KEYNOTES POLKA BAND TO PERFORM

KEYNOTES POLKA BAND TO PERFORM

The Keynotes Polka Band (from Oregon) are looking forward to performing at this year's DRAIN OKTOBERFEST on Saturday, October 25. The Keynotes play danceable polkas, schottisches, waltzes, marches, & sing-alongs. The Keynotes are Rey Ellen Wanamaker (accordion, vocals), Scott Van Atta (tuba, vocals), and Joe Ross (guitar, mandolin, vocals).  For info about The Keynotes, please drop Joe Ross a line at 541-673-9759 (land) or 541-670-9120 (cell-text) or EMAIL rossjoe@hotmail.com.  

The Keynotes Duo (Rey & Joe) also appear frequently with thematic programs each month tied to various holidays and other festivities. With accordion, guitar and vocals, the duo can present several hours of Asian, Patriotic, Latin, Mexican, European or Love Songs perfect for a wedding, fiesta, birthday, anniversary, parade or celebration or other special event.

Get Your Polka on! Okotberfest is like a little piece of Germany, right here in the Pacific Northwest! Join fellow fans of the old country for live music, food & drink specials, merriment & conviviality. While your toes are tapping to the polka music, enjoy beer, bratwurst, hamburgers, German Potato Salad, Pretzels, Cole Slaw, Texas style BBQ & more! Begun as a wedding party for Germany's Crown Prince Ludwig & Princess Therese in 1810, today Oktoberfest is celebrated all over the world with music, singing, dancing, beer, food & revelry. Free. All ages willkommen!

   Held SAT, OCTOBER 25, 2025 from 12 – 5 pm at Drain Civic Center, 205 West ‘A” Street, Drain, Oregon, be prepared to dance polkas, waltzes, schottisches to the oom-pah-pah music of The Keynotes Polka Band featuring Scott Van Atta (tuba), Rey Wanamaker (accordion) and Joe Ross (guitar, mandolin, banjo). Break out the lederhosen and dust off the knee socks for the Oktoberfest! Expect the unexpected! We got the goods on the most awesome Oktoberfest ever! Dress up encouraged. This event is sponsored by the Drain Chamber of Commerce, Ratman (pest control) and the City of Drain. Most events will be held at the Pavilion directly behind Drain Civic Center at 205 West A Ave. Rain or Shine!

1:00 -3:45: Pumpkin Contest. For the sake of the children and tender souls, PG rated (or below) pumpkins only please! 3:45 Pumpkin Judging (pumpkins due by 3:45 for the contest). You may bring your own pumpkin from home if carved (or decorated) by you (synthetic pumpkins are also allowed). Prizes!

1 – 5 pm: Tractor Rides! Free! Time: 1-5, sponsored by Ratman!

12 – 4 pm: Live Music at the pavilion by The Keynotes Polka Band featuring accordionist Rey Wanamaker, guitarist Joe Ross and tuba-player Scott Van Atta.

Costume Contest: Put on your Sunday best and let's see who has the most outstanding costumes. Extra points for lederhosen! Prizes! Judging during the band break time.

Vendors 12 - 5 pm    Free Fresh Squeezed Cider!   Trebuchet Pumpkin Hurling! $5 to hurl a pumpkin.

The Unpetting Zoo! Check out live creepy crawlers in the Civic Center.

INFO: Myndee Ferrill or Ame Beard (see Facebook for contact info)

Keynotes Polka Band Info: Joe Ross at 541-670-9120 (cell/text), 541-673-9759 (land) or EMAIL rossjoe@hotmail.com

