The Pacific Northwest's premiere contemporary jazz guitarist Dan Balmer heads up the Dan Balmer Quartet, affectionately know as a funky organ group. The quartet will feature Louis Pain, Renalto Carranto, and Carlton Jackson. Balmer has performed with an impressive line of talented musicians including Andy Narrel, Jim Pepper, David Friesen, Glen Moore, Jessica Williams, and the late Red Mitchell. Currently, Dan is also on the faculty at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

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Playing drums since he was eleven years old, Chuk Barber has had sticks in his hands for over 40 years. A student of legendary jazz drummer, Hal Blaine, Chuk was always a grounding member in many garage bands in the early 60’s. He founded the Virginia/North Carolina based premiere jazz group “Heroes” in the late 70’s. He’s played with some of New Orleans greatest musicians and bands including Dr. John, Michael Ray and Cosmic Ray and Anders Osborne.

In a performing career that spans more that 25 years Bill Beach has performed with many jazz legends including Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Harris, Howard Roberts, Mark Murphy, Charlie Rouse, Frank Morgan, Jimmy Cobb and Nat Adderley. He has studied with Marian McPartland, Jack DeJohnette and Warren Bernhardt. He has performed in Japan, Mexico, England, Holland and Belgium.

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Ed Bennett has long been considered one of the West Coast's premiere string bass players. Currently 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, Joe Henderson, Sonny Stitt, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, Pete Christlieb, Bud Shank, Pete Jolly, Joe Albany, James Williams, Mike Wofford, Bill Mays, Larance Marable, Anita O'Day, Ernistine Anderson, The Modernaires, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.

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Bossa Nova means new style. With that in mind, Jorge Zamorano, who is often regarded by his peers, the press and jazz fans as the Pacific Northwest’s premier Brazilian and Latin jazz guitarists, founded the spirit of Bossa Nouveau. He has performed with many jazz artists including Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Charlie Byrd, Paul Horn, with Motown Groups The Temptations, The Drifters, The Coasters and The Platters. Jorge has also shared stages with many notable performers including Kevin Eubanks, the Yellowjackets and world music diva Cesaria Evora.

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FEW ENTERTAINERS have ever commanded such depth of artistry in every medium. Fewer still have been rewarded with Broadway's coveted Tony Award (Best Featured Actress in a Musical – The Wiz ), nominated for the London theater's West End equivalent, the Laurence Olivier Award (Best Actress in a Musical – Lady Day ), won two Grammy® Awards (1998's Best Jazz Vocal Performance and Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal for "Cottontail" – Slide Hampton, arranger – " Dear Ella "), and France's 1998 top honor Victoire de la Musique (Best Jazz Vocal Album).

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With a 40-year career and counting, Brown is a highly accredited Northwest drummer, bandleader and educator. He has been a fixture on the Portland jazz scene and has been labeled "The Gentleman of Jazz" and "The Musician's Musician." Brown has led some of the Northwest's most popular bands, including his great Septet, B-3 Organ Quartet, and his straight-ahead Quartet. Brown spent years as a staff drummer for the Motown Music Corporation, recording and touring with groups including the Temptations, the Supremes, and Smokey Robinson. He subsequently spent ten years working with Diana Ross, Suzanne Somers, Connie Francis, Pat Boone, and others. As an educator Brown is tops. Every summer students of all ages head to Western Oregon University for an intense, week-long education in jazz performance. Mel Brown heads the workshop faculty of some of Oregon's finest jazz musicians.

Ravi Coltrane- tenor and soprano saxophonist, bandleader, and composer - has fronted a variety of jazz lineups, recorded critically-hailed albums as leader, produced recordings by other artists - including his mother, worked as sideman for jazz luminaries, overseen important jazz reissues, and founded an independent record label. Seventeen years since finding his life's path, it seems music was Ravi's destiny from the outset.

Ben Ratliff of the New York Times writes, "Mr. Coltrane avoids tired song structures and doesn't want to bore you. He's fascinated on one hand by miniatures and on the other by the idea of longer songs that sound like collective improvisation from start to finish. It's a record that you can point to and say: This is what jazz sounds like now in New York."

