The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest

The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest, is a collection of 318 traditional and recently composed jigs and reels played for dances in Portland, Oregon. National standards and local favorites are included. The music derives from New England, Irish, Scottish, Quebecois, Appalachian, and English sources, all of which are included in the book. Chord suggestions are provided. There is an extensive commentary on each tune. Discography, bibliography, indices, and more are included.

Since it's publication in 1997, The Portland Collection has become the standard for contra dance musicians all across the United States and has also become popular among fiddlers of many other genres. The book is praised for its clear, readable format; its sturdy covers and binding; its informative, entertaining commentary; and especially for the repertoire itself. This music is suitable for any acoustic instrument. Beginners and accomplished musicians alike will find tunes that match their skill levels in this book.

There are two companion recordings for this book. On A Portland Selection 2 editors Susan Songer and Clyde Curley, joined by fiddler George Penk, play a representative cross section of the music in the book using a variety of tempos, harmonies, and other variations on the music. A Portland Play Along Selection is a 2-disc album of 97 tunes from both of the Portland Collection books engineered for ease of playing along. Fiddler Betsy Branch joins Clyde and Susan on this recording. Both of these recordings are for sale elsewhere on Amazon.com.

Susan Songer, of Portland Oregon, has enjoyed music as long as she can remember. In grade school, she played piano and eagerly participated in square dancing during P.E. classes. She played folk songs on guitar with informal groups during and just after college. Susan has been an avid contra dancer since 1986, and a dance pianist and fiddler since 1992. She is a member of the Portland-based contra dance bands Joyride and Calico, and also plays piano (both contra and English) coast to coast for many other fiddlers and their bands. She has tutored both beginning fiddlers and piano players at The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes and also plays contra dance week end and week-long camps. Susan is founder and director of the 75-member Portland Megaband, which plays for a very large, special dance once a year. In her other life, Susan has been first a middle school teacher and then a psychologist with a private practice. Music eventually overtook these more traditional day jobs, and she retired from psychology in order to focus on contra dance music publication and playing.

Clyde Curley got his first guitar in 1959 when he was in 9th grade. He has been playing folk music ever since on an increasing arsenal of instruments. Seeing Doc Watson at a San Francisco State folk festival and hearing the records of the New Lost City Ramblers in the 60 s were serious formative moments. He moved to Oregon in 1970 to begin a 31-year career teaching high school English and raise a family and to play in a variety of bands specializing in several musical styles. Clyde has extensive experience as a musician and teacher at contra dance camps and music festivals up and down the West Coast. In Portland he played mandolin and banjo with the contra dance band Jigsaw and appeared on several recordings. Now in retirement from teaching, he lives in Bellingham, Washington, where he continues to play for dances and plumb the secrets of old-time fiddling. Clyde also writes occasional articles for Strings magazine and is currently teaching himself to write fiction by hacking away at a murder mystery set in Portland.