Steve Schennum

Apr 29, 2010 Members

Steve Schennum

Steve Schennum is the lead songwriter with The Occasional String Band which has played in Spokane for over a decade and has recorded 3 spectacular cds. International recognition is probably just around the corner. The music is mostly acoustic. Styles are blues, bluegrass, rock, jazz, folk, etc. Lyrics are sometimes wildly amusing, as is their website and occasional newsletter.
www.occasionalstring.com
www.myspace.com/occasionalstringband
www.jango.com/music/Occasional+String+Band
www.folkalley.com/openmic/artist.php?id=31

June Brick & Mortar Show

Apr 27, 2010 Brick & Mortar shows

The June Brick & Mortar show will feature visiting songwriter Mike Skalstad and Spokane songwriter Steve Schennum. The show, hosted by Laddie Ray Melvin, will begin with a half hour open mic. Join us Thursday, June 3rd 7:00 p.m. at the Coffee Social 113 W. Indiana, Spokane. www.coffeesocial.net

Mike Skalstad is a singer/songwriter from Kennewick, WA. He performs regularly around Southeastern Washington and is a songwriter who has reached deep into his roots of country, folk, and rock to blend songs about the human experience into poignant lyrics concerning life and it’s journey. He has produced two CD’s and is currently working on a third.
www.mikeskalstad.com

Steve Schennum has played in Spokane for over two decades and has recorded 3 CDs with The Occasional String Band. His styles include blues, bluegrass, rock, jazz, and folk. His lyrics are known to sometimes be “wildly amusing”, as are his websites and occasional newsletters.
www.myspace.com/occasionalstringband
www.occasionalstring.com

Farewell to a long time supporter

Apr 27, 2010 News

Not everybody who plays music writes songs. Every songwriter, on the other hand relies on fellow musicians to help bring a song to expression, sometimes vocally, sometimes with supporting instrumentation to the songwriters own singing and playing. Those of us who write have deep respect and affection for our fellow musicians. Our circle of friends lost a good one recently when John Brennan, our resident Washtub Bass player and longtime mental health therapist died. If you don’t know about the washtub bass, it is a one-stringed bass with a wooden pole that the player moves to tighten or loosen the string to change pitch. This process requires and intense and sharply focused listening and it was John’s complaint that playing the bass didn’t allow him to sing. He was hoping to learn to play electric bass for that very reason, but a hidden cancer got him first. At his memorial celebration we put together a house band that included Jazz sax and clarinet, snare and cymbal, cornet, mandolin and blues harp with an upright bass filling in John’s part. With four different songwriters doing the singing and a poet to do some cool jazzy readings fronting the band, we gave John a send off that he would have been proud of. He had played with all the band members on many occasions. Thank you John for all the good thumping.

Bill Kostelec

Darlene Melvin

Apr 27, 2010 Members

Darlene Melvin

Darlene Melvin is an avid supporter of the Songwriters Organization attending almost every Brick & Mortar show. She is a poet and long time member of a Spokane writers group and has a great appreciation for strong lyrics. Her ideas and encouragement have proven a valuable asset to the organization and she is a member of the Board of Directors. She can also sometimes be heard performing harmony vocals with her husband Laddie Ray Melvin.

www.laddieraymelvin.com

Dave McRae

Apr 23, 2010 Members

Dave McRae

Dave McRae is a multitalented musician and songwriter who sings, plays Banjo, Guitar, Bass, Dobro and a host of bizarre rythmic attachments found in his custom tool belt you will see attached to his waist at all times. He plays with the bands Wide River and Sidetrack and has also entertained many as a solo performer at Brick & Mortar shows. He is also on the board of directors for the organization.

www.wideriverbluegrassband.com

Kathy Kostelec

Apr 22, 2010 Members

Kathy Kostelec

Kathy Kostelec has been writing songs since 2002 and performs regularly with her husband Bill as The Blue Ribbon Tea Company. Their 5th cd was released in 2011 and includes 5 of Kathy’s songs and her recording debut as a lead singer. Kathy is also a founding member of the SSO.
www.theblueribbonteacompany.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/blueribbonteacompany
www.facebook.com/blueribbontea
www.myspace.com/theblueribbonteacompany

Laddie Ray Melvin

Apr 22, 2010 Members

Laddie Ray Melvin

Laddie Ray Melvin has been a performing songwriter in the Pacific Northwest for many years and has participated in the Spokane Songwriter shows since the beginning in 2005. He has served as the regular host for the Brick & Mortar shows since 2008 and he is also on the board of directors for the organization.
www.laddieraymelvin.com
www.myspace.com/laddieraymelvin

More Brick & Mortar Shows

Apr 22, 2010 Gallery

Bill Kostelec

Apr 15, 2010 Members

Bill Kostelec

Bill Kostelec is a founding member of the songwriters organization and member of the board of directors. He is a prolific songwriter known for sometimes edgy lyrics and storytelling in the American roots music tradition. He performs with his wife Kathy as The Blue Ribbon Tea Company. They released their 5th cd in 2011.
www.theblueribbonteacompany.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/blueribbonteacompany
www.facebook.com/blueribbontea
www.myspace.com/theblueribbonteacompany

Gallery 4-9-2010

Apr 14, 2010 Gallery