A SAMPLING OF THE KEYNOTES POLKA BAND’S SONGLIST

Accordion Waltz, Andy’s Jolly Hop Polka, Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie, Backes Swedish Polka, Ball in Karlstad (Schottische), Barbara Polka, Beer Barrel Polka, Blue Skirt Waltz, Café Polka, Chicken Dance (novelty dance), Clarinet Polka, Dansen Pa Svinsta Star, Du Du Liegst Mir Im Herzen, Edleweiss (waltz), Fish & Chips Schottische, Give Me My Heart Back (waltz), Guitar Polka, Halsa dem darhemma Waltz, Happy Boy Schottische, Happy Wanderer, Hassebly Steppen Polka, Helena Polka, Hoop Dee Doo Polka, Hop Scotch Polka, Jenny Lind Polka, Johan Pa Snippen Schottische, Julida Polka, Just Another Polka, Just Because, Kan Du Vissa Johanna Schottische, Karen Polka, Liechtensteiner Polka, Military Service Medley (Tribute), Miner’s Polka, One Note Polka, Pennsylvania Polka, Popcorn Polka, Red Wing Polka, Saturday Night Polka, Saturday Night Waltz, Saturday Waltz (Lordags Valsen), Snow Waltz, Springtime in Sweden (waltz), Tic Toc Polka, Tinker Polka, Too Fat Polka, Tulips of Amsterdam (waltz), Varsuviana Medley (waltz) 

 

OREGON’S OLDTIME FIDDLERS TO CONVERGE ON ROSEBURG

 

The Annual State Convention of the Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers’ Association (OOTFA) is scheduled for May 19-21, 2022 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg, Or. With several hundred coming from throughout the region, it will be an ideal place to enjoy stage shows, jamming, dancing, workshops, band scramble, raffle and more. After a Wednesday evening meet-and-greet for early arrivals (4 - 11 p.m.), activities are scheduled on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. Workshops will be Thursday 12:30 - 5 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The public is welcome, and events will occur at the Douglas County Fairgrounds off I-5 at Exit 123 in Roseburg. 

Jude Stensland, the 2022 convention’s co-chair (along with Chris Cormack), states, “Our goal for this year’s convention is to have fun playing music we love with friends, old and new, and to conduct OOTFA business as quickly and efficiently as possible.” 

During the 1980s and 90s, OOTFA’s state convention was held in Roseburg and attracted large crowds of old-time musicians and music-lovers. During the past decade, the convention was held in other parts of Oregon. “We are so happy it’s returning to Roseburg,” offers Stensland. “The venue is really pretty cool. We’ll have an immense amount of room for jamming and workshops to satisfy almost all musical tastes.  We’ll have guides to help you find your group, your way around and favorite kind of music. Youth are very much included, with dedicated spaces to help all ages feel welcome. The next generation will keep this music vibrant, relevant and alive.”

While many OOTFA events are free of charge, donations will be accepted. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, OOTFA is dedicated to the perpetuation and promotion of old-time music, loosely defined as that played on traditional instruments dating from the first half of the 20th century and earlier. Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers' Association formed in 1964. They publish a monthly newsletter, The Hoedowner, which is distributed to all members.

OOTFA’s ten districts each have governing officers who schedule meetings, jams, and performances. The Hoedowner includes activity reports, photos and features from each district, along with a “tune of the month.”  Membership is open to all who enjoy old-time music. You don't have to be old, live in Oregon or be a musician or singer. Many folks just enjoy listening or dancing to the music. Annual membership is $20-25 per household, depending on how you’d like The Hoedowner delivered (e-mail or postal mail). INFO: www.ootfa.org

For more information about OOTFA or its 2022 State Convention, please contact Jude Stensland at 541-430-2080 or E-mail jude999s@gmail.com

The Sunny Sky Boys

Oregon's Sunny Sky Boys include guitarist Jerry Ashford and mandolinist Joe Ross. They’re sometime joined by special guests on bass, fiddle, resophonic guitar, banjo, drums or other instruments. Their name is a take-off on The Blue Sky Boys, a North Carolina country music duo with brothers Earl and Bill Bolick whose careers spanned over forty years.

The Sunny Sky Boys have appeared regularly at Kantu Brewing Co., Umpqua Valley Farmers Market, Canyonville Farmers Market, fairs festivals, pubs, restaurants, wineries, receptions, parties and other venues in western Oregon.

Ashford & Ross enjoying playing music that dates back to the 1920-50s or earlier. They move from Swingin’ Hillbilly Jazz to Foot-Stompin’ Bluegrass, with flavors of Latin Hoedown, Old-Time Fiddle, Western Swing and Classic Country thrown in for good measure.  