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Paul de Barros is the jazz columnist for the Seattle Times, adjunct music professor at Seattle University, a regular contributor to Down Beat magazine, founder of the Seattle jazz support organization, Earshot Jazz. In 1993, his comprehensive history of the early Seattle jazz scene, Jackson Street After Hours (Sasquatch, Seattle) won the Governor’s Writer’s Award. A 2003-04 fellow in the National Arts Journalism Program, speaker for the Washington Commission for the Humanities’ “Inquiring Mind” program and curator of the Experience Music Project’s jazz showcase, de Barros has written about music for Musician, Modern Drummer, the Antioch Review, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and has done liner notes for Columbia, Fantasy and Verve Records. In 1990, Mr. de Barros served on the Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest jazz advisory study panel. From 1991-1995, he was Program Director the Northwest Folklife Festival.

For 25 years, Lynn Darroch has worked as a journalist writing about jazz and other music as well as general arts features for The Oregonian, Willamette Week, Jazz Times and other magazines and newspapers. His work on jazz also appears in books such as The Encyclopedia of United States Popular Culture and Jumptown: The History of Jazz in Portland. He edited the Jazz Society of Oregon's monthly, Jazzscene, for seven years and is a published fiction writer. Darroch has also traveled extensively and studied in Mexico, Central and South America.

His second CD, due in late 2005 ("Heroes of the Americas Volume II"), will feature musicians and artists from that region. He has presented lectures on detective fiction through the Oregon Council for the Humanities Chautauqua program and teaches in the English department at Mt. Hood Community College. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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Rob Davis is a saxophonist who brings musicality, openness, rich and varied experience, solid technique, directness and daring to every gig he takes on. He is a music graduate of the University of Washington who's tenor sax is regularly heard to full advantage in The Davis/Taylor Project, a quintet which he co-leads with fellow saxophonist Mark Taylor, winner of the Earshot Jazz "Golden Ear Award" for Best Emerging Jazz Group), and Matthew Jorgensen + 451. Rob is also prized for his commitment to the evolving legacy of big band jazz, as a member of the Jim Knapp Orchestra and a past member of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. Rob has also been heard at Northwest festivals and concerts playing with orchestras led by Ray Charles, Bob Florence and Gerald Wilson. He has performed alongside such luminaries as Ernestine Anderson, Eddie Daniels, Billy Hart, Bud Shank and Pete Christlieb.

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Growing up, listening to music; country to Bach, Sandy was enamored with Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horn and Blossom Dearie. In her teens Sandy was crazy for Doris Day and Shirley Bassey, then Cleo Lane. In her twenties, her sister Loretta, convinced her to sing professionally and her career was on it's way!! Sandy studied with some of the best teachers in the Delaware Valley, including voice and stage presence under the watchful eye of Bucky Harris and voice with Lenny Payton, former music coordinator on several New York based television shows.

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Akbar DePriest has had a long and rich career as a jazz artist. It began in 1955 when he left L.A. on a tour of the “chitlin circuit”. For the next 50 years he performed with jazz Greats like guitarist George Estridge, pianist Joe Keel, Kenny Drew, Jof Lee and Gordon Lee, saxophonists Eddie Harris, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Javon Jackson in major Cities across the United States and Europe. He has been an active participant in the Portland jazz scene since moving to the city in 1987, performing with Portland artists Thara Memory, Janice Scroggins, Hadley Caliman, Jof Lee and others. After playing on many recordings, Akbar released “Live on the Willamette” under his Own name. And co-produced “ Central Avenue Roots” with saxophonist/composer Bennie Maupin, featuring bassist Andre StJames, Janice Scroggins and Thara Memory. Most recently he produced “Inclusion” featuring Javon Jackson. In addition to performing, Akbar is an established teacher. He has been an artist in the schools, teaching courses in jazz history and co-director of jazz bands at the University Of Portland in 1993. Currently, he is music director of DePriest Family Jazz a non-profit Organization that grew out of The DePriest Project, which started in 1991.

Akbar’s great gift to Portland was the DePriest Project and its series of family concerts That synthesized Akbar’s lifetime of experience and vast connections in the jazz world. Akbar strives to “give back to the Portland community” what he received from the artists.

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A saxophonist, Bryan was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1987-91, after spending four years at North Texas State. He has brought his playing full circle from the classics of Ben Webster to the contemporary styles of today's jazz forefront . He brings a funky growl and grunge to his own band, Noiz'N The Hood."He has worked as a soloist with Mel Torme, Cab Calloway, Rosemary Clooney, and many others.

