Our January 8, 2021, performance as part of Blue House Productions’ “Blue House Live” series is available for viewing on demand. The video is just about one hour. View it here, or on the Video page.
Author Archives: Pam
Blue House Live – January 8, 2021 at 7:30 pm
Pam & Bob Ortiz
Blue House Live
Friday, January 8, 2021
7:30 p.m.
Our long-time friend and collaborator, Jeff Gruber, produces some of the finest quality videos for live events and musical performances through his studio, Blue House Productions. Jeff has extended many kindnesses to us over the years, including producing a couple of free demos for us 30 years ago. He has since produced all our CDs since the early-90s. He has spent the pandemic live streaming a series of incredible performances by DC-area musicians. When he called to invite us to do a streamed concert as part of his series, we couldn’t say no. Ours will be a departure from the rest of the Blue House Live series (which are mostly jazz), but we are honored to have been asked. We’ll do a simple set of original acoustic tunes with Pam on guitar, and Bob on percussion and piano.
Join us this Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a free live-streamed show, courtesy of Blue House Live.
VIEW IT LIVE HERE: https://youtu.be/oTg_9T4WxyE
If you miss it, you can catch it later on the Blue House Productions Youtube page.
Toasting Our Successes and Best Wishes to All
Dear Friends:
Who could have envisioned that anything could keep us from singing together? After several months of pandemic life — a stay-at-home order, teleworking for some of us, masks everywhere, outdoor dining into the fall, and the elimination of regular gatherings and shared meals — the members of the Pam Ortiz Band got together in August to toast our successes. If there’s one thing you can’t do during the COVID-19 health emergency, it’s to hang out in the small space that is our music room with your closest musical comrades, open your mouth, and sing. We brought tables and chairs outside, along with a little bubbly, shared a socially-distanced meal (when that was still possible in summer), and expressed our gratitude for all the amazing experiences we have had together – the coffee and conversation on Tuesday rehearsal nights, the friendships, the trips to various shows, the performances (good and bad!), and most especially the music we made together.
To everything there is a season. When the world reawakens, most of us will find ways to continue performing, but the Pam Ortiz Band has laid down its instruments and walked off the stage.
Of course, most of us continue to make music or art in one way or another. Nevin has been doing online performances. Philip has been recording with his Louisianna band, the Alligators. Ford has managed the Garfield Center’s online open mike, and he and his sister continued to host the Chestertown Ukulele Club well into the late fall – outdoors with masks, of course. Bob continues to craft furniture and is envisioning new ways to keep the arts alive at the shop. He’s been planning a mural supporting the work of local Latin American artists and the local Latin American community. Pam has rediscovered the joy of just playing for herself — playing much more piano than she usually does– because that is an instrument that gives her great joy, but which she will rarely play in performance.
We worry about musician comrades who depend on performance for their livelihood. We mourn the dark stages of our local venues, fingers-crossed that they’ll make it through the extended economic crisis. And most of all we miss you — we miss large crowds and sold-out shows — we miss hollering and yelling, unmasked, with delight upon seeing you in the street or at the theater, we miss shared meals, we miss running into you at the pub for a high volume conversation over drinks and clamoring voices. We miss quiet confidences and intimate discussions. We are desperate for hugs and long to raise our voices with a large crowd in shared song.
You have been an amazing part of our musical journey. We are so incredibly grateful for those of you who have walked that journey with us. We’re all still around. That journey will continue in some way at some time. Right now it’s a very quiet, slow journey to nowhere. We are all in the desert, living our 40 days and nights, doing what we are supposed to do, centering and quieting, and preparing for the next chapter.
All of us from the Pam Ortiz Band wish you a healthy, joyful holiday, and the very best for the coming year.
Pam, Bob, Ford, Philip, and Nevin
Upcoming Performances in 2020
We are looking forward to a few new shows in early 2020 (Can you believe we’re living in the future . . . it’s 2020 already!).
On January 17 we will perform a show of original tunes and favorites for the Friday Nites in Caroline concert series hosted by the Caroline County Public LIbrary.
Later that month we will be reprising our concert version of our original musical, Red Devil Moon, created with our friend and collaborator, Robert Earl Price. We will start our “mini-tour” with a one-evening performance at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, Maryland on Thursday, January 30. For Easton Tickets click HERE. This performance will raise funds for For All Seasons, the behavioral health provider and rape crisis center serving the five Mid-Shore counties.
Then our entire troupe is traveling to the southernmost point of Delmarva to perform at the historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles, Virginia on Saturday, February 8. For Cape Charles Tickets click HERE. Even if you have seen the show before, we continue to revise and update the performance. This show will be performed in two sets, with two new songs not previously performed. These songs were written originally for the show, but were left out of earlier performances. We are always trying to improve the show with every performance so come see what it’s all about!
We hope to see you at a show in the coming year. In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season and the best to you and yours in 2020!
