Joe Powers: Extraordinary Harmonica: News

	Joe tours to Europe and takes 4th place in the world harmonica championship! 12/1/2005 - Joe’s first European tour was a complete success with two exciting Tango concerts in Paris with his trio, first opening for the world famous Argentine Tango/Electronica sextet, "Narcotango" (www.narcotango.com) at the Mephisto Bal, and later he performed at the popular dance venue, "La Casa Del Tango". At the World Harmonica Festival and Competition in Trossingen Germany, Joe represented the United States as the only American competitor of the 29 countries that participated. He won a 4th place victory in the category of "Jazz Diatonic". He also earned 6th place in "Jazz Chromatic", and 6th place in "Blues Diatonic". See www.whf-2005.de for more info. In Stuttgart, Germany he joined the famous, Portland based, "Pink Martini" (www.pinkmartini.com), for a sold out concert at “Der Theaterhaus”. Later he traveled to Beograd, Serbia were he performed a well received concert of classical, folk, and modern music, accompanied by talented pianist Nada Kolundzija (www.nadakolundzija.info) at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador to Serbia. He finished up the tour in Canada with Portland's own Tango sensation, Conjunto Berretin (www.tangoberretin.com) where they performed their first concert outside the U.S., for the "Libertango" festival in Victoria. BACK TO NEWS INDEX
	2005 Tour To Europe 10/26/2005 - This year started with an international Blues competition in Memphis Tennessee, with Rose City Kings. Now Joe is finishing the year with a second international competition, this time in Germany where he will compete in the World Harmonica Festival. Along the way he will perform in Paris, Serbia, and finally Victoria B.C. Canada, before returning home to Portland. The trip will start in Paris, France where he will perform two concerts as a trio with acclaimed Tango guitarist, Gustavo Gancedo, and Bassist Isabelle Dauzac. The first concert will be part of a larger event called, Mephisto Bal (www.mephisto-bal.com), which will feature the cutting edge sounds of Narcotango, which blends hip-hop dance music with traditional Tango. The second concert will be for the Tuesday practica at La Casa Del Tango (www.lacasadeltango.net). In Germany Joe will compete in 4 catergories. For solo-chromatic he will perform J.S. Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”, unaccompanied. For Jazz chromatic he will perform “Manha De Carnaval”, by Luis Bonfa. For Jazz diatonic he will perform “Don’t get around much anymore”, by Duke Ellington. And for Blues diatonic he will perform “Things ain’t what they used to be” by Mercer Ellington. Joe was recently informed that he is the only American participating in the competition which has entrants from as many as 20 different countries. As a guest to Japanese ambassador, Tadashi Nagai, in Belgrade Serbia, Joe will perform a selection of Classical pieces including, Beethoven’s Adagio from “Sonata Pathetique”, Debussy’s “Reverie”, G. F. Handel’s Siciliana and Allegro from Sonata in F, and the Gordon Jacob Harmonica Suite, among other pieces. When he returns to the U.S. he will spend an evening in Seattle Washington to hear harmonica legend Toots Theilemans at Jazz Alley, before making his way to Victoria Island in British Columbia where he will perform a Tango concert with Conjunto Berretin. Joe is very excited to making his European debut. BACK TO NEWS INDEX
	2005 FALL BLUES AWARD 10/20/2005 - Rose City Kings, recently won several Blues Awards from Real Blues Magazine– Top West Coast Blues/Rock CD - Up On It , 1st place - Top West Coast Blues CD - Up On It, 4th place Best Pacific Northwest Blues Band , and Best West Coast Blues/Rock band. Also the Cascade Blues Association recently nominated Rose City Kings for , 2005 Best Contemporary Blues act, 2005 Recording of the year - “Holler Out for More”, Dan Berkery - Best Male Vocalist, Joe Powers – Best Harmonica. The Awards recipients will be announced Wednesday November 2nd at the CBA gala ceremony held at the Melody Ballroom in SE Portland. For more details see, www.rosecitykings.com, www.cascadeblues.org and www.realbluesmagazine.com. BACK TO NEWS INDEX