Tina Raymond is an accomplished drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. A unique voice in the
contemporary improvised music scene, Raymond blends traditional jazz vocabulary with African polyrhythm and classical percussion technique. Brian Zimmerman of DownBeat Magazine writes, “Raymond displays ferocious chops and a remarkable sense of balance.” She has toured the US, Europe and Asia as a leader and sideman. Recent recordings include the acclaimed Esthesis Quartet’s second album “Time Zones” (Ears&Eyes 2023), Esthesis Quartet’s self-titled debut album (Orenda 2022), Boom Sessions Volume Ill with Dan Rosenboom, Gary Fukushima, and Eric Revis (Orenda 2022), Trio Subliminal “Cinema Infernale” (Orenda 2022), Kuba Stankiewicz’ “Music of Roman Statkowski” (Warner Music Poland 2021), Bobby Bradford’s “Stealin’ Home” (NoBusiness Records 2021), and Tina Raymond “Left Right Left” (Orenda 2017). Upcoming releases include “Divinations” featuring compositions by Raymond with Andrew Renfroe on guitar and Karl McComas-Reichl on bass, as well as Rachel Eckroth’s Live at Sam First (Sam First Records 2023) featuring Andrew Refroe on guitar and Billy Mohler on bass.
Raymond is the director of Jazz Studies at California State University Northridge, she received a DownBeat Educator Achievement Award (2020), and is president-elect of California Alliance for Jazz. Raymond has presented globally and her teaching credits include Los Angeles City College, The Herbie Hancock Institute, University of Michigan, Bard College, and Idyllwild Arts. She received an M.F.A in Jazz (drum set) from CalArts in 2010, and a B.M. in double performance, classical percussion and jazz studies, from University of Cincinnati’s CCM in 2008. She is an endorsed educator with Remo and Sabian.
Josh D. Reed, DMA, is a trumpeter and educator who holds degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder, the Eastman School of Music and James Madison University.
As a performer, Reed has shared the stage with artists such as Dave Douglas, Brad Goode, Anat Cohen, Art Lande, Tommy Igoe, Greg Gisbert, Paquito D’Rivera, Rufus Reid and Darlene Love. He currently leads his own trio, quartet and quintet.
As an educator, he has taught private lessons, ensembles and courses at Lagond Music School in New York, Metropolitan State University in Colorado, University of Colorado and communities throughout the United States. Reed directed the jazz program at the University of Missouri in the spring of 2017 before directing the jazz program at Santa Clara University. He joined the faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno in fall 2019 as an assistant professor of jazz trumpet.
Reed recently released his first recording as a leader: “Leaping Forward” featuring Art Lande. He is also featured on Art Deco’s “Free Range,” Emily Takahashi’s “Not Spoken,” Omar Thomas’s “I Am,” Matt Smiley’s “Quartet Art” and releases from Dillon Vado’s “Never Weather” and The Tim Wendel Septet.
The Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon for 34 years, Professor Emeritus of Music, Steve Owen, is an internationally known composer, arranger, saxophonist, and educator. Steve’s music has been performed and recorded by college and professional ensembles world-wide including recordings by the Frankfurt Radio Big Band (HR Big Band), Taipei Jazz Orchestra, Eastman Jazz Ensemble, Miami Studio Jazz Orchestra, University of North Texas One O’Clock Jazz Band, and the University of Oregon’s Oregon Jazz Ensemble. As a featured soloist, Steve has performed at festivals nationwide with jazz’s finest musicians including Dick Hyman, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, and Randy Brecker.
Cynthia Plank lives in Gresham, Oregon, and has been teaching band at Beaumont Middle School for 20 years. Upon completion of her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Teacher Certification at the University of Oregon, Ms. Plank went on to earn a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting at the American Band College, through Sam Houston State University. She received the Mary V. Dodge Award for Outstanding School Music Teacher for 2011-2012, has been nominated three times for the Music Educator Grammy Award, and was a quarter-finalist in 2015. During her time at Beaumont, the bands have received over 100 awards for outstanding performances in jazz, concert band and marching band events.Mrs. Plank is also the founder of the Portland Community Wind Band (2005), and conducted the ensemble for six years. She performs regularly in the Portland area as a vocalist, bassist and flutist with the Second Wind Jazz group. She serves on the board of directors for the Oregon Symphonic Band and the Portland Jazz Festival, known as PDX Jazz.. Ms. Plank is published in the series Teaching Music Through Performance- in Jazz, Volume II, and was selected as one of School Band and Orchestra Magazine’s 50 Directors Who Make a Difference 2016. When she is not in the classroom, at the gym or on stage, Ms. Plank enjoys gardening, traveling with her husband Corey, and posting cat videos on Facebook.
