BOTQ – Who are Those “Guys”?

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter (BOTQ) Update

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and the video at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #)

Followers of Thebeerchaser blog know that I periodically do a post about an individual or group that may or may not have anything to do with bars or beers but has an interesting story and made contributions to society.

Admittedly, I have not related these stories with the frequency I’d have liked in the last two years but hope to remedy that in 2024. I’ve known the majority of the individual “honorees” personally.

The lineup includes war heroes, athletes, media personalities, authors, academicians, civic activists and of course, lawyers. Some are pictured below, and their stories are related in the link over their name – and they are impressive.

Clockwise: The 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer Football Team; former NFL defensive tackle, mountaineer and executive, Craig Hanneman; Portland attorney and television personality, Jack Faust; writer and media personality, Amy Faust; the late author Brian Doyle;

Professional oboist (and my oboe instructor) Kelly Gronli; the late Princeton Professor Emeritus and author, Harry Frankfurt; Jan and Jack McGowan – founders of SOLV; developer and civic activist, Mark Edlen; the late Terry “Spike McKinsey, USMC-retired; Jud Blakely USMC. (#1 – #5)

To see a list of the thirty-five “honorees” from 2011 to 2020, check out the following link:https://thebeerchaser.com/2020/12/13/beerchasers-of-the-quarter-who-what-why/

And Then There’s Jay Waldron

One BOTQ – a colleague of mine for twenty-five years when I worked as the COO at the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt law firm – is Jay Waldron. As stated in the original 2016 blog post featuring him as Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law – one of the Nations’s top five at twenty-nine.

The older than average age was partly because he first completed a master’s degree at the school – but also because of his extracurricular activities which included boxing, playing rugby, teaching 7th-grade English in Appalachia and coaching basketball. (#6 – #8)

Counselor Waldron has contributed his time and served in leadership capacities in many civic and charitable activities, in addition to having a thriving Environmental and Natural Resources law practice.

At age thirty-seven he argued a case at the US Supreme Court and he’s also appeared at the Oregon Supreme Court and the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

His legal work has earned him recognition multiple times in the “Best Lawyers in America” and as an Oregon Super Lawyer and by the Oregon State Bar for pro bono service.

And he just received another accolade from his peers with the Oregon State Bar’s Environmental and Natural Resources Section 2024 Award. It recognizes an Oregon lawyer for leadership, service and outstanding contributions to environmental and natural resources law.

Carson Bowler, who was Jay’s partner for many years eloquently summed up why Jay was selected:

“For more than 40 years, Jay has been in the middle of some of the most important and consequential environmental matters and cases in Oregon and the Northwest. His superpower has always been to identify the core of a complicated case, and then to communicate that core to whatever audience was listening, be they legislators, judges or clients.

His career resume is astonishing; he’s been (aptly) called a grandfather of environmental law in Oregon, a title that finally befits his life season. But I think his lasting legacy will be the quiet influence he’s had on so many young lawyers who over the years have had the privilege of learning their craft from him.”

In his acceptance speech, Jay spent most of his time thanking his partners, his wife, Karen (see below) and others. Emphasizing the importance of being a well-rounded person, he stated:

“I’m probably the only environmental lawyer in Oregon who wrote a master’s thesis on “The Poetry of Emily Dickinson.”

(His favorite poem is “Because I Could Not Stop For Death.” – a poem that explores the themes of death, time and eternity.) (#9)

Black-white_photograph_of_Emily_Dickinson2

One of Jay’s attributes emphasized at the reception was his dedication to mentoring. And to further elaborate on Jay’s contribution to his own firm, take a look at this summary from his partner, Brien Flanagan, Chair of Schwabe’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group:

“Jay was a guide and an advocate for young lawyers. A genius on developing the theme to win a case or the politics that wins approval from bureaucratic regulators. And Jay was always happy to tell a tale while sharing a brew.” (#10)

Thebeerchaser joins Bowler and Flanagan on his birthday for a brewski

Brien’s reference to Jay’s story telling fits into this narrative quite well, because Jay has a vast storehouse of tales – and a preponderance of them, upon further research, appear to be true.

He is a frequent commenter on the bars and breweries I feature in my blog posts including the Ship Tavern, Jake’s Place, Jake’s Famous Crawfish bar, the Horse Brass Pub and most recently Malachy’s Irish Pub in downtown New York City.

I wrote about Malachy’s in my most recent post “Don’t Jump When You Can Dive – Part III”. Jay’s comment was:

“Was Malachy’s named after Malachy McCourt? He was a full-of-shit Irishman who played rugby and drank with me in NYC in the late 60’s and I also had a pint with his more famous author/brother Frank in McSorleys ,my then favorite NYC bar. Jay”

After researching, my response was:

“You never disappoint me, Counselor. Malachy’s in New York City, was in fact, opened by Malachy McCourt, who was indeed, a rugby player. See this video interview on the 50th anniversary of Fairfield Rugby Club. (#11 – #12)

Since the Topic of Rugby Arose….

I’ll start winding down this post by further exploring Jay’s athletic and related “activities” – chief among these being rugby. In 2017, he was admitted to the US Rugby Hall of Fame.

A 2017 article in the Providence College News (his undergrad alma mater) stated:

“(His contributions span) nearly five decades as a player, coach, TV broadcaster, and ambassador of the sport. He began his rugby career in 1968 as a University of Virginia graduate student, where he received his master’s degree, worked on his Ph.D., and then received his juris doctorate while serving as a player, president, and captain. Waldron played on numerous rugby representative teams and won the university boxing championship.”

