Results for "Portland"

David Haney

Born: May 7, 1955

David Haney, born in Fresno, California, grew up in Calgary, Canada. He began classical piano studies at age eight, adding guitar at age 15. He studied jazz piano with Eddie Wied in Portland Oregon , and composition with Czech American composer Tomas Svoboda. His early works were performed by the Society of Oregon Composers. David has received numerous commissions from private individuals as well as for ballet and film. He has performed in concert with many of the world's greatest improvisers including Obo Addy, Bud Shank, Roswell Rudd, Han Bennink, Julian Priester, Andrew Cyrille, John Tchicai, Gerry Hemingway, Wolter Weirbos, and many others

Ryan Meagher

Born: August 18, 1981

As with all the best jazz musicians, guitarist Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) refuses to sit still. The Portland-based composer and player maintains a steady stream of activity, whether that’s teaching at various schools throughout the Northwest, performing regular gigs around his hometown, or writing thoughtful music that spans the vast spectrum of jazz music, from post-bop to Latin to avant-garde.

Meagher’s forward momentum was fomented early, during his teen years growing up in San Jose, California, where he split his time between taking baseball practice and working out his guitar chops in a series of youthful garage bands. From there, he began his most serious music studies, both in the classrooms and rehearsal halls of San Diego State University, and, starting in 2003, the clubs and venues of New York City. That combination of academic inquiry and the make-or-break proving ground of one of the country’s brightest artistic centers brought about Meagher’s thoughtful compositional style and a curiosity that has allowed him to move between musical worlds with ease.

Kerry Politzer

Born: December 19

Kerry Politzer is a Portland-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She is on the music faculty of Portland State University and has also taught at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University, the University of Portland, and the University of Manitoba. 

Kerry received a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied improvisation and composition with the late jazz guru Charlie Banacos, and a Master of Music from Rowan University. 

Kerr has released nine albums as a leader, the latest of which is Alternate Route (Whirlwind Recordings) featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel and Jaleel Shaw. Other albums of note include Blue in Blue, which featured saxophonist Donny McCaslin and was termed a “first-rate jazz outing” by AllAboutJazz.com. She has also been a featured sideman on albums of George Colligan, Laura Dreyer, and the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE). Her commissions include works for the PJCE as well as a solo piano piece, “Microclimates,” for the pianist Andree-Ann Deschenes. This piece was featured on Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline.

Ed Bennett

Born: December 19, 1951

Ed Bennett has long been considered one of the West Coast's premiere string bass players. Living in Portland, Oregon since 1990, Ed's work has taken him virtually everywhere in the world. He has worked with, toured internationally, or recorded with many legendary jazz figures, including: Dizzy Gillespie, Curtis Fuller, Terell Stafford, Claudio Roditi, Jeremy Pelt, Joe Henderson, Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, Pete Christlieb, Bud Shank, Charles McPherson, Hadley Caliman, Bobby Watson, Harry Allen, Pete Jolly, Don Abney, Joe Albany, Dave Frishberg, James Williams, Mike Wofford, Pete Malinverni, Bill Mays, Dick Berk, Lawrence Marable, Frank Butler, Gene Stone, Joey Baron, Chuck Redd, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Witherspoon, Anita O'Day, Nancy King, Ernistine Anderson, Marlena Shaw, Karrin Allyson, Mary Stallings, Dee Daniels, Bill Henderson, The Modernaires, Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabakin Big Band and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.

Craig Marquardo

Born: November 21, 1972

Craig got his career started singing behind the superstar, Sting, at age 15 on the 1988 Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! tour. After playing around in the rock/pop arena for a while, he realized that wasn't where his passion was. Years later he discovered jazz. First up was fronting a 15-piece big band in Florida, as well as owning a piano bar on Fort Lauderdale Beach. After managing such a big sound and even bigger shows, playing to packed houses of 2,000 and more, he wanted to pare down the players and concentrate more on the style and personality of the music and his voice. Moving to Hood River, Oregon, and then Portland, he sang with an upright bass and piano player all over the Northwest, doing over 200 shows a year. This also led to him starting Music Spectator Magazine, which he published for three years, and eventually the highly touted Portland Music Awards, which ran for 6 years. In 2016 he gathered a talented group of players to form a new band, Idle Poet - which will play pop with a heavy jazz influence, using a combination of both original and cover tunes.