Mark has studied drums with world famous drum innovator Johnny Vidacovich, and master Brazilian stylist Ricky Sebastian. He is first call for some of New Orleans’ best gigs, including Astral Project and the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars. The combination of Mark’s New Orleans sense of swing and groove, along with his polyrhythmic concepts, make his time solid, his accompaniment supportive and interactive, and his soloing dynamic and melodic. In May of 1999, Mark received his Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans, where he also was a graduate assistant and Music Theory instructor. He also is a winner of the Ernest Swenson competition, having won 1999’s contest with his piece “India,” one of many of his compositions that appears on Blues By 5.

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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. David Friesen has recorded over 65 CD‘s as a leader/ co-leader and appeared as a sideman or featured artist on more than 100 recordings. He has performed and/ or recorded with many of the great names and legends of jazz including: Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Michael Brecker, Bud Shank, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Freddy Hubbard, Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Joe Venuti, Mal Waldron, Jaki Byard, Kenny Drew Sr., Chick Corea, Milt Jackson, Slim Gaillard, John Scofield, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Paul Motian, Jack Dejohnette, Airto Moreira, and many others.

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Frisell's 2004 Nonesuch release, Unspeakable, featuring his long-time rhythm section of Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen as well as percussionist Don Alias, horn arrangements by Steven Bernstein, and Frisell's string writing for the 858 strings of Jenny Scheinman, Eyvind Kang and Hank Roberts is “a revisiting of an old friendship that stretches back 20 years: a partnership with producer Hal Willner. Taking fragments of obscure vinyl records as a launching point, the duo traverses a landscape that passes, in an almost hallucinatory way, through myriad styles.” – Billboard . The Observer describes it this way: “The brilliant 53-year old guitarist embraces a jazzy kind of post-rock whose most immediate point of reference is the electric Miles Davis. It's a multi-textured, multi-hued disc that never sees Frisell sacrifice his impeccable technique, or neglect the deep structure of his songs, but never sees him forget to have fun either."

Unspeakable won a 2004 Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

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Combining the polished and effortless guitar mastery of Dan Balmer, with the raw swagger and brash youth-electro of Clay Giberson and Micah Kassell, the only sensible choice is to GO BY TRAIN. Their mission is to subtly take over the jazz/creative music scene with a passive intensity and astute musicality that reek of the cool. A fan once said of GO BY TRAIN, "This is what the future should have sounded like…"

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Grant has traveled a path from pianist with jazz legends and in-demand New York sideman to critically-acclaimed bandleader and composer, to respected educator and singular solo artist. Grant was born May 30, 1962 in Pittsburgh, and grew up in Denver. At 17 Darrell got his degree from the famed Eastman School of Music. He pursued graduate studies in jazz at the University of Miami and in 1986 he relocated to New York City, where he broke into the jazz scene performing with Woody Shaw, Junior Cook, and Charlie Persip. Darrell was introduced to international audiences in 1988 as the pianist in Betty Carter's trio. Darrell quickly became one of New York's most in-demand players, touring and recording with jazz artists like Frank Morgan, Sonny Fortune, Craig Harris, Greg Osby, Don Braden and Roy Haynes. In 1992 he replaced Mulgrew Miller as pianist in Tony Williams' quintet. He left New York for Portland in 1997, replacing pianist Andrew Hill on the jazz faculty of Portland State University, where he is now a tenured professor. In 1999, he started Lair Hill Records and released "Smokin' Java," a swinging love letter to his newfound sense of community in the Northwest, featuring Donald Harrison, Brian Blade and Joe Locke. Darrell performs extensively as a bandleader and solo artist throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe in venues ranging from clubs to major jazz festivals.

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John Gross is an internationally respected musician, has resided in Portland since 1991. Among his employers past and present; Harry James, Stan Kenton, Lionel Hampton, Shelly Manne, Don Ellis, Woody Herman and Toshiko Akiyoshi. He performs regularly with Gordon Lee Quartet, David Friesen, David Frishberg, Alan Jones Sextet and his own groups Blema Bii and the John Gross quartet. John has taught at universities in the US and Europe and is the author of "185 Multiphonics for the Saxophone, A Practical Guide" published by Advance Music.

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His most recent large-scale composition was a concerto for guitar and orchestra, commissioned by Towson University in Maryland for The First World Guitar Congress®, which was debuted in June 2004 with the Baltimore Symphony. The title of the work, “Peace Movement,” is indicative of Jim’s desire to contribute to world peace through his music. He views music as a way of bonding people together and crossing barriers, be they barriers of geography, ideology, religion, or other discriminations. In accepting the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship award in January 2004, he said, “The women and men who have received this award in the past have spread peace and love throughout the world, something that governments might emulate. I am pleased to be one of the peacemakers.”

