The Showdown

Gram Jam is a celebration of the music of Gram Parsons. A seminal figure at the roots of what is now referred to as Americana. A mix of traditional country, rock n roll, blues and soul. Gram called that mix Cosmic American Music. Gram Parson’s efforts with The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and his two solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel were not commercial successes but his songs and style influenced all that came after. The Eagles, Little Feat, Workingman’s Dead by the Grateful Dead, The New Riders of The Purple Sage, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris are just a short list. Cosmic American Music is still alive and well in Portland and many other places around the world. Shorty and The Mustangs have organized five Gram Jam benefit concerts for the Jeremy Wilson Foundation https://www.thejwf.or since 2016. So why do a sixth now? In November, Gram Parsons would be turning 80 within two days of Gram Jam VI and will also be inducted into The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame within a few weeks of the show. In addition, Shorty and The Mustangs are celebrating their 30 th Anniversary in 2026. Too many dates have aligned. It’s meant to happen. A stellar list of local musicians are donating their time and talent to this benefit show. Get your tickets, you don’t want to miss this!

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Shannon McNally has spent more than two decades carving out a singular lane in American roots music, blending Americana, soul, blues, and folk with a fearless commitment to truth over trend. Often framed through Gram Parsons’ “Cosmic American Music,” her work resists easy categorization, balancing grit and grace with storytelling and musicianship at the forefront. As noted by Thom Jurek, she is “a Zen-like, post-Beat song poet,” a sensibility echoed by Dr. John, who likened her voice to a blend of Patsy Cline and Otis Redding. A road-tested performer since the 1990s, McNally has shared stages with artists like Lucinda Williams, Bruce Springstein, Rodney Crowell, Margot Price, and built a reputation for a quietly commanding live presence. With fourteen albums, she has evolved into a fiercely independent artist, releasing music on her own terms after her time with Capitol/EMI. Her latest single, “Superpower,” co-written with Sally Jaye Smithwick, is a defiant, deeply personal anthem channeling feminine power, resilience, and intergenerational strength—continuing a career defined by authenticity, curiosity, and devotion to the song.