Fortunately, when Jay was in the office, he chewed gum instead of glass, but his rugby gigs also included coaching the Portland Pig’s Rugby Club for five years. He announced rugby matches aired on Fox and ESPN in a four-year stint. (13 – #14)

You will have to check out the original blog post for the details, but Jay’s other pursuits give credence to Emily Dickinson’s theme of death:

River Rafting – three trips down the Colorado River and in 1996, he became the first Caucasian to row a “cataraft” through all the rapids of the Great Bend of the Yangtze River in China. Other trips included South America and Canada.

Motorcycle Trips and Racing – Twenty-one different road trips throughout the US have been supplemented by a journey around both South Africa and New Zealand and a trek from Chile to the southern tip of South America. He was also once clocked at 155 mph on his Ducati.

Wild Horse Riding – After a long and serious discussion at a bar with two rugby buddies, they decided to compete in the wild-horse ride competition at the Pendleton Roundup. (#15 – #17)

Death Wish?

Could Jay’s instincts and perhaps latent death wish be tamed? The answer to that question is in the affirmative. In 1966, Jay met his now wife of fifty-five years, Karen, while he was serving as a bouncer at a bar at Horseback Beach in Westport, Mass on the Atlantic Ocean.

“It was a Sunday night and she was not 21, but with that blonde hair and tan, there was no way, I wasn’t going to let her in.” (#18 – #19)

The Next Generation

Karen is also an athlete – both she and Jay have won Multnomah Athletic Club Decathlons in their age groups. And their son, Shane inherited their athletic talent and interest. He played college football at Tufts University as a tight end and long snapper from 1999 through 2002.

Starting as an operations intern in 2002 for the New England Patriots under Coach Bill Belichick, he then began what has become a very impressive coaching resume in college football – Notre Dame and UMass – eventually followed by the NFL including the Patriots, Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams and as Offensive Coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks from 2021 to 2023.

Early in 2024, he was named Offensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears and as stated in an article on ESPN.com: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39368486/what-hiring-oc-shane-waldron-mean-bears

“The Chicago Bears know who will be calling offensive plays in 2024, and now they have to figure out which quarterback will be executing them.”

Chicago, with the first draft pick in 2024, is expected to draft former USC quarterback, Caleb Williams and Waldron will be a key figure in deciding whether he or current starter, Justin Fields will be calling signals when the season starts.

Based on the comments of sports commentators and media, don’t be surprised to see the younger Waldron as an NFL head coach in his next job.

Regardless, Karen and Jay Waldron will be making a lot of trips back to Chicago with good tickets at Soldier Field in addition to seeing their two grandchildren.

Odds are that Jay also knows some good Windy City bars which ruggers frequent and they can share stories – many of which will be in accordance with reality. (#20 – #22)

Karen told me that Jay doesn’t like small talk with strangers so I would tell him “Ask if they have a connection with rugby, rafting or motorcycles and the conversation always explodes.”

Well, that will not be necessary on his Chicago visits because one of his best long-term rugby buddies happens to be one Donald H. Haider – another member of the US Rugby Hall of Fame. (And looking at both of these guys made me wonder if the term Renaissance Man and Rugger is really a contradiction in terms.)

Haider, was on the rugby team during undergraduate school at Stanford. He played and coached rugby throughout his adulthood and earned his MA and PhD at Columbia University. He is now a business professor at Northwestern University‘s Kellogg School of Management. The professor has had an amazing career in government, business and academia. (#23)

And does he have ties to the Windy City! According to Wikipedia:

“Haider had worked as an advisor to Richard J. Daley during his mayoralty. Haider also worked as the Chicago city budget director (chief financial officer for the City of Chicago) under Jane Byrne from 1979 until 1980.[1][4][6][10]

In 1987, Haider won the Republican mayoral primary…During the campaign, in a desperate bid for press, Haider rode an elephant (an animal often used to symbolize the Republican Party) down State Street.”

The Weather Mark Tavern is a great rugby sports bar within walking distance of Soldier Field. I can see Waldron and Haider pre-function and post-function at this watering hole and telling tales of past scrums. (Fans cannot leave the Stadium during halftime…..)

Go Bears!

External Photo Attribution

#1 – #2. Oregon State University Athletic Department (https://osubeavers.com/news/2017/11/27/football-giant-killers-the-legend-50-years-later)

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_faust.jpg) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Timlyman.

#4. University of Portland Magazine (https://sites.up.edu/portlandmagazine/brian-doyle/).

#5. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Frankfurt_at_2017_ACLS_Annual_Meeting.jpg ) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) 29 October 2018.

#6 – #8. Courtesy Jay Waldron

#9. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Black-white photograph of Emily Dickinson2 – Emily Dickinson – Wikipedia) By Unknown author – https://s3.amazonaws.com/amherst-wsg/ED-dag-case-720dpi_big.jpg, This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. (1846-47).

#10. Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt (https://www.schwabe.com/professional/brien-flanagan/).

#11 – #12. Malachy Irish Pub Website Photo Gallery (https://www.malachysirishpub.com/gallery).

#13. Portland Rugby Club (https://www.portlandrugby.org/about).

#14 – #18. Jay Waldron

#19 – #22. Karen Waldron Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/karen.waldron.12).

#23. Kellog School of Management (Donald Haider – Faculty – Kellogg School of Management (northwestern.edu).

#24. Weather Mark Tavern Facebook Page ()https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=510230207773421&set=a.510230187773423).

