Bluegrass in Oregon (VIDEO)

The 3rd monthly Eastside Bluegrass Concert Series was held at the Freedom Foursquare Church Auditorium in Portland, Oregon.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Sometimes I just need to take a break from all the memorial pictures and do something else. I did that over the weekend, and had a really good time seeing old friends and listening to music that is tied to the fabric of this country.

Most of the time when I meet Patriot Guard Riders out on missions to honor our and escort our country's heroes, my contact is limited during the duration of the mission and then sometimes I get to meet some outside of that.

I received an invitation to a new venue in SE Portland from a friend who is a PGR member. She gave me a ride to what turned out to be a really quality event.

This is where I ran into Ron Taylor, another PGR rider, one I hadn't seen for some time.

It is always a nice gift to rediscover an old friend, and at this new venue I also had the pleasure of becoming reacquainted with an American root music called Bluegrass.

As my friend drove us to this venue, I was a little suspicious, I'd run the address and knew that this was taking place at a church.

We arrived at the Freedom Foursquare Church and saw a sign for $8. On closer examination, I learned that it was a suggested donation amount. Good thing, I only had 2 coins in my pocket.

After entering, I noticed a circle of a bunch of musicians having a jam session. Each one of them was playing a form of string instrument, most which are the basic ones needed for Bluegrass, such as the banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin and a big upright bass.

I had just walked into the 3rd monthly Eastside Bluegrass Concert Series and the church was providing these musicians a place to hold the event.

Back to Ron Taylor; just looking at him, he fits the part of the Bluegrass musician. His group is called Corral Creek.

Band members in stage consisted of Ed Feigles playing the banjo, Gary Shottle playing that big bass (Apparently they found him on a street corner), Ron Taylor playing the guitar and lots of vocal, and Pam Young strumming the Mandolin.

I know very little about Bluegrass and I know that some of it is very entertaining and some of it is, well.... not my cup of tea.

I was here to see Ron perform and I stayed for their complete set and totally enjoyed it.

I've always had a weakness for certain instrumental and vocal music that are rare in this age of artificulated (OK, I made that word up) sounds out there today.

So, grab you family sometime and come out and check out this venue in SE Portland.

The next show begins at 7:00 p.m. on January 16, 2010 at the Freedom Foursquare Church Auditorium at 660 SE 160th, Portland, Oregon.

Every month they have new Bluegrass bands volunteering to perform and in between the bands, they have "tweeners", which are smaller unknown acts and if enough people like them, they get a bigger spot down the road, as I understood it to work.

Do go ahead and bring at least $8, it's worth the entertainment and something different for your ears, especially on a cold rainy winter' night.

And yes, most of these bands can be hired. I'm looking at a business card for Corral Creek and it says; Banquets, Church, and Barn Raisings.

I hope they contact me if they ever perform at a barn raising, it's something I've never had the opportunity to capture through my lens.

Corral Creek:
Ed Feigles - Banjo
Gary Shottle - Bass
Ron Taylor - Guitar
Pam Young - Mandolin
Ron Taylor has been doing this over 20 years. He's also a Patriot Guard Rider.

Q Madp is a person who has dedicated his life to preserving the integrity of those who have died fighting for their nation overseas. This is a person who has wrapped his entire life around his efforts to preserve the legacies of people who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as during other conflicts. He doesn’t think their deaths should go unrecognized, and he is right.

Q is a photographer and he has his work cut out for him as the self-appointed unofficial photographer of NW military funerals. He travels to services and he is constantly on the move. When he isn’t driving or shooting pictures, Q spends his time researching combat statistics and adding names to the vast list that he hopes will eventually include every American lost in the combat theaters and every other allied soldier as well. His Website is easy to remember, IraqWarHeroes.org is a place of memories for thousands of families who have lost a loved one.