Results for "Portland, Oregon"

Gina Saputo

By the age of 15, Gina Saputo was already commanding the stage in the jazz clubs of her native Springfield, Oregon. A prodigy who began classical training at 8 and landed her first paying gig at 11, Gina's early passion for jazz set her on a path of extraordinary success. She pursued jazz studies at the University of Southern California on a scholarship and further honed her craft at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute, now known as the Herbie Hancock Institute.

Gina’s career is a testament to her multifaceted talent and dedication. As an internationally celebrated jazz performer, recording artist, and session singer, she is also a sought-after clinician, model, actress, and author. Her impressive resume includes co-directing the Applied Music program at Santa Monica College, where she also served as the department equity coach, driving initiatives to foster inclusive practices. Her role as an award-winning full-time instructor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood for 8 years underscores her commitment to both performance and education.

dré elijah

Andrés Elijah is a multi-instrumentalist performer and composer originally from Walla Walla, Washington and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Performing under the name, dré elijah, he attributes much of his musical influence to his Guatemalan, Colombian, and Pacific Northwest roots and family heritage cultivated from four generations of musicians. Andrés’ approach to sound is heavily influenced both by the music he grew up with but also his unique experience, being born deaf in one ear. As a deaf musician, he places emphasis on the vibration and rhythm his sounds create, and he is known for dancing on stage when he’s behind a piano, microphone, or playing trumpet

Wen'ípt

Wen'ípt (Songs) is an Indigenous led contemporary jazz combo that highlights Indigenous artistry through jazz. Wen'ípt showcases the largely forgotten, but significant, contributions to the art form by native peoples through performance of indigenous works from multiple eras, story telling, and by simply taking up space on the scene. Wen'ípt seeks to honor and carry on a long standing tradition of indigenous peoples in jazz, from Charlie Parker (Choctaw), to Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke), and even contemporary artists such as Julia Keefe (Nimiipuu), Delbert Anderson (Navajo), and Mali Obomsawin (Abenaki).

Orion White

Born: November 23, 1999

Orion White is an Indigenous (Nez Perce and Ottawa of Oklahoma) Baritone Saxophone specialist and music educator based in Portland, OR bringing together jazz, rock, house, and funk sensibilities to create a style of playing all his own.
Orion earned his undergraduate degree at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho and soon became a founding member of the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band as well as joined No Soap, Radio, a jazz-funk-metal-whatever-feels-right-fusion group.
Orion's career may just be starting but it has already taken him to massive stages, including the Kennedy Center and the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, festivals such as the Monterey Jazz Festival and Juneau Blues and Classics, and has allowed him the chance to rub elbows with masters of the craft, such as Marc Carry and Esperanza Spalding.
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Mike Prigodich

Born: March 16, 1970

Hailed by critics as a composer whose work “may reshape how jazz fusion is approached in the 21st century,” Mike Prigodich is a jazz fusion pianist, composer, and bandleader whose music blends intricate architecture with emotional immediacy. Drawing inspiration from innovators like Chick Corea and Dave Grusin, Prigodich creates rhythmically daring compositions that fuse jazz with Latin grooves, rock energy, and global influences from his early years in East Africa and SE Asia.

He first gained attention with his 2011 debut album A Stitch in Time, featuring an all-star lineup including Damian Erskine, Reinhardt Melz, and John Nastos. Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign following Prigodich’s life-altering cancer diagnosis in 2008, the project marked a powerful artistic turning point. Producer and keyboardist George Whitty called the album “one of those discs you want to hear again as soon as it’s finished.”

Chris Lee

Rivkah Ross

Rivkah Ross is a jazz drummer-composer-bandleader based in Portland, Oregon. Rivkah is poised to carve her own trail with the release of her debut album, Dare to Hope. This bold offering gives a glimpse into a world that's both deeply personal and informed by the language of giants like John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Steve Swallow.

Rivkah isn't merely channeling her heroes; she's using their vocabulary to craft a singular artistic statement that shows a path to new territory. Her compositions demonstrate technical prowess, and harmonic acuity. But they are also sonic narratives that grapple with themes of acceptance, resilience, and the unwavering human spirit. 

Linda Lee Michelet

Linda has received rave reviews from the Oregonian, and The Portland Tribune. She was also featured in MORE Magazine. Her TV appearances include OPB’s ArtBeat, nationally syndicated Better TV, and AM Northwest. Linda Lee Michelet is well known in the Portland jazz scene for her shows created with Joe Millward focused on a performer or style of music including: “An Evening with Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra”, “A Tribute to the Icon - George Shearing”, “Latin ala Lee”, “Peggy Lee”, and “What’s New Pussycat: the Music of Burt Bacharach”.

BrandonLee Cierley

Born: May 20, 1994

BrandonLee Cierley is an up and coming Saxophonist born in Tacoma, Wa and now relocated to Portland, OR, who effortlessly combines elements from sounds that have influenced his musical voice such as Jazz, Hiphop, Lofi and Groove. During his time in Washington, BrandonLee graduated from Pacific Lutheran University where he pursued his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science & Music

During his uprising in the music scene, BrandonLee continuously sought instruction to master his saxophone craft by working with multiple instructors such as; Tracy Knoop, Braxton Cook, Steve Tresler, & Todd Delguidice.

Leonard Maxson

Leonard Maxson (Drummer-based in rudimental drumming) Toured the USA, Canada, & Mexico backing many groups and bands doing show work, jazz, rock, blues, pop, & country then did the Nevada - California casino circuit for 6 years backing all styles of music in several bands. After many years of this settled in the Portland area forming the group Lisa & The Persons Three (Lisa Gale, Larry Adair, Ken Lomax,Leonard Maxson) lasting 5 years. Obtained a BA in Music Education and became a public high school band director teaching in Oregon for15 years. Presently returned to performance first backing shows, with jazz sets in between, on the cruise ship The Columbia Queen for a season; on the road was part of Magic Jerry and The Mojo Men, The Frantic Mystics, Take Three, Linda Leigh and The Lads, Southside Jazz Band, Susan and The Sound System, The Tokyo Playmates, Diamond Lil Show, The Riverboat Gamblers, and others.