About

I am a guitarist and composer residing in Portland, OR. I am always seeking intentional listening environments to perform in, and as such I am very happy to have become a part of Groupmuse. The guitar is a versatile instrument, and I have delved into many styles of playing. I'm a jazz guitarist at heart, which to me means half homage and half innovation. I perform the music of Monk, Mingus, Ornette Coleman, and other jazz composers, as well a great deal of original solo guitar music. I also compose for my group Idle Hands Quartet, which includes a 2nd guitarist, an upright bassist, and a percussionist. Acoustic music is something I'm very passionate about. It acts as a tonic in this age of computers. To experience resonance, clarity, virtuosity, and risk, in a good listening environment - that's what I love, and that has brought me to Groupmuse.

Music

The music I play comes from many sources. When I am called to be traditional, I greatly enjoying performing jazz standards as a solo player. Monk, Ellington, Mancini - these composers are very dear to me. I also seek out tunes, old and new, that I feel have some kernel of genius to them that leads me to treat them as a jazz standard. I find myself performing solo guitar arrangements of Stevie Wonder, and even Nirvana. A beautiful composition transcends genre, and can act as a canvas for any style. I follow my ear, and my inspiration. As mentioned above, the work of a jazz musician is half homage and half innovation. As a composer, I pursue ideas that begin as a thread of an exciting idea, and in unraveling that thread patiently, I find a rich tapestry, if I am lucky.

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