Pam Ortiz will bring her stylish songs, clear voice and rare gift for lyrics that touch deeply to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday September 21 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
The Pam Ortiz Band includes Pam on vocals and guitar, Bob Ortiz on percussion and guitar, Ford Schumann on guitar, Nevin Dawson on viola and violin and Philip Dutton on piano and keyboards.
From blues to folk, new grass to jazz, Pam Ortiz’ songs have a lyrical depth and rich musicality. To quote a lyric from an earlier release, Ortiz is “no chanteuse draped in silk.” She’s no ingenue either. After a decade of performing with Terra Nova in the Baltimore and Washington, DC area in the late 80s through the 90s, Ortiz and her husband, Bob Ortiz, focused on raising a family and managing full lives in Chestertown on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Bob Ortiz, a furniture maker, continues to make his own line of furniture while Pam Ortiz, an attorney by training, directs a commission for the Maryland courts.
Ortiz recorded three albums with Terra Nova way back when and then took a break to raise her family. When asked what happened, she said. “All of life. Creativity takes time and attention, like all good work. I guess it’s a life cycle issue, and it seems the circle is turning yet again. In any event, there are plenty of songs yet to be written, played and sung.”
In late 2012, she released “Rattle Them Chains,” a recording of her songs reflecting the realities of working men and women, the delights of small town life and the wisdom found in family histories.
The title cut, “Rattle Them Chains,” was inspired by a day spent in a beautiful Eastern Shore home, built by slaves. Her lyrics suggest the complexity of our history: “One too many legacies, One too many fine homes, Handed up that family tree, On roots tangled in black man’s bones,” reflecting on the legacy of oppression upon which much wealth is built. Her lyrics connect the chains of the past to the chains of the present, speaking to the racial disparities that prevail in our criminal justice system today.
Other tunes are drawn from Ortiz’ own history. “Oil and Bread” tells the answer her great grandmother gave when asked by her eight daughters why she married their father, a hard man. There are tunes are just for fun including “Walk the Dog” while “The Conversation” showcases Ortiz’ nascent jazz chops – a departure for a singer-songwriter with folk roots. The CD was recorded with a number of musicians and with support from the Kent County Arts Council.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
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