Artichoke Days
Few places have as much heart, soul, and music as Artichoke Community Music in Portland, Oregon. From the first moment it opened its doors, the enterprise has been kept afloat by many dedicated people, musicians and music lovers.
In 1971, Judith Cook-Tucker, a local folk musician, founded the Artichoke Music store. “Artichoke” she said because “artichokes are all heart.” Over the years, the store was owned and run by many dedicated people, but then in 2006, Steve Einhorn and Kate Power who had owned the store since the 1980s, decided to close the Artichoke.
The spirit and love for the Artichoke rose again with Richard Colombo and his husband, Jim Morris. When Artichoke Music announced its pending closure, Richard seized the opportunity to manifest his vision. This forty-year-old Portland institution housed a music store, a school and a remarkable concert space. Rich and Jim bought the business, donated it to a newly formed nonprofit organization, and transformed it into a vibrant music community called Artichoke Community Music. In 2014, Richard and Jim turned the organization over to a group of dedicated volunteers and board members.
Artichoke Nights is a compilation of original songs, featuring various songwriters from Artichoke Music in Portland. This, the first volume of two, was conceived and produced by Richard Colombo. For more information about obtaining these recordings, please contact Artichoke Music.