#25. Wikimedia Commons (Soldier_Field_S.jpg (4000×2250) (wikimedia.org) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Sea Cow – 2 July 2022.

Migration Brewing – Music to Your Beers…..

Posted on November 11, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

Migration Backs it Up

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External Photo Attribution at the end of the post #1)

I was intrigued recently when our friends David and Kate Dickson invited us to join them for a Saturday evening appearance by Porchello at the Migration Brewery Pub and Patio on Williams Avenue in North Portland.

Five years ago, my family and a number of friends had a wonderful experience at Migration’s original pub and brewery operation at their Northeast Glisan Pub at a “70-30 Party.” (I had turned 70 and my son-in-law, Ryan Keene, hit 30.)

The Glisan location is known as a great place to gather and for hosting events and we were thrilled with the result – beer, food and environment.

“The Migration journey all started here in 2010 and is still where we make small batch and experimental beers. With one of the best beer patios in town” (#2)

Migration_Logo-Tagline

I had followed Migration’s impressive growth and culture since then and was anxious to see the Williams Avenue Pub opened in 2021 which they advertise as:

“One of the best beer patios in town, award-winning beer and an elevated food program, it is a true Portland craft beer.” (#3 – #5)

Now since I had never heard of a group or individual named “Porchello” and David has an excellent, dry sense of humor, I made him confirm that he wasn’t talking about one of the “luminaries” below:

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers baseball pitcher, Massimilian Porcello, famous retired German Italian soccer midfielder or possibly Sam Porcello, noted Nabisco food scientist who did pioneering work on the Oreo Cookie. (This included inventing the white cookie cream filling.) (#6)

All of these would have been interesting except that the Oreo guy died in 2012. And while the Oreo is known as “Milk’s favorite cookie,” David was, in fact, talking about a wonderful musical ensemble named Porchello in a Saturday evening performance entitled, “Cellos and Fresh Hop!”

Porchello – the Real Deal

I have to admit that I’ve not been to many breweries which feature music at their pubs or taprooms. Based on my research and experience, there aren’t that many that offer it and the ones I’ve experienced usually have amateur musicians entertain you – they often play just for tips and at a volume that drowns out conversation.

But Porchello, and its musicians individually, have outstanding backgrounds and musical skill and it was a wonderful evening. The four of us will definitely see another performance when we can. I have a lot more to tell you about the cellists below, but first some more on Migration Brewery. (#7)

Migration – “Every beer we make has the power to ignite a conversation!”

The last five years have been a nightmare for the hospitality industry and the list of brewery closures has loomed large. A number of the independents such as 10 Barrel, Widmer and Henry Weinhard’s and most recently, Ecliptic, have been absorbed by the giants such as Anheuser-Busch Inbev or Molson Coors.

Thus, it is refreshing to see how four entrepreneurs took a major risk in 2010 and have hit what appears to be a home run in the craft brewing industry. What makes the story more attractive can best be summed up by an excerpt from “Our Story” on the Migration website:

“On a sunny day in the Fall of 2008, we found ourselves sharing beers and engrossed in a conversation that began about starting a business but quickly delved into personal values and visions of the future.

The four of us quickly realized that we shared more than a passion for great beer; we shared a value set about life and the role that beer plays in it.” (#8)

about-page-team-image For seven years, Migration took the hard road of self-distribution, but in 2017 they partnered with a major distributor to take over distribution and opened a 20,000 square foot production brewery and pub in Gresham.

“Over the past three years, the company has become one of the fastest growing breweries in Oregon with distribution in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Nevada, Thailand, and Japan.”

The expansive Gresham brewing operation and pub came to life with an incredibly rapid build-out which was accomplished with the cooperation of the City of Gresham. Migration owner’s have made it a goal to connect with the community. Co-founder, Colin Rath articulates this well in a website video. (#9 – #11)

Recent Developments

During a period when many breweries are consolidating their losses, Migration has shown remarkable innovation as evidenced by two recent openings and a Strategic Partnership with Bend’s Silver Moon Brewing.

Wells Fargo Center – As reported by Oregon Live’s Beer Columnist, Andre Meunier:

“Migration is the latest brewery to declare its love and belief in Portland and back it up with action.”

The Brewery put a tap room in the Wells Fargo Building – the tallest skyscraper in Oregon. (#12)

Motivate to return to the office downtown

On the first floor of the building, they established a taproom for office workers – seating forty and including a patio. Opened in August of 2023, the concept was so successful that the summer experiment was expanded beyond the original time period ending December 31st. Willamette Week reported that:

“Migration’s owners also plan to host everything from live DJs to special food pop-ups to holiday-themed events to bring in new clientele throughout the rest of the year…. There are10 taps for beer and wine as well as canned cocktails along with food by Addy’s Sandwich Bar. 3-8 pm Tuesday through Thursday.”

Rooftop Patio on the Canvas Building – Migration reopened its rooftop patio on the ninth floor of the Canvas Building across from Providence Park where the Portland Timbers and Thorns play. It’s a wonderful patio with spectacular views that opened in 2020 during the summer months until 2022. After a year hiatus, it reopened this July.

“We’re excited to get the Rooftop back in action,” says Migration CEO and Co-Founder McKean Banzer-Lausberg, in a June 11 Brew Public article: “As a company we really value local partnerships and have always enjoyed working with Urban Renaissance Group. This will be a truly unique craft beer experience.” (#13 – #14)

And That Gets Us Back to Porchello

Originally the Porchello concert was to be held at the Canvas Building patio, but the weather turned sour and it was relocated to Migration’s Williams Pub – also a wonderful venue for a musical event with a large, heated patio.