"Jim Hall is the reigning master of the jazz guitar. This poetic player says more with fewer notes than any living improviser."
---The New Yorker

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Winard Harper, Savant recording artist, has become one of the hardest working drummers in jazz today, not only leading the very exciting and hard-swinging sextet, but also continuing as one of the most in-demand sidemen. When not on the bandstand with this sextet, Harper works with artists such as Dr. Billy Taylor, Ray Bryant, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Wess and Jimmy Heath. His newest CD, Come IntoThe Light, has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. And now the Winard Harper Sextet move to a new level of success. Not only is the band gaining increased air play around the globe, they regularly appear in festivals, on jazz cruises, in concert halls and in top jazz clubs, the Winard Harper Sextet is doing their part to bring the power of jazz to audiences everywhere. The response has been nothing short of remarkable. But then again, so is Winard Harper.

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Established jazz artists like vibraphonist Stefon Harris hold it on faith that their fans--and maybe some critics, too--will follow them when they gravitate toward the commercial side of the tracks with pop-informed albums. Still, even taking into account the need to reach a broader audience at a time when instrumental jazz has fallen out of favor, Evolution seems like a step backward, not forward. As contemporary jazz--if not Contemporary Jazz--goes, this album is a cut above. Harris has a great ear for melody, a gift for intoxicating, offbeat arrangements, and a knack for sublimating influences ranging from funk to fusion. (He is abetted in the latter style by Marc Cary , who often sounds like Return to Forever -era Chick Corea on electric piano.) But even if some of the performances get under your skin with repeated listening--a cover of Sting 's ballad "Until" casts a sneaky spell--too much of the album is bland and predictable. While it's nice to hear Harris return from the rarified heights of his Grand Unification Theory suite and play with a working band again, he's capable of more evolutionary sounds than these. --Lloyd Sachs

Drummer Gary Hobbs is a native of the Pacific Northwest and lives in Vancouver, WA. He has played professionaly for 3 decades and appears on over 40 recordings. Gary played with The Stan Kenton Orchestra from 1975 through 1977. Through the years Gary has played with Anita O'Day, Suzanna McKorkle, Dan Siegel, Glen Moore, The New York Voices, Eddie Harris and many more. Bud Shank, Randy Brecker, Bill Mays, Kurt Elling, Dave Frishberg, David Freisen, Bobby Shew, Bobby Watson, Bob Florence, The Woody Herman Orchestra,Terry Gibbs, Jaquie Naylor, Jim Widner Big Band, Mike Vax Big Band and Tom Grant are just a few of the artists that Gary has recently performed with.

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Linda started singing at the age of six in the Grace & Truth Pentecostal Church, a church her father, Bishop H. Hornbuckle pastored. She began thrilling audiences in the Pacific Northwest, Europe, Canada and across the U.S. just a few years later. As Portland's most sought after backup singer, she has toured and/or recorded with artists such as Quarterflash and Nu-Shooz. She later became lead vocalist for the high profile Portland band, Body & Soul and in 1992 became the driving force for the Blues act Linda Hornbuckle & the No DeLay Band. Today, Linda has become a bandleader herself and continues to play with some of the Northwest’s most dynamic musicians. Her voice is one of the area’s most powerful blues/soul/gospel/jazz voices.

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Saxophonist and singer Reggie Houston moved to Portland recently, leaving the rich music scene in New Orleans where had been a fixture for decades leading Charmaine Neville's band and playing with greats such as Fats Domino.

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Kadderly brings to the stage a pure and unique voice. She is known for a great pop and jazz sense, going back and forth between the two with seamless ease. Her album, “I Go Zoom” on her own record label was a top-selling CD in the Northwest for five weeks in a row, and she continues to record and sing live. Kadderly is on the faculty at several Portland-area colleges, teaching music theory, singing and piano, and she routinely leads vocal workshops with fellow Portland vocalist Nancy King. She plays piano as well and is also an accomplished actress.

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Ashley Kahn is an American music historian, journalist, and producer, as well as a regular commentator on Morning Edition. Kahn has made different jobs related to music in his career: from deejay to video producer and freelance writer, from road manager to concert producer and TV music editor for VH1. As a road manager, he has toured with jazz musicians including Henry Threadgill, Cassandra Wilson, and Greg Osby; with African artists including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela, and Lucky Dube; with rock artists including Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel; and with pop stars including Britney Spears. His most critically acclaimed books have been on two major jazz albums, Kind Of Blue from Miles Davis and A Love Supreme from John Coltrane. Apart from his books, his contributions as a journalist have appeared in the New York Times, Downbeat, Jazz Times, Rolling Stone in the USA, Mojo and New Statesman in the UK, GQ in Japan, and many others.

