Portland Mojo: How Stumptown Got The Blues

Written and directed by Robert Leitch

Running time: 86 minutes

By Deanna Duff

A handful of Portland-based bands and musicians lit up the national music scene in recent years and inspired some to proclaim Portland as the new Northwest Mecca for music. The reality, however, is that Portland is hardly the new kid on the musical block. Robert Leitch’s documentary, Portland Mojo: How Stumptown Got the Blues, chronicles the 60-year history of blues music in Portland and how it became one of the preeminent blues scenes in the United States.

Leitch is a Portland native who dabbled in filmmaking for years, but his passion for the blues inspired him to make his first feature-length film, Portland Mojo. A guitarist himself, he grew up listening to and playing with Portland’s finest musicians and “took it for granted that the emphasis on the blues was the same everywhere.” However, he began traveling and discovered that even in cities like Chicago or Memphis, the blues weren’t necessarily as prominent as in his hometown. “Portland has incredibly talented musicians and I was blown away that they weren’t better known,” says Leitch. “I was curious how so many world-class talents emerged from Portland of all places.”

He commenced filming in 2001 and compiled 200 hours of footage and 70 interviews by the time he finished in 2009. Archival photos explain how the blues flourished during the 1940s and 1950s in Stumptown, a nickname based on the land being logged quickly for development. Thanks to the railways encouraging migration within the U.S., the African-American population grew in Portland along with blues music, which was a deeply-held tradition. “Seattle has more of an image of having a strong black-American culture, but somehow Portland really became an epicenter,” explains Leitch.

The peak years during the 1960s to 1970s found the blues receiving national attention thanks to artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray, but Portland’s local blues community remained insulated, perhaps to its own advantage. “When popular entertainment gets a hold of ‘the next big thing,’ the natural environment tends to change,” says Leitch. “Portland was backwater enough that it allowed the musicians to live in peace.” Even though most musicians did not receive national radio play, the city’s blues scene flourished thanks to bands such as Brown Sugar and The Portland Zoo.

Portland Mojo is an insider’s look at a musical revolution that was hidden in plain sight. Clips from live performances are the backbone of the film and feature local legends such as Lloyd Jones, Jim Mesi, Curtis Salgado and Duffy Bishop, to name a few. Interviews are often conducted in people’s homes and play like old friends sharing memories. “These people are really good storytellers. It’s just that they’re usually doing it with music,” reflects Leitch.

Even in Portland, the general popularity of the blues began waning in the 1980s, but Portland Mojo provides hope that the city will continue its undercover love affair with the blues. The film pays homage to the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, which is the second largest of its kind in the U.S. and will celebrate its 23rd year in 2010. In addition to veteran blues musicians, the festival also showcases the next generation such as 23-year-old Salem, Oregon, guitarist Ty Curtis who is featured in Portland Mojo.  In Leitch’s opinion, “Blues music is not a fad and it never really goes away. It’s an enduring art form because it captures the story of everyone. It’s hard to describe it, but you know it when you hear it.” To that end,

Portland Mojo captures the musical magic and provides hope that the city will be singin’ the blues for a long time to come.