Artistic Directors
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Birth of the Cool
plus favorites from the Ellington library
Friday, April 9 • 7:30 pm
First United Methodist Church |
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PJO co-founder, artistic director and trombonist Lars Campbell attended the University of Northern Colorado and Portland State University, where he received a degree in Jazz Performance. Trained in both the jazz and classical repertoires, he is a member of the innovative young jazz trio Chopslaughter, as well as the Bobby Torres Ensemble, Pepé and the Bottle Blondes, the Nu Shooz Orchestra and several Portland area big bands, and performs as well with the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theater orchestras. He twice attended the Banff International Jazz Workshop, where he studied with Dave Douglas and Tony Malaby, and in 2001 performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
His discography includes appearances on Pepé and the Bottle Blondes' Pambrosia, Pink Martini's Hang on Little Tomato, Gordon Lee Big Band's Flying Dream, Tim Bryson Project's Playground and Tim Jensen's most recent CD (in production).
Also a composer/arranger, he has been commissioned by student ensembles in Portland, and has arranged for the Bobby Torres Ensemble, Pepé and the Bottle Blondes, and the late Jeff Hanson.
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Charley Gray, co-founder and director of the Portland Jazz Orchestra, is the Director of Jazz Studies at Portland State University, where he has taught since 1988. Having received his M.M. in Jazz Arranging and Composition from North Texas State University, his charts have been performed by the University of North Texas One O'Clock Big Band, the Kicks Band, Terrel Stafford, Dan Faehnle, Nancy King and the Pioneer Brass Quintet, among several other jazz artists and academic institutions around the U.S.
As a bassist, he has performed with the Bobby Torres Ensemble, the Kicks Band, the Carlton Jackson-Dave Mills Big Band, Latin Expression and Pepé and the Bottle Blondes, and can be heard on the Kicks Band's self-titled album and Gordon Lee's Flying Dream.
In 2008, Portland Jazz Orchestra recorded Good Morning, Geek, a collection of Gray's original works for jazz orchestra. The CD is available through CD Baby.
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