Praise for Geoffrey's artistry comes from all sides. Time magazine wrote that Geoffrey possesses "a refreshingly open-eared sensibility in the modern manner, and he has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole." His peers speak glowingly about his artistry as well. Hawaiian guitarist, Keola Beamer reflects "I was fortunate in my recent travels, to establish a warm friendship with Jazz pianist, Geoffrey Keezer. Geoffrey has a beautiful, spatial style that I immediately fell in love with the first time we played together in San Francisco." His fans also echo their admiration for his artistry. Surf to any online CD shop and read the glowing reviews of his releases submitted by purchasers worldwide.

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Nancy had been performing locally and along the West Coast with pianist/composer Steve Christofferson since 1978. During the mid-90's Nancy and Steve were on the faculties of the Stanford University Jazz Workshop, Bud Shank's Centrum Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West, and performed at festivals in France, the U.S., Israel and Canada. In 1998 Nancy was reunited with Ray Brown on his cd "Some Of My Best Friends Are Singers" (Telarc) which also featured vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kevin Mahogany, Marlena Shaw, Etta Jones and Diana Krall. The recording peaked at #1 on the Gavin Jazz Chart in January 1999.

In early 2000 Stellar Records released "Dream Lands", a compilation of duet recordings with Steve Christofferson commissioned by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation. Performances in 2000 included a concert with Karrin Allyson Elvis Costello, and Deborah Harry.

In 2001 Nancy was inducted into the Oregon Jazz Society's Hall of Fame. That summer Nancy and Steve were on the faculty of Bud Shank's Centrum Jazz Workshop, and Nancy toured England and Holland with "The Fire at Keaton's Bar & Grill".

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Toby Koenigsberg has performed with many great jazz musicians and ensemble leaders, including Marian McPartland, Bill Holman, Ben Monder and Rich Perry. He has performed to critical acclaim at the Rochester International Jazz Festival with the Robert-Koenigsberg sextet and at other festivals across the United States. Koenigsberg has received numerous accolades for his musicianship, including awards from Downbeat magazine in the small ensemble category, for the Robert-Koenigsberg Sextet, and in the songwriting category. He received the Schirmer Award from the Eastman School of Music, given to the most outstanding graduate jazz performer in a graduating class. Koenigsberg has also been honored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

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Jake has been playing for 30 years, and teaching for 20. He now begins a series of solo works beginning with his debut CD "Don't Look Back". After a history of working with such greats as Dave Weckl (Chick Corea), Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea), Robert Aries (John Scofield), Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), Mark Walker (Michael Manring), Mel Brown (Diana Ross), Graham Lear (Santana), Bruce Carter (Kenny G), just to name a few, he now enters a compositional and performance aspect of his career that demands to be watched and heard.

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Terry McGraw, M.D., F.A.A.P., associate professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, has spearheaded the KPR Project, a fund-raising effort to support the Pediatric Pain Management Center at Doernbecher. As part of the project, a jazz CD called "Come What May" featuring Pacific Northwest artists is available for purchase.

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Gordon Lee is a composer, jazz pianist, arranger, conductor and music educator who is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest. Lee believes that jazz has given him a musical language to express himself in traditional forms from European idioms of music. He has worked with such people as Don Cherry, Bobby Hutcherson, Richie Cole, Frank Foster, Bill Frizzell, Leroy Vinnegar, Bob Moses, Gladys Night & the Pips, and the Temptations.

In the early 80's Jof relocated to the Pacific Northwest where he began an extended stint as pianist/musical director for well known and beloved Portland vocalist/ bassist Marianne Mayfield. Beginning in the late 80's and enduring throughout the following decade, he enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the legendary bassist Leroy Vinnegar. This productive association yielded several fine recordings including "Walkin' the Basses" sold on the Contemporary Records label. In addition, he has performed as a sideman on many other provocative projects. He currently works and travels with his own trio, or as a soloist, performing both domestically and internationally.