Jerry Ashford is the 2008 Northern California Bluegrass Society Guitarist of the Year. He was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award by that organization in 2016. His bluegrass and music history includes long stints with the Homegrown String Band, Side Saddle, Mountain Creatures and Moonglow. Jerry now makes his home in Camas Valley where he operates his own business, Lord and Lady Lavender, growing and producing a wide variety of lavender products. Jerry has released several albums including his solo One Guitar, Where Could I Go (with Jim Colvert and the Moonglow Gospel Quartet) as well as several with Moonglow (Jerry Ashford & Beth McNamara) Live at Sam’s BBQ, The Red Album, and Merry Christmas.    

Joe Ross presents interactive “edu-taining” shows with many instruments. Born in Virginia and raised a military brat in Japan, he started on organ and guitar in sixties rock, soul and folk bands. He first heard bluegrass on the Far East Network, then took up mandolin and banjo in the 1970s at University of Oregon. Over the years, bands have ranged from Celtic to Country, Latin to Bluegrass, and Gypsyjazz to Swing. Some have been the High MountainRamblers, Zephyr Quartet, Cold Thunder, Umpqua Valley Bluegrass 

Band, CelticTradition, Irish Creme, Keynotes Polka Band, HotQua, Shindig Mountain String Band and Alamojo Western Swing Band. Joe’s albums (seeAmazon) span various genres, with diverse influences, and award-winning accompanists.  Joe also presents a storytelling program (Folk Tales of Old Japan), gives lessons, and writes regularly for music magazines and websites. Now retired from the day job, he works full-time to share the “enjoyment and camaraderie of making music together.”

Together, The Sunny Sky Boys (Jerry Ashford and Joe Ross) have played many gigs and uploaded videos to You Tube. For more info, please call 541-673-9759 or 670-9120. Or e-mail rossjoe@hotmail.com.

Joe Ross presents “Jazzy Little Christmas”

Enjoy Joe Ross’ jazzy holiday guitar music from 5 – 7 pm on Friday, December 6 in the Conference Hall at the Douglas County Christmas Craft Fair. The Christmas Craft Fair takes place at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 SW Frear Street, Roseburg, OR. Friday evening only admission is free from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.Otherwise, Christmas Fair admission is $5 for Adults. Donate canned food for our local food banks and receive $1 off admission. Kids 12 & under are FREE.

This is the largest and most popular Christmas Fair in Southern Oregon. Over 300 crafter booths, displaying a wide variety of hand crafted items, such as clothing, home decor, baked goods, spices, lotions, soaps, wood crafts, metal sculptures, art decor, other unique products and live music!

Christmas Fair Hours

Friday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Christmas Fair ADMISSION Adults: $5.00  Donate canned food to  support our Local Food Banks and receive $1.00 off Admission

Kids 12 & under: FREE

Friday only Admission is FREE 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Santa's Hours are:

Friday: 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

There will be a variety of  entertainment throughout the weekend fair including jazz guitar, accordions, caroling, violin and more. A full schedule follows:

Friday

11 am- 1 pm  Accordion Club of Roseburg Douglas Hall Foyer

1 pm - 3 pm Violin Soloist Conference Hall Foyer

5 pm - 7 pm  Joe Ross - Jazzy Christmas  Conference Hall

5 pm - 7 pm  Jeremy Threlfall  Douglas Hall Foyer

Saturday

10 am - 12 pm Accordion Club of Roseburg Douglas Hall Foyer

1 pm - 3 pm Jeremy Threlfall Douglas Hall Foyer

2 pm - 4 pm  Umpqua Valley Youth Orchestra Exhibit Building

4 pm  - 6pm Violin Soloist Conference Hall Foyer

Sunday

11 am - 1 pm Old Time Fiddlers Conference Hall Foyer

11 am - 1 pm Accordion Club of Roseburg Douglas Hall Foyer

CONTACT: Douglas County Fairgrounds at 541‐440‐4394 or 541-957-7010 or fairgrounds@co.douglas.or.us

Eugene Saturday Market's Holiday Market

Eugene Saturday Market's Holiday Market is coming to the Lane Events Center where you can find handcrafted gifts, an International FoodCourt, and live music. It’s a great shopping experience, all in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. The Lane Events Center is located at 13th and Jefferson in Eugene. 