Sarah Owen is the band director at High Desert Middle School in Bend, Oregon, and is an active jazz performer, adjudicator, and clinician. Sarah earned degrees in Music Education and Jazz Studies from the University of Washington, a Master’s degree in Music Education from California State University, Long Beach, and is working towards a Doctorate in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sarah taught middle school band for ten years in Southern California and then directed the jazz band at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon for six years. Additionally, Sarah played trumpet in many jazz and pop ensembles and worked as a musician on TV shows such as American Idol, The Voice, and Noches Con Platanito. Sarah has been a frequent clinician at music conferences in California and Oregon. Her presentations focus on jazz, improvisation, technology, and creativity.
Dan Davey is the Director of Jazz Studies and tenured Music Instructor at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon where he oversees the Jazz Program, directs several large and small jazz ensembles, and teaches core music courses. The MHCC Jazz Program has been recognized by Downbeat Magazine as a recommended institution for jazz in the Pacific Northwest. He is also the Festival Director for the famed Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. Dan received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Berklee College of Music and his Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University. He taught high school for 8 years in Stoughton, Massachusetts before moving into higher education at Stonehill College, University of Portland, and MHCC. He works as a professional pianist, organist, and trumpet player and is in demand nationally as an adjudicator, clinician and artist. He has played in several musical pit orchestras and also with the South Coast Jazz Orchestra, the John Allmark Jazz Orchestra, Herb Reed and the Platters, Doc Severinsen, Allen Vizzutti and Bobby Shew. Dan travels the country as an in-demand adjudicator and clinician and holds masterclasses and workshops for students and music educators.
Originally from Dexter, Oregon, SteepleChase recording artist Joe Manis is noted for the strength of his “intense, updated take on the glorious Rollins-‘Trane tradition.” (Willamette Week) Manis was the recipient of a 2013 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship. His album for SteepleChase Records, The Golden Mean, features George Colligan on organ, Kevin Congleton on drums, and Lillie Manis on viola and was released in 2015. North By Northwest was released by SteepleChase Records in 2013.
He released his debut album Evidence in 2009 features Manis on tenor saxophone, Kevin Congleton on drums, and Portland luminary Dave Captein on bass: the Willamette Week called the album “explosive,” and said “(Manis) makes Pink Floyd’s ‘Money’ sound like something a young John Coltrane might have played”; the Eugene Weekly said: “Fabulous… Will thrill fans of Monk, Rollins.”
The Joe Manis Trio was featured at Rontoms during the 2010 PDX Jazz Festival, a high-energy performance that was a featured Willamette Week “Pick” and received praise from local music critics and bloggers; the Trio returned to the Festival in 2011, 2013 and 2020. Recent Joe Manis Trio appearances include Fat Cat NYC, the Shedd Institute’s jazz series, Jimmy Mak’s, Tula’s, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, and the Montavilla Jazz Festival.
Manis has toured Europe as a duo and in a trio with David Friesen, where they recorded Structures, a live album. He currently plays with Friesen’s Trio. He also appears on Risky Notion (Four stars & Best Albums of 2015, DownBeat Magazine) on Origin Records with George Colligan’s Theoretical Planets. Manis has played with Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, including a performance at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, and appears on their album Rise Up! on Real World Records. He has also performed with the George Colligan Quartet, the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra, the Ken Schaphorst Big Band, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Johnny Mathis, the Temptations, comedian Bob Newhart, Wayne Newton, the Oregon Symphony with Gladys Knight, the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Portland Opera, the Sunriver Music Festival Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, and the Eugene Opera. Manis has performed on NPR’s Jazz Night In America, hosted by Christian McBride.
Manis has presented jazz masterclasses across the country, including at University of Nevada, Reno, California State University, Northridge, Whitman College, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Oregon, Ferris State University, Central Washington University, Willamette University, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Pacific University, Lower Columbia College and Mesa, Glendale, Portland, Spokane Falls, Mt. Hood, Clackamas and Lane Community Colleges. He received a Master of Music in Jazz Studies-Performance with Academic Honor from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon. Additional studies were at the Eastman School of Music. He is a current faculty member at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College and a former music faculty member at Portland State University and Umpqua Community College. Manis is the Director of the Oregon Jazz Workshop in Eugene. His article “Rhythmic Analysis: Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts – ‘Housed From Edward'” was published in the March 2012 edition of JAZZed Magazine. Manis also has written for the Jazz Society of Oregon’s Jazzscene. He is married to violinist/violist/educator Lillie Manis, with whom he has a son, Ellery.