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Portland Jazz vocalist Barbara Lusch has released her first solo CD Album following a successful eight-year career as a performer in several popular musical acts. For her debut CD, self-titled ‘Barbara Lusch’, she has gathered a mix of material from the 1940s to the 1960s, including tunes recorded by influential artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee and Julie London. The CD showcases her jazz interpretations of pop, swing, and bossa nova tunes, as well as standards. Noted by critics for her solid vocal talent with Pepe and the Bottle Blondes, Lusch started her own band two years ago with the guidance of renowned percussionist Bobby Torres. For this album, Torres and pianist Dan Gaynor have created unique arrangements, resulting in fresh versions of songs such as ‘Light My Fire’, ‘Come On-A My House’ and ‘Black Coffee’.

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René Marie, vocalist, composer and musical risk-taker, has taken the jazz world by surprise. Live performances by this native Virginian can only be described as a transformation. The soft-spoken artist takes to the stage and turns it into a voodoo possession with her band. Her burning rhythms and tonal density make each song an experience beyond the typical jazz presentation. She swoops, yodels, seduces and conjures notes that leave the audience emotionally drained and satisfied. René Marie is a formidable artist at a time when the jazz world continues its quest to identify the “new leaders” of jazz.

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Thara Memory is a jazz man. He plays trumpet. Thara has been awarded NEA, OAC and RACC grants for his involvement in community arts projects. In 2005, he was the awarded the prestigious RACC Fellowship for the Performing Arts. He founded Portland's Accelerated Music Program, which promotes opportunities for talented minority and at-risk youth to achieve excellence in music. In 1999 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Arts Foundation for his community service in music.

Howard Mandel is an author (Future Jazz, Oxford University Press), editor (The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, Watson-Guptil), columnist, feature writer and reporter (National Public Radio, Down Beat, New York Press, many others), consultant (Jazz Foundation of America, National Critics Coalition, New School Jazz program) and educator (New York University) who has focused on jazz, blues, new and unusual musics within broader cultural contexts for more than 30 years. A native of Chicago and longtime resident of downtown Manhattan, Mandel has traveled widely across the U.S., in the Caribbean (including Cuba), West Africa, northern Europe, Russia, and has lectured in Armenia and Kiev under auspices of the U.S. Department of State. He is president of the Jazz Journalists Association, editor of its website Jazzhouse.com and producer of its annual Jazz Awards gala. Mandel is a two-time winner of ASCAP's Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in music journalism, and is currently working on Miles, Ornette and Cecil: Jazz Masters of the Avant Garde (Routledge) and a mystery novel, On Your Mark.

Mirage is a Portland Oregon based jazz trio with an unusually rich, warm sound, the result of blending the clarinet, vibraphone, and acoustic bass. The music provided by this top-notch group can serve as an elegant background, or for dancing. The trio features; (center)Sammy Epstein, clarinet and saxophones, (left)Dennis Plies, vibraphone, and (right)Dave Captein, acoustic bass.

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Shirley Nanette has appeared as guest soloist in concert throughout the United States and Canada, on both commercial and public television. She has performed at many of Oregon’s musical events including: the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz, Cascade Music Festival, Sunriver Music Festival, and each year at Oregon Art Museum’s “Museum After Hours” Gospel Meets Jazz concert.

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Ken is one of the top call drummers in Portland and for good reason. A protégé of Alan Jones, Ken is a hugely talented drummer who has played with Jonas Tauber, Michael Vlatkovich, Flatland, Rob Blakeslee, Chata Addy, David Haney, Pepe and the Bottle Blondes, Monty Amundson and numerous other bands and musicians. He has shared the stage with legends like Julien Priester, Bud Shank, John Gross, Ingrid Jensen and Kenny Werner and has backed up just about every jazz musician in Portland including a stint as drummer for Rob Scheps' Salon des Refuses. Recent recordings he appears on include two new Origin Records releases from Jonas Tauber and Michael Vlatkovitch, in addition to Tom McNally's debut album. Ken holds a BM in Jazz Studies from Portland State University where he is currently the jazz drum set instructor and a masters candidate. Ken is also a Banff alumnus.

Tokyo native Ozaki move to New Orleans in 1997. Since then he has performed with the New Orleans Klezmer All Starss, David Pirner (Soul Asylum), Leroy Jones (Harry Connick Jr.), Devin Phillips, Tim Laughlin, Naked Orchestra, Linnzi Zaorski, Preservation Hall and many others.

Eddie Palmieri's musical career spans 50 years as a bandleader of salsa and Latin jazz orchestras. His discography includes more than 32 titles. He has been awarded Seven Grammys, including the first presentation in the Best Latin Album category for his 1975 release The Sun of Latin Music, and the following year for Unfinished Masterpiece. Palo Pa' Rumba won in 1984, Solito in 1985 and La Verdad in 1987. He received two Grammy's for his 2000 release with Tito Puente Obra Maestra/Masterpiece one from the traditional Grammy awards and one from the Latin Grammy's.