David Friesen

Born: May 6, 1942

Anyone acquainted with David Friesen's exceptional music quickly thinks of his creative universe. Ocean-deep in his sensitivity to the human spirit, Friesen is compassionate and his music founded on integrity and the pursuit of excellence.

Born in Tacoma, Washington May 6, 1942, he was raised in Seattle, though his first exposure to jazz music was at the age of 5 years in Spokane, Washington hearing in his home a friend of his sister Diane playing Boogie Woogie on his family’s upright piano. After this individual left the home, David went to the piano and tried to emulate what he had just heard…thus his musical career had just begun. His sister Diane played the piano and for many years growing up, together they would play four handed piano and spent many evenings playing the piano and singing. His parents Ben and Clara Friesen were not professional musicians, but his mother had played C Melody saxophone as a child and his father had a beautiful singing voice...especially at church David could hear his father’s beautiful voice harmonizing with the congregation when they would sing hymns. Far removed from the music world, His mother was a professional bowler and his father was a Life Insurance executive. However, both his parents supported his love for music and made it possible for David to explore music on many different instruments. His sister Diane’s love for the movies and acting as a child, eventually led her into a very successful career as an actress, her name known as Dyan Cannon .

Marti Mendenhall

Born: December 25

Marti Mendenhall is quickly gaining momentum as a Performer, Songwriter, Producer and Podcast Host. She is a magnetic, engaging performer, whose live shows are entertaining and original. Marti sings a catalog of Jazz standards and Jazz-Pop originals. Recently featured in Oregon Music News, her meaningful lyrics are often compared to Stacey Kent, and her scat solos are on par with Karrin Allyson and John Pizzarelli. She artfully combines her training in vocal performance, classical piano, and vocal improvisation with a new and fresh take in the world of jazz-pop. Marti Mendenhall keeps expanding her talents into new projects and compositions

Daniel Reyes Llinás

Born: 1978

Daniel Reyes Llinás, Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1978, Daniel started his formal training with guitarist Carlos Castilla, then continued his studies under Jaime Arias Obregón and Carlos Rocca Lynn at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. He has participated in workshops with Leo Brouwer, Nik Bartsch, Martin Medeski and Wood, Butch Morris, Bang on a Can, Robert Fripp, and David Torn. Additionally, he has taken private lessons with Fernando Otero, Mary Halvorsen, and Carlos Alomar. Currently, he is studying composition with Ion Marmarinos and Julien Malaussena. Daniel has performed at venues in Europe, North, and South America. Between 2008 and 2017, he led the NYC-based Parias Ensemble, collaborating with Mariel Roberts, Ravi Kittappa, Vasko Dukovski, and Marta Topferova. Between 2017 and 2019, Daniel was a resident composer at Teatro Escarlata in Medellín. His music has been featured in theater, films, and dance performances. Currently based in Portland, Oregon, he performs with the experimental music ensemble Ex.tra.di.tion. Daniel recently released guitar trio album "String Schemas," featuring Elliott Sharp and Harvey Valdes, and the solo guitar album "Códices," co-produced by Trey Gunn. Daniel is a recipient of grants from The Regional Arts Culture Council and The Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

Brother Thelonious Re-Released At California North Coast Jazz and Ale House

by Arthur R George
February 19, 2019

"Brother Thelonious," an ale named in tribute to pianist Thelonious Monk using a Belgian Trappist brew style, is flowing again out of the North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California and its jazz-devoted performance venue, The Sequoia Room. An intermission in production occurred after a dispute between North Coast Brewing and the Estate of the ...

Roger Paulson

Born: February 13, 1947

Graduate of Willamette University College of Music Composed, arranged and directed jazz services in churches around the Willamette Valley for several years, playing piano with the troup of 12-15 musicians and vocalists. Long career in the marketing and programming of motion pictures in theatres in major U.S. cities. Among Portland clients were the KOIN Center, Fox Tower, Cinema 21 and Hollywood. For ten years, a publicist and promotional representative for a dozen independent film distributors in the Northwest. Currently a partner in a single screen small town theatre. For fifteen years until 2016, an arranger and composer of original music at First Congregational UCC in downtown Portland