Robert Sarazin Blake

In 2017 Robt Sarazin Blake’s 12th release, the double album, ‘Recitative’ received an A- from legendary Rock Critic Robert Christgau: ‘'Chants that riff on the titles WORK, COUPLES, and SINGLE WOMEN are as instantly indelible as the Springsteen, Weill, Reed, and Van Morrison lifts woven in’. 

For 20+ years Blake has performed all over the US, Ireland & Germany.  His concerts are a mix of his material from his catalogue, new songs, and whatever the moment calls for. ‘Blake being a master of stage presence and completely at ease, he was capable of bringing the crowd to a complete silence. His ability to make a story out of a moment - a moment every audience member is a part of no less - is the one of the best forms of concert entertainment I’ve ever experienced.”

- Jess, Sunsetintherearview.com

For this special run at Al’s Den, Blake’s usual recitative will be mixed with the unusual holiday songs from his one-man-show 'A Very Subdued Christmas'. He'll be joined by Lucky Brown on Trumpet and David Pender Lofgren on Drums.

Website:

http://robertsarazinblake.com/

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHg9FMaoQxs

Sam Cooper

After several years as a member of three nationally-acclaimed bands - Horse Feathers, Jared Mees and Sean Flinn - musician Sam Cooper has gone rogue, channeling his multi-instrumentalism into a truly solo album titled, "Long Lost Love".  Like a prism breaking a beam of white light into its multitudinous parts, his poetic, metaphorically-dense songs unwind on the album with complex layers of self-harmony backed by himself on a dozen multi-tracked instruments, with assistance from drummer Nick Werth.  His mastery takes the phrase "multi-instrumentalist" to impressive excess:  guitars, piano, violin, accordion, banjo, bass, organ, mandolin and even the charango (a kind of Andean lute).  Oh, and he sings, too. 

Throughout 2012, Sam has been playing solo around town while building up a full band, an  organically-grown assemblage of musicians featuring Jake Maynard on guitar/vocals, Jake Hershman on bass/vocals, and Nick Werth on drums/vocals.  Like their seismic namesake, Sam Cooper & the Earthquakes aim to spread throughout the Northwest, leaving Richter-scale musical aftershocks in their wake...

Website:

http://www.samcoopermusic.com/