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The jazz piano artistry of Tony Pacini has been enthusiastically enjoyed by nightclub and festival audiences throughout the West coast as well as in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. There he performs with, most notably: Leroy Vinnegar, Bud Shank, Harry Allen, Ritchie Cole, Chuck Israels, Dan Faehnle, Claudio Roditi, Hadley Calliman, Mel Brown, Ron Steen, Nancy King and Rebecca Kilgore. He has performed at the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz, the Centrum Jazz Festival, and the Jazz Society of Oregon’s First Jazz Concert Series.

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Nicholas Payton was born September 26, 1973, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother was an operatic singer and classical pianist. His father is a respected bassist and retired school teacher.

Nicholas Payton launched his recording career as a leader in 1995 with From This Moment. The follow-up, 1996's Gumbo Nouveau, was the maiden voyage for a quintet (featuring Tim Warfield on sax, Anthony Wonsey on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass and Adonis Rose on drums) he led for an astounding six years. In `96, Nicholas also portrayed legendary trumpeter Oran "Hot Lips" Page in director Robert Altman's film Kansas City, which spawned two soundtracks.

His most recent recording was a centennial tribute to Louis Armstrong for big band. Titled Dear Louis, that 2001 release found Payton arranging and performing 12 pieces of music closely associated with the master, plus composing the breathtaking title track. He's also added singing to his resume on that recording with the comical "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You" and "I'll Never Be The Same" as a bittersweet bossa.

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A native of the Pacific Northwest , Dave Peck is recognized as an outstanding composer, arranger and pianist. He is known for his introspective style and rich harmonic coloring and has been described as “…a formidable musical voice, lyrical and insightful”. He has been called “…an absolute artist with a unique command of his instrument and the language of music” and Cadence Magazine says he “…can hang with the currently feted crop of young lions”.

Dave's playing and compositions have been heard on National Public Radio's Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, Jazz Alive, Jazz Journal , New Jazz Northwest , and on VH1 and Canadian Broadcast Television. His music is featured internationally on jazz radio and he is a regular on Jazz After Hours on PRI radio and Northwest Jazz on KPLU FM.

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Phillips heard about the Portland Jazz Festival’s effort in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he sought refuge after the Hurricane. He plays tenor and soprano sax. He had his own group, New Orleans Straight Ahead and has played, toured and recorded with many New Orleans groups such as Delfeayo Marsallis, Los Hombres Calientes, The Headhunters, Morrice Brown, Lenny Kravitz, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.

Devin Phillips is a graduate of NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts).

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There are three PYJO bands comprised of outstanding, motivated and dedicated young musicians ages 11-20 from all over the Portland - metro area. These groups were created by Ben and Michelle Medler.

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Ron Steen is literally the Godfather of Jazz Jams in Portland, Oregon, and one of the most successful musicians in the area. He has had an ongoing jam session since 1980, and has been hosting Produce Row for about 13 years. Any New York pros who come through town stop in to Produce Row to jam on Monday nights. In addition to hosting at present FIVE jam sessions in town, including the new Vocalist Session at Wilfs.

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The Stolen Sweets are sure to hold you spellbound with their refreshing and unique interpretations of vocal jazz tunes from the 1920’s and 1930’s. The band’s repertoire is inspired by the unconventional arrangements and virtuosic three-part harmonies of the Boswell Sisters (Martha, Connee and Vet), one of the most popular vocal groups of that era.

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John Stowell began his successful career with guitar lessons in his native Connecticut from guitarist Linc Chamberlind, and from John Mehegan, pianist and respected jazz educator at the Julliard School of Music and Yale University. Several years later he met noted bassist David Friesen in NYC and launched a critically acclaimed touring and recording associate that lasted 7 years, included 6 albums, and perfomances in Europe, Canada, USA and Australia.

In the last ten years John has pursued a solo career which includes a dizzying touring and teaching schedule around the world.

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Tyner's full use of the piano's keyboard, with a striking exploitation of dynamics, sets him aside from more introverted players like Bill Evans and Keith Jarret. Their "musique de chambre" links them more with the European-oriented piano tradition, whereas Tyner follows the track back to the roots of the Afro-American quintessence of jazz music.

