Mel Brown B3 Organ Group with the Caranto Sax Brigade is at Jack London
Thursday night gigs at the Jack London Revue featuring the Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group are always memorable, but this is one you DEFINITELY don’t want to miss: the debut performance by the Caranto Sax Brigade! We’re talking three generations of HOT SAX: father, son & grandson (Renato, Renato Jr., and Nat) blowing their horns with Mel Brown, Dan Balmer, and “King Louie” Pain.
Renato Sr. is considered one of the top saxophonists in the country, having toured & recorded in recent years with numerous top artists, including multi-Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding and the late Merle Haggard. But the younger Carantos are amazing in their own right; this is going to be a sax showdown like you’ve never seen before!
We’re anticipating a sold out show, so you’re advised to purchase your tickets ASAP.
"If this band appeared in New York City, they'd be a sensation!" That was guitar great--and one-time Mel Brown bandmate--George Benson's reaction after hearing the Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group back in 2003.
In fact, this true all-star band (all four members are Oregon Music Hall Of Fame inductees) has been a sensation going back to 1997, when they began a 20-year run on Thursday evenings at Portland’s legendary “Jimmy Mak’s” (The Oregonian dubbed them “Jimmy Mak’s signature group”). They’ve continued their Thursday night tradition at the Jack London Revue for the past 6 years. With a collective resume that reads like a "Who's Who" of NW jazz, blues, and soul, this group has the talent and confidence to be completely spontaneous--from their blistering solos to their improvised arrangements and segues. No wonder they've thrilled audiences wherever they've played.
Count among the band’s fans jazz great Christian McBride, host of National Public Radio’s “Jazz Night In America.” In an October 2021 broadcast, McBride interviewed Mel and played excerpts from a Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group festival set. At one point in the program, McBride exclaimed, “My mind is blown!”
