More

David Jacobs-Strain and Ben Rice
Double Bill of Acoustic Blues

Saturday, November 19, 2011 • 8pm
Tickets: $18/advance, $20/door, $10/teens 12-17,
children under 12 are free with paying adult.
Unitarian Fellowship, 4th and C Streets, Ashland

Both David Jacobs-Strain and Ben Rice performed at the Rogue Valley Blues Festival as teenagers. David was 18 and performed in 2002. He's now in his late 20s and tours throughout the US. Ben first performed with his band in 2006 when he was 15. He continued to perform almost every year after that. Now 21 and a graduate of the University of Oregon, Ben continues to perform both solo and with a band.

 

David Jacobs-Strain

David has come a long way from slugging a bamboo gear cart with a tattered "Delta Blues" sign through the Oregon Country Fair mud at the age of 13. 12 years of solo shows, from the Sierra Nevada to the Berkeshires have made him into a performer of strength and virtuosity. His outrageous guitar work jumps from wild fingerstyle to slide and percussive drive produce enough tone to rival an electric jam band. And his voice carries an emotional intensity that his songs demand. David's newest record Live from the Left Coast is built on the raw energy and stripped down vibe that fans have been asking for: David on guitar, vocals, Bob Beach on harmonica are all it takes to bring this set of mostly originals to life.

David's recent studio project Terraplane Angel was produced by with maverick Nashville legend Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Malcolm Holcombe, Ray Davies). David's two previous releases (Liar's Day and Ocean or a Teardrop) were produced by Stephen Stills' long time bassist Kenny Passarelli (Otis Taylor, Joe Walsh).

 

David's roots are in the deep blues of Fred Mcdowell and Charlie Patton, but his own writing speaks from the northwest; the way Lucinda Williams writes about the South or Tom Petty captures Southern California. The songs about love and loss, joy and outlaws, are set in the landscape of old mining towns and old-growth clearcuts where counterculture kingpins reign.

Jacobs-Strain's ability to capture emotional intensity in a deeply personal way has made him a mainstay at festivals such as Strawberry, MerleFest, the Vancouver Folk Festival, and Telluride Blues. His guitar work, both thundering and shimmering, has landed him onstage alongside performers like Taj Mahal, Bob Weir, Los Lobos, Etta James, and Del Mcoury. Boz Scaggs chose him to open for two different summer tours. At David Grisman's invitation Jacobs-Strain appeared alongside many of the nation's great string players on the Tone Poets compilation.

"He doesn't just rock out: he's learned the art of crossing musical boundaries from the masters. His music has a fiery passion that's exciting and engaging, tempered with an aesthetic reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, where he grew up and cut his first guitar strings. Don't be fooled by his youth; Jacobs-Strain knows what he's doing." Dirty Linen

Ben Rice stands at an average 5 feet 6 inches. He wears square-rimmed glasses, collared button-up shirts, jeans, and black loafers. He mumbles softly into the microphone as he introduces himself and The Ben Rice Blues Band. At first glance, Rice looks like your stereotypical nerd from high school; all that he's missing is the pocket protector. New audience members hoping to hear some great blues music seem shocked when Rice walks on stage – he is the complete opposite of what a blues singer looks like. However, once Rice picks up his guitar and starts singing, the Eugene audience is taken straight to the Deep South.

A fan of Rice's describes him as a "black blues singer stuck inside a normal white guy." Rice, originally from Newberg, Oregon, is the lead singer and guitarist of The Ben Rice Blues Band here in Eugene. He is a perfect example of why you should never judge based on appearance. He describes himself as a shy and awkward person, but you would never perceive that about him from his performances. Rice says that the biggest influences of his music are artists like Carlos Santana and B.B. King. However, he is inspired by music from a large range of varying genres – everything from blues to rock, soul, and even eastern African music.

In addition to having the voice of a Southern black blues singer, Rice is an amazing guitarist. He picked up his first guitar, a 1981 Washburn A10, when he was only five years old. At the age of seven, he began taking lessons, and now, at the prime age of 22, Rice says that he can "convincingly play four instruments" – the guitar, bass, trombone, and drums.

 

Once Rice begins performing, a complete character transformation happens before the audience's eyes. As Rice closes his eyes and begins playing his guitar, you can see his feelings in his face as he is moved by his own music. He's a natural onstage. Then, he opens his mouth, and this deep, soulful voice comes out and blows the audience away. It doesn't take long for the audience to get involved with the music. One verse into the first song and people are already tapping their feet or clapping along with the beat. Rice sways back and forth, eyes still closed, and belts out his blues.

Rice wasn't always into the blues, though. He joined his first band in 1997 as a guitarist when he was nine years old. It was his two older brothers' metal band, Minor Effects. The same year that he joined, Minor Effects opened for both Motörhead and Iron Maiden, two very popular metal bands. Rice's blues career began two years later when he performed his first blues gig at the Hop Madness Celebration in Oregon.

Rice and The Ben Rice Blues Band have been nominated for the Cascade Blues Association's Muddy Awards 10 times. They have performed in multiple cities in Oregon, Washington, and California. In 2007, Rice and his band represented the Cascade Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. They placed second in the King of Beale Street competition.

Place: Geos Building 85 4th St., Ashland
Cost: $40 each or $60 both

Workshop with David - 10am-Noon
Workshop with Ben - 1pm-3pm

 

We've scheduled these guitar workshops at different times so you have the option of learning blues guitar techniques from both David Jacobs-Srain or Ben Rice, or just from one. They both play a unique slide guitar as well as finger style and rhythm. Ben also plays the electric guitar.

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