Ahhhh, finally summer in Portland. We all knew we had to wait until after July 4 – it’s simply understood – yet everyone I know was chomping at the bit for some warm sun, BBQ, lemonade, neighbors out on their porches and front lawns… and now it’s here!

Of course, summer heats up even more with live music, and in this town, we are never in short supply. Even in this band we have live music going weekly, sometimes as Mosaique, sometimes lending our “pieces” to other groups and grooves.

This Saturday, see Mosaique together at Arrivederci, our happy haunt, 7:30-10:30. Unlike other places in town, there’s no cover on this gig, so come on down and enjoy great food and wine and sultry summer jazz (and maybe some pop and funk, you never know)…

Earlier that day, catch the Steves playing with Carol Rossio, la chanteuse locale qui va chanter au Jour de la Bastille in the Pearl at Jameson Park, high noon!

Each Monday, catch Steve Squared at Rocco’s Bar downtown with the occasional femme fatale, 7:30-10:00p – grab a slice of their amazing vegan pizza (or the pepperoni, I suppose) and a brew and settle in – also no cover! They’ll also be backing local recording artist Kelley Shannon at Arrivederci during Happy Hour on July 23 and at Indish on the 29th.

First Thursdays, head south for the artistic stylings of Frankie D and Malski (aka Frank DiGiovanni, pianist and Steve Maliszewski, bassist) at Arrivederci playing 7-10p.

And on Saturday, July 17, Thea will be joining Tall Jazz (Mike Horsfall – vibes, Dan Presley – bass, Dave Averre -drums) and friends (George Mitchell – piano, Bryant Allard – trumpet, Lee Wuthenow – tenor sax) for Jazz in the City at Pioneer Square, smack in the midst of the Sand in the City celebration. This is a fundraiser for Impact Northwest and is $35 per ticket. For more info see the official website.

Need we say more? There’s fabulous music happening all over town, basking in the sun and rolling through the jasmine – come join us!

June is going to be a busy month for the band, just not together!  Missing Mosaique?  Me too!  Mark your calendars for our reunion on July 10 at Arrivederci, when summer finally hits Portland!  Until then, here’s where you can catch up with Mosaique’s “fragments”~

Thursday, June 3 – Duopolis (Frankie and Malski) at Arrivederci, 7-10p
Friday, June 4 - Thea with After Six (Graham Covington-piano, Dennis Caiazza-bass) and Ron Steen-drums at Arrivederci, 8-11p
Saturday, June 5 – Stevie B with Susan LeMaster at Poshines
Mondays all month – Steve Squared (Blackman and Maliszewski) at Rocco’s Bar in downtown PDX with various other femmes fatales (we call it “the harem”)
Friday, July 2 – Thea with Portland Jazz Trio at Arrivederci, 8-11p

Check out our “shows” page for addresses and such.  Thanks for coming out and continuing to support fantastic live music in Portland!

On my Facebook page www.facebook.com/theaenos I quote Sarah Vaughan who once said, “I like doing all kinds of material – as long as it’s good.” 

One of the great joys Mosaique has is allowing ourselves to indulge in the good music that exists across genres.  Whether on our cd or at our gigs, you will hear tunes from the pop, rock, country, and blues charts, in addition to the wonderful jazz that we play.  Which have been your favorite tunes?  What other songs would you like to hear us play?

Thanks to you, our wonderful friends, fans, and supporters, for continuing to make Mosaique’s music ring! We had another fantastic night at Arrivederci last night and are already looking forward to the new tunes we’ll have to show off when we’re back on May 8th. Our cds keep flying off the shelves – we’re almost out! You’re giving them as gifts, buying one for the car and one for the office, making sure the music gets around, and we thank you!

As summer approaches and weddings and parties are taking shape, be sure to think of us in your planning – we’d love to be a part of your celebration! We love to play your favorite tunes, and can swing from the jazz end of the spectrum to the rock/pop end and everywhere in between.

Otherwise, don’t forget to come in and see us again on Saturday, May 8th – bring your mom (Mother’s Day is May 9), your favorite graduate(s), or just your favorite people and enjoy another day of jazz in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. And never forget how much we love and appreciate you!

I’m a bit star-struck to find that local jazz station, KMHD 89.1, is playing Mosaique’s Songs We Know on the air! It reminds me of the scene from the movie That Thing You Do! when the little band from Erie PA gets on the radio for the first time and all the band members are jumping and screaming in excitement together. Okay, so the fellas in Mosaique are keeping their feet on the ground and using only inside voices, but this girl’s got her head in the clouds…! Tune in and support Mosaique and local jazz radio – www.kmhd.org and 89.1fm.

And don’t forget to come see us at Arrivederci on Saturday, April 17!

We’re excited to be playing a new gig at Rocco’s Bar on Monday, March 22 from 7-10p. As usual, no cover fee, great food and drinks! Plus it’s right across from Powell’s Books, in the northern heart of downtown PDX – suh-weet! Hope you can make it!

We’ve got just a few more cds left, so don’t forget to snatch up your copy asap! Come to our gig at Rocco’s or to Arrivederci on March 27 for an autographed copy, or catch any of us via Facebook or email to order one via postal mail, or heck, check us out through CD Baby.com!

If you’re like me, you want to know how a song came to be – why that arrangement, what do they like about it, what makes it special to the band, etc.  Well, if you are like me, then check out our new page titled Songs We Know – behind the scenes.  It’s just from Thea’s brain - the fellas would surely add their own take if I gave them the chance – but nonetheless, in the interest of concision and time, I jotted down a few notes that I hope you will find supply, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.”  And as always, please post your thoughts as well!

You read that right – it was so nice, we’re doing it twice!  Arrivederci was sold out in days for our first party on Feb 13 – which was FANTASTIC, by the way – and so we’re hosting a second party for those of you who couldn’t get a table last weekend!  Be sure to call them at 503-659-1143 to get your reservations, and check out the new pics posted from the party on the 13th!

Check it out! Our cd is done and ready for your ears! We couldn’t be more pleased with how it came out. So how can you get a copy? Multiple options exist: first, you can get an autographed copy at our CD RELEASE PARTY on Saturday, Feb 13 at Arrivederci! I hear they’re sold out for that night, so if you don’t already have your reservations, you can email us directly and we can make arrangements to get you a copy (or two!). Finally, we will soon have it up on the website CD Baby for purchase online.  Happy listening!  And don’t forget to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Last night at Arrivederci was fantastic – the house was full and the fans were fabulous!  Check out the photos page for some new pics of the band and of you!

And then… mark your calendars for the Mosaique CD Release Party at Arrivederci on February 13!  We’ll be showcasing our new album as well as autographing copies hot off the press.  You won’t want to miss it!