Now my perception of cello numbers was from esoteric and non-melodic classical scores such as 18th century famed cellist and composer Ridolfo Boccherini, but Porchello had its audience captivated the entire evening – first with upscale classical music, but then offering a diversified mix of classic rock, Big Band favorites, Beatle tunes and movie showpieces. (#15 – #16)

And the good news is that you also have the opportunity to see them even later this month as they will have a repeat performance at Migration on November 30th and then Christmas shows on the Willamette Shore Trolley on Dec 19th and 20th.

Who Are These Guys?

Since my Beerchasing journey began in 2011, I have been to over 400 bars and breweries throughout Oregon, in many regions of the US and even a few internationally. Although I haven’t heard a lot of music during these visits, the groups I’ve heard have usually been amateur musicians – garage band variety.

Well, Porchello pleasantly breaks the mold – the four musicians (three cellos and an upright bass) are all classically trained and collectively have almost a one-hundred years of performing experience. I’ll briefly describe them below, but first a bit about the group itself and the leader, Dieter Ratzlaf.

Photo Sep 29 2023, 7 27 17 PM

And I might add that Porcello and Migration Brewing have a lot in common. They are both involved and giving to their communities, creatively entrepreneurial evoking memories of reading “The Little Engine That Could” – a story of optimism and hard work. Migration was the first brewery in which Porchello performed.

Porchello was formed in May 2020. Dieter and his wife Erin, were freelance musicians, cello instructors and performing with the Vancouver Symphony (where they both met in 2006).

All of their scheduled performances were canceled so to give back to the community, they gave a spontaneous porch performance. (I didn’t ask Dieter if he and Erin or the attendees wore masks…)

This well-attended “concert” and the thanks of their neighbors for some joy during the darkest days of the pandemic, motivated them to do more and even live-stream. (#17 – #19)

Realizing that they could attract larger audiences, they recruited another cellist and a contrabass and formed Porchello. Rather than just offer classical pieces, their repertoire included pop, movie and rock numbers.

“We believe the cello and Porcello can bring great joy to many with its versatility, virtuosity, soulfulness and deep expression.”

Before I tell you about the others, let’s look at Dieter’s history and why I asked him how he got along with what had to be only three or four hours of sleep each night starting in high school. (#20)

He was an athlete at Portland’s Grant High School, not only playing basketball, tennis and golf, but concurrently a member in the prestigious Portland Youth Philharmonic – the oldest youth orchestra in the United States – conducted by the legendary Music Director Jacob Avshalomov. He went on tour with the PYP in 1989.

Dieter graduated in Economics and German at Willamette University on a music scholarship and where he once performed with Yo Yo Ma, which he described as “An amazing experience!” His education continued with a Master of Arts in Cello Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music – also on scholarship. (#21 – #22)

Dieter was appointed principal cello of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 2005 and the Hood River Philharmonic in 2012, positions he currently still holds. And to ensure that he does not sit idle, he also has a practice as a residential realtor for Prudential.

He has appeared with multiple arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest including the Oregon Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Portland Opera Orchestra (18 seasons) and the Oregon Ballet Theater Orchestra (10 seasons). (#23)

Performing with the Vancouver Symphony in 2013

Erin Ratzlaf, although a member of Porchello, did not play the night we were at Migration, but is also a professional musician playing in the Vancouver Symphony and instructing at the Ratzliff Cello Studio. She graduated from Northwestern University and received her MS in Counseling at Portland State.

In addition to her musical work, Erin is an outpatient crisis counselor and provides crisis counseling, urgent intake assessments, mental health evaluations, individual therapy and access and referral to adults. She also served on the Board of Portland Chamber Music. Erin and Dieter have three children. (#24)

And to complement the musical pedigree of the Ratzlafs, let’s look at the other two members of Porchello:

Clinton O’Brien – I really enjoyed how the solo bass complemented the three cellos at Migration. Clint is currently Principal Bass of the Portland Opera orchestra and the Portland Columbia Symphony orchestra and Assistant Principal Bassist with the Vancouver Symphony in Washington. He is also a member of the Rogue Valley Symphony and Hood River Sinfonietta.

I assume the auditions for these ensembles based on his training – he attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music – were not nerve racking. While studying at Oberlin he was appointed as 3^rd chair bass with the Canton Symphony (OH). He plays an Alessandro Gagliano double bass made in 1713, generously on loan from Mr. Bill Ofstad. (#25)

Jonah Thomas – He also performs with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and as a chamber musician for Portland Chamber Music. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in cello performance from the Juilliard School. Jonah is also a composer of chamber and solo piano works. (#26)

Just reviewing the abstracts of their careers, I was amazed at how close knit and connected the community of classical musicians is in the Northwest. Before the music began at Migration and seeing that he and his wife played with the Vancouver Symphony and his association with the Eugene Symphony and the Portland Ballet Orchestra, I asked him if he knew my oboe instructor, Kelly Gronli.

Kelly was one of my Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter and put up with my attempts to master this double-reed woodwind for over six years. I texted her a picture of Porcello getting ready to play and Kelly had a one-word response “Dieter!” (#27)

kgronli

To Finish!

