The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest, Volume 2

The Portland Collection, Volume 2: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest is a collection of 322 traditional and recently composed jigs and reels played for dances in Portland, Oregon. It follows an identical format to the popular first Portland Collection tune book, but the music in Volume 2 is completely different from that of the first book. As with Volume 1, national standards and local favorites are included. The music in The Portland Collection, Volume 2 derives from New England, Irish, Scottish, Quebecois, Appalachian, and English sources, all of which are included in the book. Chord suggestions are provided. There is an extensive commentary on each tune. Discography, bibliography, indices, and more are included. Since the publication of The Portland Collection (1) in 1997, these two tune books have become the standard for contra dance musicians all across the United States and are also popular among musicians of many other genres. The books are praised for their clear, readable formats; their sturdy covers and bindings; their informative, entertaining commentaries; and especially for the repertoire itself. The music in The Portland Collection, Volume 2is suitable for any acoustic instrument. Beginners and accomplished musicians alike will find tunes that match their skill levels in this book. There are two companion recordings for this book. On A Portland Selection 2: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest editors Susan Songer and Clyde Curley, joined by fiddler George Penk, play a representative cross section of the music in the book using a variety of tempos, harmonies, and other variations on the music. A Portland Play Along Selection is a 2-disc album of 97 tunes from both of the Portland Collection books engineered for ease of playing along. Fiddler Betsy Branch joins Clyde and Susan on this recording. Both of these recordings are for sale elsewhere on Amazon.com.