Portland Jazz Composers' Ensemble Dec 2011 Concert

Thanks to everyone who came out to the PJCE Fundraiser / Concert in September.  We enjoyed playing with the octet and now we're excited to feature the whole ensemble for our December concert this year at the beautiful Community Music Center, a refurbished firehouse in SE Portland.  We'll have new music by Charley Gray, director of jazz studies at PSU, Kyle Williams, a guitarist and composer who is often found composing new music for silent films with Retake Productions, Eric Allen, a prolific cellist, trumpeter, and composer currently living in New York to participate in this year's BMI Jazz Composers' Workshop, and PJCE co-executive director Gus Slayton.  Eric is even writing us his own very unique Christmas medley for the season!

The ensemble will feature Mike Hankins, Brooks Barnett, James M. Gregg (trumpets), Scott Ferguson, Nick Sweet, Ethan Chessin (trombones), Mary-Sue Tobin, Noah Bernstein, Gus Slayton, Mieke Bruggeman (saxes), Andrew Oliver (piano), Dan Duval (guitar), Bill Athens (bass), and Kevin Van Geem (drums).

The PJCE's website will feature essays by each composer leading up to the concert to provide more background and information on the pieces and to reach out to connect with the audience in advance of the concert.  The website also has more information and audio samples.  (http://www.pjce.org)

The Portland Jazz Composers' Ensemble's mission is to commission and perform new works by local jazz composers and to help promote and gain exposure for jazz in the Portland music community.  Since its inception in 2007 the PJCE has presented over 10 concerts, premiering over 30 works written specifically for the ensemble.  Having received 501(c) 3 nonprofit status this year, the organization continues to work to further large ensemble jazz in the Portland community.  After this concert there will be two more performances this season, Feb. 23 at Gallery 135 (during the Portland Jazz Festival) and a season closer in May.