Banana Hammond is an organ quartet made up of four of Portland’s most explosive jazz instrumentalists. Their original music pulses with a swagger that’s as unrestrained as it is precise, pushing audiences to lean in and revel in the ride. Joe Bagg commands the Hammond B3 with a deep, swelling groove that grips the listener from the first note. On tenor saxophone, Tim Willcox brings a bold and muscular sound, stretching his lines to exhilarating lengths. Guitarist Ryan Meagher darts fluidly across the neck, blending wit with raw intensity in ways that feel both sly and subversive. Beneath it all, drummer Charlie Doggett lays down a relentless foundation that keeps the band surging forward. Banana Hammond thrives on the tension between tongue-in-cheek humor and serious musicianship, proving that jazz can be both deeply playful and unapologetically hard-hitting.
Pacific Northwest saxophonist Tim Willcox is a recording artist and active sideman. A co-founder of Ninjazz Records, his recent releases include the 2023 album Tim Willcox Featuring Chuck Israels, which also features Bryn Roberts and George Colligan. He has also recorded multiple albums with the Superjazzers, as well as being a sideman on dozens of other recordings. Willcox’s work includes numerous collaborations with legendary bassist Chuck Israels, as well as performances with the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble
(PJCE), and a 2024 recording with pianist Kerry Politzer. He is an faculty member at Portland State University, Pacific University, and Lower Columbia College.
Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) is a jazz guitarist and composer, perhaps best known for his compositional acumen. Also well-known for his flexibility and range, he is truly in his element when exploring his thought-provoking original material with exciting and sensitive sidemen. Still, he has also accompanied a diverse group of incredibly talented artists. He has nine albums under his own direction, and has been a sideman on many others. Meagher is an integral part of the Pacific Northwest’s improvised music scene, serving as a
musician, educator, and arts administrator. He currently teaches at Mt Hood Community College, University of Portland, Portland State University, Willamette University, and directs the jazz program at Lower Columbia College. He is the Artistic Director of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble and manages their in-house record label.
Joe Bagg studied with the legendary jazz pianist Kenny Barron at Rutgers University where he obtained his Masters Degree in Music. After that he spent some time in the Army as a Russian linguist stationed in Germany, moving back to the states to California where he was a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene for 25 years before relocating with his family up to Portland, Oregon. In 1997, Joe started playing the Hammond B-3 organ, and has appeared in downbeat magazine’s Critics Poll for 15+ years running now. Recently, he was featured performing on screen in the Clint Eastwood movies J. Edgar and Jersey Boys. He’s performed on the television shows The Jimmy Kimmel Show, The Today Show, The Graham Norton Show, The Late Late Show with James Corden and numerous others. He is also a member of Hollywood actor Jeff Goldblum’s band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra which recently released a recording on Decca records debuting at #1 on the Billboard, iTunes and Amazon jazz charts. In Los Angeles, Joe was sought after by an impressive range of prominent musicians including the legendary vibist Bobby Hutcherson, Grammy winning composer Bill Holman, the legendary drummer Billy Higgins, Grammy nominated guitarist Anthony Wilson, jazz legend Charles McPherson, trumpeter/vocalist Jack Sheldon, fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Alphonse Mouzon, vocalist Madeleine Peyroux, Grammy nominated trombonist/arranger Alan Ferber, and many others. He’s also been fortunate to share the stage with renowned artists like Macy Gray, Brian McKnight, Burt Bacharach, Natalie Cole and Tierney Sutton among others. Joe has appeared on recordings featuring a diverse range of artists including Miley Cyrus, Fiona Apple, Sharon Van Etten, Imelda May, Gregory Porter, Gina Saputo, Bob Mintzer and many others. In 2019 he had the rare privilege of playing for the Queen of England at Royal Albert Hall. He has taught at a number of colleges and universities over the years, but currently teaches jazz piano at Lewis and Clark College and the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon and in the Bachelor Degree department at Musician’s Institute. He also maintains a busy gigging, recording and touring schedule.
Charlie Doggett is one of Portland’s most in-demand drummers, celebrated for his dynamic sound and versatility across jazz and beyond. A longtime collaborator with bassist/composer David Friesen, Doggett has toured internationally and recorded extensively, appearing on seven of Friesen’s acclaimed albums and performing at major venues including Vienna’s Porgy & Bess and Berlin’s Schlot Jazz Club. He is also a core
member of the Superjazzers (with Tim Willcox, David Goldblatt, and Bill Athens) and the Upper Left Trio (with Clay Giberson and Jeff Leonard), both of which have released multiple well-reviewed recordings. Over the years, Doggett has shared the stage with jazz greats including Dave Frishberg, Ethan Iverson, Esperanza Spalding, and Camila Meza. His performances are marked by energy, creativity, and an infectious sense of swing that captivates audiences.
Preoder the new albbum here: https://pjce.bandcamp.com/album/hard-music
Performance Details:
Friday, October 10th
Tickets: $25 (All Ages)
Personnel: Tim Willcox – tenor sax; Ryan Meagher – guitar; Joe Bagg – Hammond B3 organ;
Charlie Doggett – drums
