walk
soul
A tribute to Portland's historic Black musician community and the spaces where community flourished.
What is the ALBINA SOUL WALK?A self guided audio tour hosted on the ECHOES mobile application, presented by Albina Music Trust and artist megan hattie stahl.
The ALBINA SOUL WALK audio tour explores Albina's historic music culture in the mid-20th century. Using the ECHOES mobile app, walkers visit historic landmarks in Albina while listening to oral histories from Albina’s musicians and community leaders + songs from the Albina Music Trust archive. Visiting former venues and community hubs, we invite walkers to experience these historic landmarks and consider how we might preserve the music of Black Portland for future generations.
Step 1: Download The AppOn your mobile device, visit this link or scan the QR code in the image below. Once complete, download the ECHOES app on your mobile device.
Step 2: Set Up Your AccountSet up your free account in the ECHOES app.
Step 3: Visit The Starting LocationVisit the walk’s starting location: The Historic Cotton Club (2125 N. Vancouver Ave. Portland, Oregon 97227
Step 4: Open The App and ListenOpen the app and listen. You will hear oral histories and music from historic locations on the walking route. Walking instructions will be given at each location.
The HistoryThe mid-late 20th century was a vibrant time for music in Albina. From the roots of gospel, blues, and jazz sprang new forms of soul, funk, disco, and electrified R&B. Teenagers and elders alike fused genres to create new sounds in church. Musicians spent afternoons and after hours hopping from jam session to jam session. And residents dressed to the nines, hitting the clubs every night of the week.
Over time, however, this rich musical culture was immobilized by redlining, community disinvestment, and gentrification. Black musicians experienced racism in the city's club circuit, restricting access to capital and recognition outside of Albina. Though music in the neighborhood was alive and well, record labels largely ignored Albina musicians and few albums were produced in their time.
The ALBINA SOUL WALK audio tour explores Albina's historic music culture in the mid-20th century. Using the ECHOES mobile app, walkers visit historic landmarks in Albina while listening to oral histories from Albina’s musicians and community leaders + songs from the Albina Music Trust archive. Visiting former venues and community hubs, we invite walkers to experience these historic landmarks and consider how we might preserve the music of Black Portland for future generations.
Credits
Voices
Ken Berry
Bill Deiz
J.W. Friday
Joe “Bean” Keller
Marilyn Keller
Paul Knauls
Marlon McClain
Shirley Nanette
Gregg A. Smith
Norman Sylvester
Calvin Walker
Music
Billy Larkin & the Jivers - “But I Wonder”
Billy Larkin & the Jivers - “Play It Cool”
Chuck Moore & the All Stars - “The Flip Side”
Gregg A. Smith Band - “Teasin’ Woman”
Joyous ft. Chuck Colberg - “Get Down Tonight” (live at Fred’s Place)
Joyous ft. Chuck Colberg - “If You Could Be My Girl (live at Fred’s Place)
Mary Lee Whitney - “This Could Have Been Mine”
Ralph Ventsha & Red Julian Quartet - “Listen to Me (Baby)”
Rated X - “Rated X”
Rated X: “What You Gonna Do About It”
Ruby & the Wonders - “Don’t Cha Do It”
Ruby & the Wonders - “Here is My Heart”
Shirley Nanette - “Give and Take”
Shirley Nanette - “Sometimes”
The Cavaliers Unlimited - “The Nasty”
The Fabulous Majestics with Lanny Hunt - “Somethin’ Else”
The Gangsters - “Le Funk”
The Gangsters - “Lester’s Theme”
The Harlequins - “Think”
The Harlequins - “You Spec”
The Legendary Beyons - “Dreamin’ You In My Mind”
The Legendary Beyons - “There We Were, Here We Are”
The Legendary Beyons - “Love Notes”
Transport - “Move Your Body”
Warren Bracken Quartet ft. Marianne Mayfield - “Love For Sale”
Special Thanks
Betty Yu
Kathy Stahl
Nate Terepka
Laura Lo Forti
the Knauls family
the Sylvester family
the Walker family.
Tipstaking the walk
Once you have downloaded the “ECHOES interactive sound walks” mobile application, you can access the walk by searching within the app or clicking here.The soundwalk starts at Portland's Historic Cotton Club 2125 N. Vancouver Ave and and takes about an hour to complete, as you will need to stop at each location to hear all of the audio.There are 9 ECHOES (blue sound zones) total which are meant to be visited in the order shown on the map above.When you walk into an ECHO, audio will start playing automatically. If you accidentally step outside of the zone, the audio will pick up where you left off when you return.The ECHOES are intentionally larger than the landmark itself to allow for meandering while you listen. To find out exactly where the location was, tap on the ECHO to view its street address.