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Review of The Portland Megaband: Live CD

Country Dance and Song Society News, January/February 2003

The Portland Megaband is an all-volunteer contra dance band from Portland, Oregon with—32 fiddles, 9 guitars, 6 mandolin/banjos; 5 flutes/whistles/recorders; 4 percussionists; 3 hammered dulcimers; 3 concertina/accordions/ 2 conductors; 2 banjo ukes; 1 clarinet; 1 saxophone; 1 keyboard; 1 harp; 1 bass; 1 autoharp; and 1 lonely caller. That’s over 70! Band members ranging from beginner to professional commit to practicing for 2 months before their big gigs, a benefit dance, in Portland each year, and every other year at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle. And what kind of sound do they make? It’s big and happy; it’s danceable; it’s surprisingly together music. Of course, they don’t all play at the same time. Conductors Sue Songer and Gordy Euler guide the band using elaborate hand signals to bring in sections and harmony lines. Some of the highlights are a percussive rendition of “Elzic’s Farewell,” a cool saxophone/clarinet duet and the sound of the fiddle section plucking their part. Included are 11 medleys of northern and southern reels, jigs, and Irish reels plus a schottische and two waltzes. Most are dance length.