Perhaps because of all the other background, I didn’t adequately cover Migration’s Williams Pub, but suffice to say, the food was great (wonderful hamburgers), the beer selection robust (try the Cannonball Northwest Red), the environment was family and pet-oriented and bright and the patio was a superb setting to listen to music for which there was no cover charge. (#28 – #30)

Now you also have a chance to see Porchello perform in both November and December with three dates scheduled currently and look for others during the Holiday Season. We will probably try the Willamette Shore Trolley trip – which is a great ride in December even without good music. (#31)

Migration Williams Pub on November 30

Several new pieces including Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and others.

Witness some holiday film magic. Porchello will be debuting several new pieces including Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and others. Migration is a family friendly venue, serving beer, wine, cider and food. Arrive early for best seating.

Willamette Shores Trolley on December 19 – 20 (Make your reservation now) (#32 – #33)

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Migration Brewery Website (Core Beers | Award-Winning Portland Brewing Company (migrationbrewing.com).

#2. Migration Brewing Website (migration brewing williams pub – Search (bing.com).

#3. – #4. Migration Brewing Website (migration brewing williams pub – Search (bing.com)

#5. Migration Brewing on Williams is now open — New School Beer + Cider (Patio picture).

#6. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oreo-Two-Cookies.jpg) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Evan-Amos: 16 February 2017.

#7. Porcello Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=737756578154613&set=pb.100057608312250.-2207520000&type=3).

#8. Migration Brewing Website (https://migrationbrewing.com/about/)

#9. – #11. Migration Brewing Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/MigrationGresham/photos/pb.100089827933506.-2207520000/561939337533490/?type=3).

#12.Wikimedia Commons: (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wells_Fargo_Center_from_6th_%26_Columbia_-_Portland,_Oregon_(2014).jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported) license. Author: Steve Morgan – 6 July 2014.

#13. Migration Canvas Pub Facebook Page by Luis Peña (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10227406652205788&set=).

#14. Migration Canvas Pub Facebook Page by Deanna Stanton (https://www.facebook.com/deanna.m.conn?__tn__=-UC*F).

#15. Wikimedia Commons (File:Cello front side.png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: Georg Feitscher 11 February 2010.

#16. Wikimedia Commons (Music_cello_note.JPG (156×81) (wikimedia.org) The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted. Author: The original uploader was Ofeky at Hebrew Wikipedia. 12 June 2005.

#17. – #19) Porchello Facebook Pages (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=487005606563046&set=a.487005586563048)

#20. Vancouver Symphony Website (https://vancouversymphony.org/dieter-ratzlaf-principal-cello/).

#21. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yo-Yo_Ma_-_World_Economic_Forum_Annual_Meeting_Davos_2008.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: World Economic Forum – 25 January 2008.

#22. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San_Francisco_Conservatory_of_Music_Building.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Carlin Ma – 3 March 2017.

#23. Vancouver Symphony Website (https://vancouversymphony.org/).

#24. Linked-in (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-winemiller-ratzlaf-8548a418/)

#25. Clint O’Brien Facebook Post (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10227809609056515&set=pb.1558293456.-2207520000&type=3).

#26. Portland Chamber Music Website (https://www.pdxchambermusic.org/musicians).

#27. Portland State School of Music and Theater (https://www.pdx.edu/music-theater/profile/kelly-gronli).

#28. – #30. Migration Brewing Williams Pub Facebook Site (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090045843737).

#31. Image provided by Porchello.

#32. Willamette Shore Trolley Website (https://wst.oregontrolley.com/).

#33. Wikimedia Commons (Willamette Shore Trolley car 513 passing the Sellwood Bridge (2018) – Willamette Shore Trolley – Wikipedia) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license Author: Steve Morgan – 5 August 2018.

Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter (Who, What, Why?)

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Thebeerchaser

(Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. Since this is a long post, if you are seeing it through an e-mail, please visit the blog to see all of the photos by clicking on the title above so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.)

Followers of Thebeerchaser blog know that generally, each quarter I try to convey the story of an interesting individual or group – a departure from my usual reviews of bars and breweries. Originally, I posted a Beerchaser-of-the-Month, but that schedule precluded doing justice to each story, so I moved to a Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter (BOQ).

Who are these people and why do I devote space in my blog to the thirty-five individual “honorees” named during the nine + years I have been authoring Thebeerchaser. The answer is pretty simple.

Throughout my earlier years, during my career and in retirement, I have met (or read about) many fascinating and wonderful people with compelling stories and both notable exploits and accomplishments. Those I’ve featured may or may not have anything to do with bars or beer. Exploring how to chronicle the BOQ tales has been fun and gratifying.

The late author and humorist, Brian Doyle

I’ve known almost all the BOQ’s personally – and in a few cases, such as the late Brian Doyle – a noted NW author, I met them after writing and asking to meet them over a beer – asserting that adding the BOQ entry to their resume would pack the same punch as having a notary-of-the public designation.

One of my early “honorees”, Princeton Emeritus Professor, Dr. Harry Frankfurt – author of the magnificent treatise, On Bullshit, surprisingly responded to the missive I sent him at the University informing him of this new accolade with the following e-mail:

“Dear Mr. Williams, First of all, thank you for the honor of naming me the January 12, 2012 Beerchaser of the Quarter. I have looked at the blog in which you announced my receipt of this distinction, and I was impressed by its wit, its charm, and its erudition.

Emeritus Professor Harry Frankfurt

Also, I enjoyed the pictures. I intend to follow your blog regularly. Anyhow, thanks very much for writing. Sincerely, Harry Frankfurt”

Beerchaser followers have sometimes asked for a list of all those I’ve written about. Although you can access the posts, by clicking on the category at the left side of the blog header above, I haven’t to this point published a complete roster of this disparate group comprising academicians, athletes, authors, clerics, consultants, developers, environmentalists, friends/family, media personalities, military veterans, musicians…..well you get the idea.

