The 503 Blues : A group from Oregon will make the trek to Ventura to spread the word about its music.

Oregonians, it seems, hate Californians more than people from Ventura hate people from the Valley. Almost as much as Dodgers fans hate Giants fans and less than Bruins fans hate Trojans fans. California license plates in Oregon are but a few steps removed from a big red target and a neon “Shoot me please” sign. So why are they coming down here? It’s only temporary.

Lloyd “Have Mercy” Jones, leading light of The Lloyd Jones Struggle, fronts and plays guitar for the best blues band in Oregon. The best blues band in Oregon may be a lot like the best athlete on the Samoan ski team.

But you have to start somewhere. And Jones and his tight band can more than hold their own with the rest of these blues dudes--it’s just that a Portland address doesn’t exactly conjure up any remotely bluesy connotations the way Chicago does. But that may change. Jones is the most honored artist by the Cascade Blues Assn.; he’s played with all the blues greats you can think of; he’s got three albums, and here he comes.

Jones will be the featured Blue Monday artist at Alexander’s in Ventura. Jones has this great, raspy blues voice that falls somewhere between Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. The group also has a raging horn section. Local equivalents would be the Pontiax and the Bombers. In a recent phone interview, Jones described what it’s like to have the blues in the 503 area code.

How’s the tour, the latest tape and all that?

It’s doing fine. I’ve got enough stuff for another tape right now. We’ll be doing mostly a West Coast tour this time. I’ve never played Ventura before, but we’ve been in Santa Barbara a few times.

What’s the music scene like in Oregon?

It’s real good. We travel around a lot to spread the word--you always have to travel. If you keep your territory small, the money just isn’t happening. Generally, we stick to the West Coast, but we toured Canada last summer. There’s a pretty strong blues scene in Portland, especially during the last year. The Cascade Blues Assn. based here in Oregon helps a lot.

Why the blues?

Well, blues is what I grew up doing. I came from a musical family--my dad was a trumpet player in New Orleans--so I sort of grew up with a blues tradition. When I was younger, a friend turned me onto Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and all those great, old blues guys. I started out as a drummer, and I had the opportunity to work with Charlie Musselwhite and a lot of others. Many of these touring people couldn’t afford to bring their own band, so they’d hire local musicians to back them up. And my brother, who is three years older than I and a musician, used to take me to all the rehearsals. I got to see James Brown in 1964, Bobby “Blue” Bland and lots of others. I was underage and totally mesmerized.

What’s the best and worst thing about being a musician?

The best thing is the feeling you get from the music itself. The worst thing is the business end of all this. It’s really hard to be normal, to have a house, health insurance and benefits of any kind.

How would you describe Lloyd Jones music?

Since I began as a drummer, I like all the different rhythms. Our music has some New Orleans soul, there’s some funky rhythms and lots of storytelling.

What’s the most misunderstood thing about your music?

That I’m white and I’m not supposed to be. I’m obviously influenced by the black community, but I look wrong.

What would be your dream gig and your nightmare gig?

My dream gig is just to keep traveling and to get my records heard. We play four to six nights per week. We have a gig in Portland at a place called The Dandelion Pub that we’ve had for six years. In 1976, I went on tour with the Drifters for six months--every day was a new adventure. My nightmare gig is to play at the Red Lion Inn--they’re everywhere, and they’re just awful, just awful.

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever heard?

My parents telling me to get a job.

What’s going to happen next?

Well, I’ve been doing this long enough to have people interested in my music. I think I’ll just take my time and shop it around.