On any stormy, gray faux spring Sunday, nothing beats the blahs like going to hear some live music. And live it is at The Northside Café on Boyd Acres Road with jazz from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m on most Sundays.
It’s mellow, easy swinging jazz under the guidance of local master guitarist Robert Lee Hoover with Lisa Dae on vocals, Aaron Moore on bass, and this past Sunday, Rod Norman, sitting in on drums.
The group plays mostly standards and passes on being flashy while delivering solid straight ahead playing. Nowhere is this more evident than in Dae’s vocals. She relies on a beautiful voice and avoids all the modern girl singer pyrotechnics from excessive vibrato to straining for high notes as if they’re necessary to make a song live.
Hoover is a wonder, a smooth player who when he’s not playing jazz of blues to perfection, he teaches guitar at the Cascade School of Music. If ever a player looked the part of the well-traveled session/club musician, Hoover is it.
So come Sunday, head over to the Northside for good music, quaffs and eats. It sure beats staring at gray skies.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2011.
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It is so refreshing to read Bob’s articles in the source, and to let people know that there are clubs with a diverse selection of quality music in Bend. Go Source!!!!!!
Great article! The Northside is an easy place to have a good time with friends and listen to great jazz. Robert’s fingers are magic when it comes to bringing out the beauty of all the great jazz standards with such class and virtuosity. Lisa’s vocals are also a fine way to relive those days when a great jazz singer relied on her voice and not volume or gimmicks. Aaron and Rod were solid on the rhythm section making it a great combination. Come on out for a great time and good jazz!