The Pam Ortiz Band
Two Shows to Benefit For All Seasons
Harry Chapin used to say he played one night for himself and one night for the other guy. In that spirit, we’re doing two shows September 29 and 30 to benefit our friends and neighbors served by For All Seasons, a behavioral health and rape crisis center serving the five Mid-Shore counties. For All Seasons is a non-profit human services agency offering outpatient mental health services, including psychiatry, for children, youth and adults, and crisis support for victims of rape, sexual assault and other traumas. These events will kick off the organization’s suicide prevention initiative, No Matter What…You Matter, in Chestertown.
Come early for the Saturday show for a little wine and light fare from Chester River Wine & Cheese. Profits from food and wine will also benefit For All Seasons.
Click to Order or Reserve Tickets
Songs for Our Future – You Made It Amazing!
Thank you to each of you who joined for us for our Songs for Our Future Concert Series which concluded with a final performance at the Mainstay in Rock Hall in July, 2017. Your enthusiasm and support was amazing! So many of you showed up month after month. We saw lots of you in pink hats, or cheering our special guests, or bringing your friends. So many of you helped — at the door, setting up the furniture studio for our first six events, stacking chairs, moving equipment. And you really came through with the donations, helping us raise over $18,000 to support seven organizations supporting critical rights and some of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors. See the list below for details on how much we raised together, and check out some video highlights from the series. We owe a special thank you to Jeff Weber who filmed many of our performances. We can’t wait to see what we can all do next together!
How to Get Tickets for Songs for Our Future Concerts
Our Songs for our Future series has pretty much been selling out every show. Be sure to reserve your tickets early. There are two ways to reserve a seat for a show:
- CLICK HERE to reserve seats through EventBrite.
- Or, if you prefer, call 410-810-1400 and leave a message. Please provide your NAME, NUMBER OF SEATS you want, and a PHONE NUMBER.
Second Show Added & Reservations Being Accepted for March Songs for Our Future Concert
Second Show Added for March Performance!
We are pleased to announce that we have added a second show for the next performance in our Songs for Our Future series, a Concert to Highlight Climate Change & Clean Energy. In addition to the show originally planned for Friday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m., we are adding a show on Sunday, March 5 at 3:00 p.m. with all the same music and special guests.
Now Taking Reservations!
In addition, we have made it possible for you to reserve seats for all upcoming shows. Visit our EventBrite page to reserve tickets. All donations will be taken at the door. If your plans change, please return to the site to cancel your reservations so we can accommodate someone on the waiting list.
The first two shows in this series have been sold out, standing-room only events so be sure to reserve a spot. We were sad to have to turn people away last month, and regret if it happened to you. We want to make sure everyone can be a part of these special events.
A CONCERT TO HIGHLIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE & CLEAN ENERGY
Friday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 5 at 3:00 p.m. [2nd Show Just Added!]
Robert Ortiz Studios
207C S. Cross St.
Chestertown, MD
410-810-1400
The Pam Ortiz Band
with Special Guests:
Meredith Davies Hadaway, Celtic harp, poetry
Andrew McCown, outdoor educator & storyteller
Robert Earl Price, poet
Jeff Davis, bass
$15 suggested donation ($10 students)
All proceeds will benefit 350.org. 350.org is building a global grassroots climate movement that can hold leaders accountable to the realities of science and the principles of justice. 350.org was founded by a group of university friends in the U.S. along with author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public. Today, 350.org works in almost every country in the world on campaigns like fighting coal power plants in India, stopping the Keystone XL pipeline in the U.S, and divesting public institutions everywhere from fossil fuels. All of their work leverages people power to dismantle the influence and infrastructure of the fossil fuel industry, and to develop people-centric solutions to the climate crisis.
350.org is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law
Songs for Our Future A Standing-Room Only Success!
Thanks to all of you for making the first two performances in our Songs for Our Future concert series such a success. We have been overwhelmed by the response, with standing room only at each of the first two shows.
In January, with your help, we raised $3,400 for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to support their work to protect the right to vote.
In February, we worked together to raise $2,775 for the National Immigration Law Center to protect immigrants.
Thanks to all of you who participated in some way — to our special guests who joined us on stage, to those of you who joined us for a show, made a donation, volunteered to help out, told a friend, or supported us with your ideas, energy and enthusiasm. We are proud to stand with you!
Songs for Our Future: A Monthly Concert Series to Launch in 2017
In the Ortiz household, we have a framed quote from Spanish cellist and composer, Pablo Casals:
Soy hombre primero y artista despues. Como hombre, mi primera obligación es defender la dignidad humana. Como artista, cumpliré esa misión a traves de la musica – unica arma que Dios me ha dado – ya que ésta trasciende las vallas impuestas por el idioma la politica y las fronteras nacionales. Mi contribución a la paz mundial será humilde, per al menos lo habré dado todo por ese ideal que, para mis es sagrado.
I am a man first and an artist second. As a man, my first obligation is to defend human dignity. As an artist, I will fulfill this mission through music — the unique weapon which God has given me – and that which trancends the boundaries imposed by language, politics and national borders. My contribution to world peace will be humble, but at least I will have given all for this ideal which, to me, is sacred.
In the spirit of Pablo Casals, the Pam Ortiz Band has decided launch a monthly concert series in 2017, to raise funds to protect important rights and vulnerable people. We hope you will join us.