Tyner's music has been a major influence over the adoption in jazz of quartal and quintal harmonies, modes and pentatonic scales. He achieved a revived appreciation as a major player in the international jazz scene, a status he continues to maintain.

Stephen is a trombonist with Los Hombres Caliente.

Meet Oregon's newest soul diva, Olivia Warfield, who at 25 is just being discovered by rapt audiences. Hear her mix of old school Philly soul and current R&B and find out about her deep commitment to social change. Her phenomenal voice electrifies the listener with all the soul and moxie of a young Aretha Franklin. Hailing from Illinois, Warfield grew up admiring singers such as Etta James, Tony Braxton and Whitney Houston. All of those influences shine through in her vocal technique, although it should be noted that her compelling hooks and sophisticated lyricism beget a style all her own. Her graceful melodies lend a warm R&B ingredient to Porterhouse's sagacious funk recipe.

A breakthrough singer-songwriter in the mid-90s, Susan Werner has toured with countless luminaries including Joan Armatrading and Richard Thompson. Werner also appeared on the Peter, Paul & Mary Lifelines special seen nationally on PBS. Her 2002 release new non-fiction, received numerous accolades for its insightful social commentary and introspective stories. That's why The Boston Herald said, "If the Grammy" Folks knew what they were doing, it would be near the top of the list in next year's Contemporary Folk category."

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That Jed Wilson was one of the most prodigious jazz talents in the country was apparent even before he left high school. The three-time winner of Downbeat Magazine's "Outstanding High School Jazz Soloist" award is now 23 with a degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, a year on the scene in New York, and a soon to be released CD with critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Dominique Eade. Following in the musical footsteps of Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, Wilson's playing is marked by a maturity, craft and depth that belies his years.

Winner of the 2002 Great American Jazz Piano Competition and a past guest on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, looks to diverse musical worlds in her fusions of jazz, afro-latin, classical, and sacred music. Her brand new quartet release on the ArtistShare label, Length of Days, stands as further proof of her consummate jazz artistry and widening abilities as a leader with a sure hand. Highlights of Witkowski's 2004/5 schedule have included leading her group at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Tel Aviv Opera House, and the Jacksonville and Rochester Jazz Festivals; and touring as part of vocalist Lizz Wright's quartet in Europe and the US.

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Originally from a small town in western Pennsylvania, Anson Wright moved to New York City after graduating from Princeton University. In New York he composed and performed original music for acoustic guitar. Since moving to Oregon Anson has turned his focus to jazz, and he has performed throughout the Northwest and beyond. He has worked with Nancy King, Glen Moore, Jay Collins, Ron Steen, and many others. In addition to his jazz playing, his acoustic guitar compositions and his poetry have been set to modern dance. From 1987 to 1995 he was on the music faculty of Pacific University where he taught jazz improvisation and jazz history, as well as teaching guitar. He is currently teaching in the Portland area.

Anson Wright is one of the small number of jazz artists who have received critical acclaim as writers as well as musicians. Author Anais Nin praised the writing in his novel, Jericho, calling it "bottom of the sea level." The National Endowment for the Arts provided the funding for his second book, Openings. Anson's first full-length poetry book, Sandstone Monastery, was released in December of 2004.

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Those who have had the good fortune to wander upon Jesse Young have used words such as tranquil and enchanting to describe the experience. They’ve often reflected on the effortless way his voice merges with the nylon strings of his guitar. Since moving to the Big Easy, Jesse found himself under the guidance of musical luminary, Carl Leblanc of the Sun Ra Orchestra and New Orleans’s Preservation Hall Jazz Band. His guitar playing, could be described as lounge fingerpicking bossa rhythms intersected with broken bits of backporch blues. Someone was pretty close in describing his singing style when they said it's Chet Baker meets Dr. John.

In New Orleans, where he was residing before hurricane Katrina, he serenaded couples as they gently floated through the lagoons of the famous City Park of New Orleans on a Venetian Gondola.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel Zenón studied saxophone at the famed Escuela Libre de Musica; an institution that boasts distinguished alumnus throughout the musical world. Although Zenón listened to and explored the music of Charlie Parker and other jazz greats while in high school, it wasn't until he began his studies at the Berklee School of Music—where he received a scholarship from the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival—that his formal jazz training began.

“Jibaro”, Zenon's second CD for Marsalis Music, was released in the Sping of 2005 to critical acclaim(read Reviews ).The CD serves as a tribute to the "Musica Jibara" of the island of Puerto Rico, and it's music was comissioned by a grant from the New York State Council for the Arts.

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