Robert Sarazin Blake has been a major presence in the Bellingham music scene since his first shows way back in 1995. As the organizer and founder of the Subdued Stringband Jamboree, he has facilitated innumerable connections between locals and all the stellar touring acts he helps bring to town.
Blake is also a renowned singer and songwriter in his own right, with a national and international following for his adventurous, melodic, poetic folk music. Between 2012 and 2015 he and Thomas Deakin — a multi-instrumentalist specializing in sax and woodwinds — developed a deep collaboration, recording and touring together extensively, highlighted by a 50-show European tour in 2015.
At the 2018 Jamboree, Blake recorded a live album featuring four musicians from the Hudson Valley of New York with whom he has frequently collaborated: Brandon Morrison on bass, Connor Kennedy on guitar, Will Bryant on piano and organ, and Lee Falco on drums. That band brings loose, empathetic support to everything from the uptempo political rocker, “19 Shot,” to the 13-minute, album-closing lament, “Really Hard.”
The album, titled “One Summer Night,” was released earlier this year. Blake and Deakin also recently reconnected to collaborate on a single called “My Town, Your Town.” A full album release with the band wasn’t in the cards, so Blake and Deakin are going to play three shows this weekend to celebrate its release.
The duo will also be premiering some songs from a new album the two of them are currently working on. The shows are taking place April 28–30 at The Happy Place, a new-ish event space located at 1215 Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5 p.m. on Sunday, with a copy of the live CD included in the price of admission. The Sunday show will also be livestreamed for the benefit of fans who can’t attend in person. There are only 75 tickets for each show, so it might be a good idea to make your plans in advance.
Blake isn’t the only esteemed local singer-songwriter hosting a big album release this weekend. Aaron Guest (of Polecat, Petty or Not, etc.) has a show at The Blue Room to celebrate not one, but two new albums. The first, “Guest,” is his first solo album in several years, features a whole bunch of notable guest performers and is being released on vinyl. Many of Guest’s guests on “Guest” will also be guesting at the live show. (Sorry, couldn’t help it.)
The other album is called “One Takes” and consists, as you might imagine, of unedited, single-take live performances, half originals and half covers.
Finally, a bit of radio news. The Local Jam on KMRE 102.3 is moving to Saturday mornings from 10–11 a.m. Pace Rubadeau is taking over as the host, and the show will now be live instead of pre-recorded, so check that out if you’re looking for some local music on the airwaves.
Live music listings
Tuesday, April 25
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic ft. Hunter Preston
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Tenderpile’s Smile Aisle (jazz)
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam|
Ranch Room: 9 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m. Perfect By Tomorrow, The Earth Tones, Marla Hooch (rock/reggae)
Wednesday, April 26
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Naomi Moon Siegel Ensemble (jazz)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Janette West (jazz)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon Grady
Underground Coffeehouse: 7 p.m., Collins Beach (rock)
Thursday, April 27
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic; 8 p.m., Jam:30 (open jam)
Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
Farmstrong: 6 p.m., Wes & Carly Jones (folk)
Guemes Island General Store: 5:30 p.m., 7:20 String Band (folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Jam
Jansen Art Center: 7:30 p.m., Front Street Jazz
Mount Baker Theatre: 7 p.m., Portland Cello Project (alt-classical tribute to Prince)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Nattali Rize, Minori (electronic)
Zeeks: 7 p.m., soul*drift (acoustic covers)
Friday, April 28
Aslan: 8 p.m., Hopnotic
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Angelic Noise
Blue Room: 9 p.m., The Stillvettas, Lazy Acres, Jade House
Farmstrong: 6 p.m. The Penny Stinkers (acoustic rock covers)
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Reid Jamieson Band (acoustic originals and covers)
Fireside: 7 p.m., Will Byrne (acoustic covers)
Guemes Island General Store: 5:30 p.m., Ben Starner on piano
Happy Place: 8 p.m., Robert Sarazin Blake andThomas Deakin (singer-songwriter)
Karate Church: 7:30 p.m., Coastal Cleanup, Mossy Rock, Island Gigantism (rock)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Weep Wave, Duos, The Hobby, LipStitch (rock)
McIntyre Hall: 7:30 p.m., Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (traditional Nordic folk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., SixTwoSeven, Myonia, Gonzos Attic (rock)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Lisa Temcov (classic country)
Stones Throw Block Party: 5 p.m., GrooveBot (funk/R&B)
Wild Buffalo: 8:15 p.m., KENDOLL, Salleymane, Given Peace, Silk Jammies (electronic)
WinkWink: 7 p.m., Ent, Monstress, Oath Ov Hatred (metal)
Saturday, April 29
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., Blind Fate (classic rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., For What It’s Worth (classic folk/rock)
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Aaron Guest (singer-songwriter)
Bourbon: 9 p.m., SpaceBand (R&B/pop covers)
Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Joel Astley Band (blues)
Downtown Bellingham waterfront: 6 p.m., April Brews Day featuring Marshall Law Band, North Sound Soul, Out of the Ashes
FireHouse: 7 p.m., Bellingham Community Chamber Orchestra
Fireside 4 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Gateway1890: 7 p.m., Ron Hardt & Jimmy Wright (acoustic covers)
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Brian Beilansky (acoustic rock/folk)
Guemes Island General Store: 6:30 p.m., Scott Pemberton O Theory (rock)
Happy Place: 8 p.m., Robert Sarazin Blake and Thomas Deakin
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Philip Hofmann’s Song Swap ft. Emily Freudenberger, Cumulus
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Careen, Spiral XP, The Artists, Pliers (rock)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Chris Eger Band (blues/rock)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Hulder, Swamp Lantern, Inpathos (black metal)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Odd Mood Jam Band (acoustic covers)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., The D’vas (classic rock and roll and pop)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Willdabeast, Glyf, Samora Artwork (electronic)
Sunday, April 30
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Leebo, Atari Jones, K.O.D. (hip-hop/R&B)
FireHouse: 4 p.m., Jennifer Scott Quartet (jazz)
Happy Place: 8 p.m., Robert Sarazin Blake & Thomas Deakin
Kulshan: 5 p.m., Three for Silver (cabaret folk)
Littlefield Celtic Center: 3 p.m., Neil Pearlman (Celtic piano)
Main Street: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., The Bow Diddlers
Shakedown: 7:30 p.m., John Prine Tribute Night featuring Stephen Ray Leslie, Salt Pine, Cape Flattery, more (folk)
Wild Buffalo: 8:30 p.m., High Step Society x Banshee Tree, guests
Monday, May 1
FireHouse: 3:30 p.m., J.P. Falcon Grady
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Delta Promenade (blues)
Tuesday, May 2
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
Wednesday, May 3
Shakedown: 8 p.m., Terrapin Flyer (Grateful Dead tribute)
Before heading out to listen to live music, check with individual venues to make sure the event is still taking place as scheduled.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, runs Tuesdays. Email: jsbhammusic@gmail.com or Twitter: @JSBhamMusic.