Coach Dee Andros – celebrates the Giant Killer 3 to 0 victory over top-rated USC in 1967

And joining these individuals listed below, are four groups – the 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer Football Team, the 1798-99 Crew of the USS Constitution (Unfortunately, none of whom I’ve met!), OSU Football Coach Mike Riley and his 2012 Team and Lawyers, – the latter based on the respect and admiration I gained – for at least most of them – working with these professionals for almost forty years.

Drinking a Sam Adams IPA at Dirty Nelly’s in Boston

Oh yes. And there is, appropriately, one Beerchaser-of-the-Year (well, actually it should be 40 years). She has been my life partner since March 29, 1980, but also supported me in the pursuit of this idiosyncratic hobby over the last nine years. Janet even went so far as switching from her favorite vintage of wine to IPAs on our road trips exploring new watering holes.

Janet on Alaska Cruise

The BOQ’s are listed by year below in reverse chronological order ending with Harold Schlumberg – one of the few I have not met, but the first person, I named in 2011 shortly after starting Thebeerchaser. Yes, in some years, there aren’t four but let’s not get too formal. – this is a hobby! Before enumerating them below, I thought I’d give you an idea of their memorable exploits by this simple quiz. The answers are at the end of the post after the list:

Who are the father and daughter who both garnered this title in separate posts?
What BOQ has the nickname “Godfather?”
What BOQ is known as Oregon’s “Beer Goddess?”
What family member of Thebeerchaser took a deep dive?
Who is the only BOQ whose existence is questionable – not that that’s a bad thing!
Vandelay —– Latex – Really?
What 2012 BOQ was recently inducted into the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame for two sports and what other BOQ did he join in that organization?
What two persons are the only married couple named as co-BOQ for their outstanding long-term environmental work?
Sam Holloway with Guinness Master Brewer, Fergal Murray
Which BOQ is a tenured professor and internationally recognized micro-brewery industry consultant?
Which BOQ was named because of his heroic military service and is also not only an author, but served two terms as Mayor of an historic Oregon City?
Which BOQ authored a book known as “the most influential crime novel of the last 50 years” and had an opening line that one author/reviewer described as “….probably the greatest opening line of any book I’ve ever read.”
Which Portland lawyer was named BOQ not only for his legal skills, but helping put Portland State College in the national spotlight during the 1960’s?
Who is the BOQ who designed the memorable logo for Thebeerchaser?

You can click on the link over the name of each BOG below if you want to see the narrative and pictures in the original post. And if you want to suggest an individual worthy of this esteemed title in the future, please leave a comment or e-mail me.

2020

Fr. Chuck Wood	Catholic Priest	12/4/2020
Billy Main	Football player – entrepreneur	5/25/20 – 5/11/20
Lawyers	Lawyers	8/31/2020
Jack and Jan McGowan	Environmentalist – non profit leaders	2/19/2020

No 22 – Billy “Rabbit” Main

2019

John Runkle	Owner – The Dirty Shame Saloon	8/13/2019
Col. Terry “Spike McKinsey – USMC	Marine Aviator and Base Commander	3/26/2019

Marine Aviator Terry “Spike” McKinsey

2018

The 1967 Oregon State Giant Killers	Collegiate Football Team	5/20/2018
Mark Edlen	Developer and Philanthropist	2/7/2018

Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Mark Edlen

2017

Fr. Martin Grassel	Benedictine Monk and Benedictine Brewer	7/1/2617
Brain Doyle – Beerchaser Eternal	Author and Humorist	6/9/2017
Amy Faust	Media Personality and Writer	4/11/2017

Amy Faust – now on Classical 89.9

2016

Dwight Jaynes	Media Personality, Journalist and Writer	13/13/16
Kelly Gronli	Symphonic Musician – Oboist	6/29/2016
Jay Waldron	Attorney, Athlete, Adventurer	3/29/2016

The Godfather – Dwight Jaynes

2015

Capt. Rick Williams USN Retired	Military Veteran and Energy Consultant	10/22/2015
Sam Holloway	University Professor and Micro-brew Industry Consultant	8/25/2015
Lisa Morrison	Bar owner, Author, Media Personality	4/9/2015

First a hardhat diver, then submarine rescue vehicle then skipper of a nuclear sub

2014

Jack Faust	Lawyer and Media Personality	9/2/2014
Steve Lawrence	Veteran, Lawyer, Author, Mayor	5/29/2014
Brian Doyle	Author and Humorist	2/24/2014
Art Vandelay	Latex??!!	1/31/2014
Janet Williams	Wife and Outstanding Human Being	1/19/2014

Jack Faust and son, Charlie, at Bailey’s Taproom

2013

Johnny Brose	Winemaker, Brewer, College Instructor	11/14/2013
Jud Blakely	Veteran, Consultant and Writer	9/16/2013
Doug Bomarito	Veteran and Lawyer	9/16/2013
Jim Westwood	Attorney and Civic Leader	3/28/2013

Lt. Jud Blakely in Than Thrah Viet Nam – July 1966

2012

Forrest Green	Musician, Environmentalist and Counselor	11/4/2012
Mike Riley and the OSU Football Team	Coach and Players	10/23/2012
Craig “The Dude” Hanneman	Athlete, Executive, Elected Official and Mountain Climber	8/27/2012
John Terry	Historian and Journalist	5/29/2012
Dr. Harry Frankfurt	University Professor and Author	1/6/2012