Their artists are ready to greet you every weekend from November 16th through Christmas Eve. It runs every Saturday and Sunday plus Friday Nov. 29th. Hours are 10 am - 6 pm (closes at 4 pm on Dec. 24th). 

They have live, local music all day in the Main Hall and Holiday Hall. They offer a wide variety of gifts including exceptional functional pottery, handmade jewelry, original and unique artwork, stunning glass work, exquisite woodworking, and CDs from local and regional musicians.

Play their "I Spy Elves" game, Nov. 16-17 AND Dec. 23-24! Fun for the whole family!

Live music by local favorites happens all day long on two stages: The Market Stage and in Holiday Hall! Click here for a complete music schedule.

They will be collecting donations for Food for Lane County. Please bring your canned, non-perishable foods and put them into their barrels. Admission and parking are free. This annual event is fun for the entire family.

Click here to flip through the Eugene Holiday Market’s28-page Guidebook. 

For further info, contact Eugene Saturday Market, 30 E. Broadway #124,  Eugene, OR 97401. Phone: 541-686-8885

Eugene Saturday Market's Holiday Market

Eugene Saturday Market's Holiday Market is coming to the Lane Events Center where you can find handcrafted gifts, an International Food Court, and live music. The Lane Events Center is located at 13th and Jefferson in Eugene. 

Their artists are ready to greet you every weekend from November 17th through Christmas Eve. It runs every Saturday and Sunday plus Friday Nov. 23rd. Hours are 10 am - 6 pm (closes at 4 pm on Dec. 24th). 

They have live, local music all day in the Main Hall and Holiday Hall. They offer a wide variety of gifts including exceptional functional pottery, handmade jewelry, original and unique artwork, stunning glass work, and exquisite woodworking. Womenspace will be wrapping gifts and accepting donations. 

They will be collecting donations for Food for Lane County. Please bring your canned, non-perishable foods and put them into their barrels. Admission and parking are free. This annual event is fun for the entire family.

Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band

Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band's mountain-styled "tight & twangy" traditional bluegrass sound features banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, bass and vocals. The group formed in 2010 when they saw a newspaper classified ad for a “Bluegrass Band Needed for Pig Roast BBQ.”  The rest is history!

The band now keeps very busy playing at fairs, festivals, pubs, restaurants, coffeehouses and special events. Connect with them on their Facebook Page to stay current on where they're appearing.  Band members are Liz Crain, Gene Hodson, Jerry Zumwalt, Francis Stephenson and Joe Ross. Special Guest Jerry Ashford often joins the band. They have many decades of experience playing bluegrass, classic country, western, Celtic, old-time, western swing and other styles of music.  Let's meet each member of the band.

At age 12, Liz Crain recorded her first bluegrass song (“Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes”) on a 78-rpm vinyl record paid for by grandma. While a bluegrass multi-instrumentalist, she sticks to playing fiddle with Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band. She is the chairperson of the Oregon Bluegrass Association Roseburg Chapter that hosts a monthly jam at Sutherlin Senior Center from 1 – 4:30 p.m. on the third Sunday each month. She also plays guitar, mandolin, bass and banjo. In the 1990s, she performed and recorded with the “Girls Can Jam” Bluegrass Band. The all-woman group released two albums, “Cookin’” and “Wild Oregon Jam.” She also played with folk group ERIDOR in the mid-90s. Today, Liz also performs regularly with The Slow Ponies, Shasta Ray’s Downhome Band, Rolling Waves, Accordion Club of Roseburg and Soromundi. Liz is a rancher who spends her time with her four horses when she isn’t working up a new song to add to her extensive repertoire of music.          

