Music
Press
by Linda Phillips
Steve Rodin is delighting audiences once again and justly so because everything is better the second time around.
For years, there was something missing for Rodin that left an empty feeling buried beneath all of life's triumphant moments. All of the wonderful ups and downs of this roller coaster ride were filled with a sense of achievement and satisfaction; but ultimately there was more he wanted to share. It took a lot of living to realize Rodin had given up on the very thing he was longing to share, his talent. Telling stories of life with his song was as delicious as biting into a freshly picked, ripe peach and letting the juice run down your chin.
Rodin is fun, sensitive and idealistic with his lyrics of life's experiences that finally reunited him to his lost love, his guitar.
Rodin was born and raised in Los Angeles, but hit the road running to our fair city of Portland when he was 21. The reason was obvious; it must have been for a woman. The sentimental words echo that in the song The Wonder of You, as he sang to the room filled with fans at The Happen-N-Place. His words tell his story of a love affair that was only a dream and then a love rediscovered with a familiar sweetness but with a new excitement.
In the song Independent Man, he shares his coming of age in a time of reflection, while free and alone. Each of these tunes holds a message with wonderfully chosen melodies.
Rodin has a great sense of humor; you will relate in his original material like Sen-nilla-tea. You may have even sipped it yourself and if so, take two aspirin, call him in the morning. The styles he is capable of playing are as diverse as his writing and it's clear he is a gifted musician. You will also love the fresh twists he adds in his chord-voicing on copy tunes he does like Angel from Montgomery and the rock-a-billy rhythm he plays on the old standard Fever.
Rodin has a CD out now called Together Again for the First Time that he recorded with then partner Phil Berglund in R&B Blues. Since then, he has added more than 30 new tunes to his original repertoire and is recording his second CD that will be released soon.
You'll find the fact that Rodin is a great promoter for both himself and other new musicians, all while driving bus for TriMet full time, playing gigs and writing amazing songs. When you have the chance to catch a show, you will also find Rodin always likes opening the show with another act, preferably new, original and very talented.
Last summer, he and some fellow musicians played for 2500 people at the annual TriMet picnic hosted at Oaks Park. It was said to have been a successful blast! You can get in on some of the fun one Wednesday night a month at Mississippi Pizza when Rodin has a show starting at 6:30 where he involves lots of his musician friends.
Thank goodness for musicians like Rodin, who follow their true passions with the grace and ease that only comes from living through lots of life's experiences. This songwriter musician is a positive, talented man who will continue to please crowds and enjoy his art, along with the recognition for a long time to come. (See ad & Bandstand for schedule.)
note: Article is a reprint of actual article in June 2007 issue of Positively Entertainment and Dining. Info can be viewed on their website... http://www.positivelyentertainment.com/features/june2007/rodin.html
- Positively Entertainment in June 2007
By Dan Golden
The acoustic duo known as R and B Blues,calls their original compositions "BluZic." They are making their presence felt on the local music scene.
"Regular guys" Steve Rodin and Phil Berglund, after meeting through mutual friends, discovered a musical kinship. It has blossomed into a viable performing entity and spawned a debut CD that exudes the duo's humor and serious devotion to their chosen craft. With heartfelt lyrics and a basic but inspired bluesy style, these friendly fellows dish up a musical gumbo just waiting to be devoured.
The humble beginnings of this accidental partnership add to the growing "legend" of this promising act. Rodin came to Portland from LA decades ago, while Berglund later emigrated to the area from neighboring Idaho. Rodin had played guitar as a teenager, but career, family and the usual "mitigating circumstances" led to a 36-year "hiatus" from his beloved instrument of choice. His meeting with Berglund sparked a "rebirth" in his musical interests and propelled the two to start performing together at a local farmer's market. Soon, original song ideas formed, ironed out via email with their initials "R & B" in the "subject" line, leading up to the name R & B Blues for their fledgling act.
The first official gig for the new entity came in January, 2005. Five months later, they booked time at KBC Records, a project studio located in a remodeled 1920s colonial house in the Irvington District, to start laying tracks for a debut CD. The studio's operator, local composer/pianist/attorney Shay Scott, engineered and produced the final product, which carries the very telling moniker Together Again... For The First Time. Centered mainly around the duo's 12 original compositions and deft playing, the disk also features guest appearances from friends that often join them at their live shows.
Many of the tunes have a decidedly local flavor, with cuts such as Berglund's Fremont Blues, bringing to mind "homegrown" landmarks and feelings. The song Rock Bottom will make most people's perceived problems seem trivial by comparison. Rodin shines on his tune I'm Happy, Studiomeister Scott adds some funky honkytonk keys to the Stream Of Consciousness Blues, which was reportedly written "about halfway through the studio sessions and then added to the final CD." All in all, the sound is lighthearted yet full of folky blues grit. A recent show at the Green Room on N.W. Thurman showed that these guys are not just a studio phenomenon, but can bring it out live as well.
The duo has a number of upcoming shows booked in venues well-suited for their particular sound. A stop at Music Millennium Nov.16 to support the CD will be a "must see" performance, as well as shows on Nov. 20 at the Buffalo Gap, the 22nd at Mississippi Pizza and Dec. 3rd at the venerable Mock Crest Tavern. Check out the Bandstand listings for more scheduled shows and pick up your own copy of the CD to better appreciate what R and B Blues is all about. For more information, visit their myspace.com website and catch a taste of the "BluZic" they have to offer.
http://www.positivelyentertainment.com/features/nov2006/blues.html
- Positively Entertainment
Discography
Steve Rodin was one of the founding members for a group named "R & B Blues". In mid 2006, a CD titled "Together Again... For The First Time" was recorded at KBC Records in Portland OR and released.
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Bio
Whether playing an original or a classic cover song, Steve always puts himself into the music. His emotion and feelings are clearly displayed in the final product with dynamic vocals, well thought, supportive finderstyle or strumming acoustic guitar, and an energy that becomes infectious to those who listen.
A self taught guitarist, who has always looked at improving his craft, Steve is not afraid to try new things. After years of playing solo acoustic, he began going to electric jams becoming one of the better know performers. He moved into a duet, R & B Blues, with Phil Berglund. After playing covers for thirty five years, Steve began writing about 30 months ago. Now about 35 songs have been written, and many aired on internet radio (SongPlanet.com) and local airwaves. Now a member of a trio named "The SKR Project" with Ray Beran and Kevin KDawg Eastes, Steve is back in the studio recording a new CD and playing a mulittude of venues in the Portland (OR) Metro area.
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