The Dude on Mt. Everest Climb

2011

Four Bartenders	Portland Area Mixologists	11/9/2011
James Crumley	Author	9/27/2011
Harold Schlumberg	Retired Chemical Engineer and Philosopher	8/29/2011

Phoebe – Bartender at the Brooklyn Park Pub – my first bar visited

Answers to the BOQ Quiz Above

Jack and Amy Faust
Dwight Jaynes
Lisa Morrison
Rick Williams – my youngest brother
Art Vandelay who has a remarkable resemblance to lawyer, Carson Bowler
Craig Hanneman and Dwight Jaynes
Jack and Jan McGowan
Dr. Sam Holloway
Steve Lawrence
James Crumley
Jim Westwood
Jud Blakely

Cheers and Have a Safe and Joyful Christmas and Holiday Season

June 2016 Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter — Oboist Kelly Gronli

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

Kelly Gronli is a wonderful mom and a professional musician who has assiduously worked on her craft since she was ten – she’s also a superb music teacher and the newest Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. See her remarkable story below.

I was privileged to first meet her four years ago – about one year after I retired. I played the oboe for three years in junior high, but gave it up because of the conflict with high school athletics. At the Marylhurst University Annual Dinner in 2012, I asked Dr. John Paul, Director of Music, if they had any adjunct faculty members who were oboe instructors.

Thus began my relationship with this extraordinary musician who is the Principal Oboe for the Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theatre and the Eugene Symphony and frequently plays in Oregon Symphony appearances.

After Kelly switched from piano to oboe

Her musical talents first surfaced when she was three and asserted, “Mom, it’s about time we girls started playing the piano!” Those lessons started the musical journey that saw her Advanced Band instructor relent after he initially said, “No you didn’t!” Kelly showed him that she had, in fact, memorized the complete major and minor scales.

Kelly’s mom was her mentor and manager and found both the orchestras and bands in which Kelly played through junior high and high school. She started going to summer music camp at age 11 at the Sewanee Music Festival on the campus of University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee – her summer routine for five years.

I have learned in my lessons when Kelly hums or sings an excerpt in dulcet tones from a piece I am trying to learn, that she also has a strong and beautiful singing voice. Perhaps this was honed by her youthful roles in such productions as “The Music Man” when she was in grade school as illustrated below.

A leading role in "The Music Man" while in middle school.

A leading role in “The Music Man” while in grade school.

Her music instructors opened doors and she graduated from high school one year early so she could go to music conservatory at Harid Conservatory – at age 16. Tuition was by scholarship and the only cost was for housing.

She was the youngest of about 60 students of which about 80% were gifted foreign students. She lived on campus in Boca Raton, Florida, a distance from her home in Vienna, Virginia. (Harid is now a school of ballet.) She majored in Music Performance and during the summers she performed at embassies in the Washington DC area.

A "young" Kelly at a recital while at Hared Conservatory

A “young” Kelly at a recital while at Sewanee – University of the South

Next came graduate school in the Chicago area (Evanston) at Northwestern University where she worked on her Master’s Degree in Music:

“The woodwinds program of Northwestern University has a long and distinguished history – it combines the study of performance, pedagogy, music theory, music history, and scholarly research and writing.”

She achieved this goal in one year when she was just over twenty (while part-time waitressing) and her Master’s recital featured the challenging Oboe Concerto by Richard Strauss (Concerto in D major for Oboe and Small Orchestra). The video below is the First Movement in Saint Saen’s Oboe Sonata – one of the other pieces played in that recital. (You may have to turn your volume up slightly for this first video. The videos below are YouTube and you may have to left-click on the square to engage the video)

Another example of her ability to make beautiful music with the oboe is exemplified by one of my favorite hymns I asked her to play spontaneously at one of my lessons:

A weekend trip with a friend to the University of Wisconsin at Madison is where she first laid eyes on Patrick, the guy who would become her future spouse (now of twelve years).

Kelly and Patrick (he also plays the drums)

While living in Evanston, she decided to audition for Second Oboe in the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra – a part-time position in which she competed with nineteen other people to win the chair.

I was curious about what constitutes an audition for such a position so I asked Kelly about the typical audition experience she labels as “expensive, stressful and difficult.”

“An audition is run in rounds. The first round or preliminary round is always blind or behind a curtain. Each candidate is assigned a number and everyone plays the same pieces usually comprised of a portion of a solo work (almost always the exposition of the Mozart oboe concerto, for an oboe audition) and a few excerpts from orchestral works.

People usually play for about 10 minutes. The audition committee will then make cuts and decide who they want to hear again. If there aren’t many candidates to begin with the second round could end up being the final round or the committee can decide to hear just a couple of candidates again. Sometimes candidates will be asked questions during the finals, usually inquiring about moving to a new city or something on their resume. An audition can last 1 day or a few days depending on the number of candidates.

Tacoma Symphony Orchestra

Well, she was awarded the position and she and Patrick moved to Tacoma where Kelly also became the Principal Oboe in the Bellvue Philharmonic Orchestra. Waitressing duties at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant also were on the agenda and meant she was able to spend time around people besides musicians….

A move to Portland came next to balance the distance between Tacoma and Eugene after Kelly, in a competition with twenty-five people, became Principal Oboe in the Eugene Symphony. By that time she was giving oboe lessons to about fifteen adult and younger students. While in Portland, Kelly soon began to sub in the Oregon Ballet under Director and Conductor, Neil De Pointe.

