The Catherine Feeny and Chris Johnedis duo’s sparse soundscape of polyryhthms and mellow hooks leaves lots of room for new harmonic ideas. And the PJCE wind quintet — featuring PJCE Executive Director Douglas Detrick on trumpet, Lars Campbell on trombone, Lee Elderton on soprano saxophone, Mary-Sue Tobin on tenor saxophone, and Pete Petersen on baritone saxophone — makes the most of that space, using bold strokes to express what was laid on the page by arrangers.
Alternately satisfyingly sweet and challenging, the arrangements expose various layers of the burgeoning Portland Jazz scene, marrying them with a pop sensibility that is new for the PJCE. Like a snapshot of a community rather than a polished portrait, the EP is all the more exciting for its rough edges.
The Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble is a 501c3 organization dedicated to commissioning, performing, and celebrating new music in the jazz idiom from Portland and Oregon-based composers through its 12-member jazz chamber orchestra and subsets thereof, its record label PJCE Records, and its podcast Beyond Category.
www.catherinefeeny.com
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