The Black History Month Legacy Music Showcase & Remembering Grace Collins

Hosted by Yugen Rashad (KBOO's "The Motif") joined by DJ Doc Rock and special guests.

Join us at 7pm for a pre-concert reception (no host) saluting Grace Collins Community Center, The Skanner News, Elevate Unity Inc, Grace Collins Foundation, Albina Trust

This is truly a historic event. We'll be remembering the artists of a life-changing era in music that helped ignite the local music scene and put Portland on the national map!

The Beyons are just that: legendary! Performing for over 5 generations, they are uniquely talented and vocally diverse group. The Beyons seamlessly cross music genres and make each performance a one-of-a-kind experience!

The Junk Youth Orchestra is pure, unbridled talent and controlled energy, lighting up the stage like a shooting star! Made up of local, gifted young prodigies, this group inspires audiences of all ages. This is where the musical torch is passed… come witness the connections live..

The Soul Alliance Tribute features members of The Free Tones along with special guests & PDX breakout vocalists! This versatile unit is funky, soulful, silky-smooth and refreshingly dynamic with their musical mix of Neo-Soul, R&B, Jazz Gospel, and more! Be forewarned, you'll want to stay on the look out for this group to make a lot of noise in 2026...

The Free Tones are a Portland-based band birthed in early 2024 by leader/drummer Justin Calhoun, who wanted to play music with his talented friends on their own terms. It quickly grew to much more than they expected. Though they are extremely funky and soulful, they like to refer to themselves as a ‘spiritual’ band, because whenever, wherever, & whatever they’re playing, it’s for sure going to be a positive and healing experience. The band consists of vocalist Sharif Iman, bassist Ross Garlow, keyboardist Kenton Davey, guitarist Miguel Hernandez, saxophonist Ryan Visser, & drummer Justin Calhoun.

For over fifty years, The Legendary Beyons have delighted Portlanders with their music. And now, for the first time, their work has been documented in this high-fidelity LP accompanied by a detailed oral history of the group. The album’s booklet features a range of archival photography, serving as a period piece for the uninitiated.

On the cover of this previously unreleased 1977 album, there’s an image that tells you nearly everything you need to know: four Black men, resplendent in custom-tailored suits, are working it with synchronized steps before the rushing falls of Portland’s Forecourt Fountain. In their joyous faces is written a brotherhood that began when this core of singers—Jeddy Beasley, Thurtis Channel, James Tims, and Ira Hammon—endeavored to harmonize as The Legendary Beyons. The group’s presence in this image reveals the richness of their soulful, Motown-inspired vocal sound.

The story began when these young men began singing in the locker room after basketball games at Jefferson High School. As their reputation grew, The Beyons––with the help of a backing band featuring arranger Dan Brewster and The Soul Masters–aspired for greatness in Albina’s club scene.

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Host or Publisher Alberta Abbey