The English Horn - larger than an oboe but still double reed

The English Horn – neither English nor a horn….

Adding to her resume were some appearances as a sub in the Oregon Symphony under new Musical Director Karlos Calmar, playing the English Horn – another instrument in the Kelly Gronli arsenal……(You will hear her play it in two of the duets below.) She also became a good friend with Oregon Symphony Assistant Principal Oboe, Karen Wagner.

Meanwhile, Patrick graduated magna cum laude in Geography from Portland State University and the couple got married in 2004 – five years and one day after they met in Madison. He now works for Northwest Natural Gas Co.

Another successful audition and Kelly’s resume now included Principal Oboe for the Portland Opera in addition to continuing similar positions with the Eugene Symphony and the Oregon Ballet – while still teaching. In her “spare time” she was elected as a Director on the Executive Board of Musician’s Union Local 99.

In 2011, Kelly and Patrick welcomed their first child, Dane, who I know from my interactions with him during the last four years as a delightful and personable five-year old, who loves his new sister, Piper, their daughter who just turned one-year old in May.

Piper – one year old

Kelly with Yitzhak Perlman

It is a privilege to have an instructor, who is not only a gifted communicator, but also has such extensive experience ranging from playing under Director John Williams on multiple occasions, but has also appeared with such luminaries as the world’s pre-eminent violinist, Yitzhak Perlman (three times); cellist, Yo Yo Ma, Marvin Hamlisch in addition to playing in the orchestra during appearances by Roberta Flack, Ray Charles and Debbie Reynolds.

Another highlight was playing with Phish’s (Patrick’s favorite rock band) guitarist, composer and vocalist, Trey Anastasio, when he played at the Oregon Symphony. Patrick also plays the drums in his own band.

Kelly with Trey Anastasio of Phish

And while Kelly’s musical career has been noteworthy, balancing her part-time positions in different cities, motivating her students with continued admonitions – if I’m typical…… (“sit up straight, breathe from your diaphragm, look ahead at the notes in the music, fix your embouchure, sit up straight…..”) and being a good parent is a continuing balancing act.

Asked to identify her most stressful moments, she immediately offered two – Playing a concert with the Eugene Symphony while suffering from pneumonia and pleurisy. After the performance she burst into tears and went to the Emergency Room.

Playing a concert in Eugene while she was nine-months pregnant because there was no back-up oboe in the Eugene Symphony at that time (the baby was delivered the next day).

The most traumatic occurrence dates back to Feburary 11, 2007 when she and two Eugene Symphony colleagues (Kjersten Oquist and Angela Svendsen) were commuting back to Portland late one Sunday evening after a rehearsal in Eugene. A woman, who was later convicted of manslaughter, DUI and assault, collided head-on with their vehicle near Albany after the woman drove the wrong direction in the northbound lane of I-5. Kelly’s two colleagues were both killed in the resulting collision. The driver received a sixteen-year prison sentence.

Kelly the craftsperson at work on a reed..

Kelly also is a craftsperson, of sorts, since she makes oboe reeds for her own use and that of her students. The oboe is one of the few woodwinds (besides the bassoon and the English horn) that employs a double reed.

This idiosyncratic mouthpiece “consists of two pieces of cane fastened together with an opening at the tip (which are) fastened to a metal tube, the lower half of which is normally surrounded by a piece of piece of cork.” (The tube is inserted into small opening at the top of the instrument.) Wikipedia

Oboe reeds are only 7 millimeters in width and very fragile and temperamental leading to the joke: “How may oboists does it take to screw in a light bulb? Twenty, because they will have to try that many to find one that works for them.”

How many oboists to screw in a light-bulb…?

The “temperament” of the oboe reed and the very specific structure of the “embouchure” (the way in which a player holds the reed in his or her mouth) may be one reason why learning to play an oboe is so difficult and the sound emanating can range from “horrific to hand sculpted by an angel – with no middle ground whatsoever.”

While at times Thebeerchaser has reflected that trying to re-learn the oboe in retirement is a fool’s errand, it has been a worthwhile experience. After all, I met an inspirational instructor, friend and superb professional musician in Kelly Gronli.

The highlights were appearances in the last two years at the Pittock Mansion during the Christmas holidays, when at Kelly’s urging, four of us (Pianist, Faith Carter; Flutist, Sarah Rose and Kelly and I on oboe) played one of the two-hour gigs the Mansion offers to volunteer musicians while visitors are touring the impressive dwelling.

From l to r – Sarah Rose, Santa, Don Williams, Faith Carter and Kelly Gronli

Before the first appearance in 2014, Kelly advised me that eating a banana would help with nerves. She was correct although I have to admit to supplementing that fruit with a shot of vodka before I left the house (I wanted a vegetable extract too…..)

To listen to one of the lighter numbers we played at the Pittock during our last practice session, click on the video below:

And finally, two short duets (oboe and English horn) with Kelly and one of her students………..whose motivation to re-learn the oboe has significantly increased his affinity to drink beer!

You will see and hear more from Kelly Gronli as she continues to teach and entertain classical musical fans throughout the Northwest in the coming years. Raise a mug to the newest Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter!

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: Kelly Gronli oboist

BOTQ – Who are Those “Guys”?

Migration Brewing – Music to Your Beers…..

Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter (Who, What, Why?)

June 2016 Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter — Oboist Kelly Gronli