Gene Hodson has been playing music in the Sutherlin/Roseburg area for ten years. He started his bluegrass interest when he hooked up with the Colliding Rivers Band.  Currently, Gene plays bass for the Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band and also plays bass for Mountain Creek, an acoustic variety show. Gene has also been playing the doghouse for Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers of Roseburg for a number of years. Gene’s interest in bluegrass music has evolved over the years from childhood. He was born in Modesto, California and moved to the San Francisco Bay area where he lived most of his life. There he started his own “Country Fever Band.” They played a variety of music from country standards and bluegrass to 50, 60, 70 & 80’s light rock. They were the same members for 25 years.

 Jerry Zumwalt began his musical career playing guitar at age 16. Begin self-taught, he played a variety of bluegrass and country/western music. He built his own mandolin and taught himself to play that instrument. Within the last several years, he decided to take up the 5-string banjo. He drives a road grader for Lone Rock Timber but plans to retire in 2018. In 201y, Jerry began playing banjo for the Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band, and his hard-driving traditional style fits right in with the band’s sound. He also plays regularly in his church and with his own gospel bluegrass band, Grassy Creek. As a musician, Jerry loves good vocal harmonies and appreciates the warm, family type comradeship and highly professional talents of all his band members. Jerry belongs to the Oregon Bluegrass Assn. and Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers’ Assn. 

Francis Stephenson was born in 1932 in New Brunswick, Canada, 100 miles north of the Maine border. He loved listening to Wilf Carter and Hank Snow on the radio, Canada's two country heroes during the early 40s. Around 1941, he started pulling in a radio station hundreds of miles to the south, known as WWVA, Wheeling, W.V. On their Saturday night jamboree, they had great old-time artists like Hawkshaw Hawkins, Little Jimmie Dickens and Cowboy Copas. But, husband/wife duo Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (and esp. Wilma Lee's voice) was the one that compelled Francis to sing and play guitar. So, in 1946, at age 14, Francis got his first guitar, and started to play and sing. Francis knew at that time that Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper's sound would be the closest sound to bluegrass this world would ever hear, until Bill Monroe announced in 1946, that he had invented a unique music and named it bluegrass. In 1955, at age 23, Francis moved to Ventura, Ca. and then heard real authentic bluegrass for the first time. It was the Stanley Brothers' first Columbia LP. Before it finished playing, Francis' heart switched from country to bluegrass, forever. Even though Francis now has many favorite bluegrass artists, Ralph Stanley is at the top of the list.

No one can resist Joe Ross’ invitation to have fun while he’s performing his interactive “edu-taining” shows with many instruments. Born in Virginia and raised a “military brat” in Japan, his music career started on electronic organ player in sixties rock/soul bands. He heard his first strains of bluegrass on the Far East Network. He began playing bluegrass and Celtic music in the 1970s at University of Oregon. Ross has played in many bands over the years, from Celtic to Country, Latin to Hawaiian, and Gypsyjazz to Swing. Joe’s albums (available at Amazon) span various genres and have original,  eclectic influences and award-winning accompaniment.  Besides UVBB and in various duos and trios, he currently performs with Celtic Tradition, Keynotes Polka Band, Alamojo Western Swing Band, Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers, and Accordion Club of Roseburg. Joe also presents a storytelling program (Folk Tales of Old Japan), gives lessons at Absolute Music in Roseburg, and writes regularly for music magazines, blogs and websites. Now retired after 34 years working for BLM and Marine Corps, he works full-time to share the “enjoyment, fun and camaraderie of making music together.”

The band frequently includes a special guest artist, Jerry Ashford, who is the 2008 Northern California Bluegrass Society Guitarist of the Year. He was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award by that organization in 2016. His bluegrass and music history includes long stints with the Homegrown String Band, Side Saddle, Mountain Creatures and Moonglow. He now makes his home in Camas Valley where he operates his own business, Lord and Lady Lavender.     

Together, the Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band has released two albums. In 2012, they put out "Live at the Siskiyou Bluegrass Festival." In 2014, "Old Growth Bluegrass" hit the streets with many fan favorites. When they perform live, you might be surprised by their attire. If not in their formal and traditional dress of black and white, they might be donning an old-time pioneer or some other look. 

For more info, please visit their webpage or Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band Facebook Page. Or call 541-673-9759 or 670-9120. Or e-mail rossjoe@hotmail.com. You can also watch many videos on You Tube of the band in full traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel action.