MUSIC

 

Jean-Pierre Garau, Piano/Keys

Jean-Pierre Garau enjoys an active artistic vocation playing piano, keyboards and singing. He has performed with many acts over many years – currently with violinist Aaron Meyer, soul chanteuse Ellen Whyte, singer/songwriter/slide guy David Jacobs-Strain, Radio Stranger, in Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt tribute bands, and an ever-evolving number of regional singer/songwriters. JP also performs as a soloist, where, in his troubadorian style, he invites his listeners on a musical constitutional. In addition to performing live, JP‘s played on many albums, documentaries, industrials, regional and national TV and radio spots. He’s also a composer, adaptor, chart preparer, music director and educator. JP loves his wife, cats and fish, his family and friends, good food and drink, the natural wonders of Oregon…, and digressing.

Trent Barspul, Guitar

Trent, a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger, has always been deeply involved in music. Inspired by numerous genres, his “sound” is a fusion of jazz, modern popular styles and world music, which blends beautifully to create a new emotive and melodic style. Spending his early adulthood in Minneapolis, MN, he became a sought after and well respected member of the thriving music community, co- establishing and writing for the Jazz-Fusion band New Sound Underground, as well as performing  with countless other artists.

 

 

Reinhart Meltz, Drums/Percussion

Reinhardt Melz was born in Los Angeles, California and has been a resident of Portland,Oregon since the age of 9. At the age of 15, he started studying the drums with local legends Mel Brown,Israel Annoh, and Guy Maxwell, all the while under the guidance of stepfather/latin percussionist Bobby Torres. At the age of 17, Reinhardt started to work professionally as a drummer and was determined to get as good as possible and make a living as a freelance drummer/percussionist. In the last 27 years, he has done just that, becoming one of the top call drummers for several genres of music in the Portland area.
Amidst Reinhardt’s eclectic musical career, Reinhardt has shared the stage and/or recorded with notable artists such as Jeff Lorber, Earnestine Anderson, Buddy Guy, Earl King, Steve Miller, Les McCann, Javon Jackson, Shoshana Bean and Stevie Wonder. Reinhardt can be seen touring with Gino Vannelli, Jarrod Lawson, and with Pink Martini.

Damian Erskine, Bassist, Musician, Educator, Author, Student, Human

Damian Erskine is celebrated for his remarkable versatility in diverse musical contexts, exceptional reading and improvisational abilities, and his commitment to education as both a teacher and a columnist. His extensive collaboration roster includes renowned artists such as Peter Erskine, Gino Vannelli, Vince Mendoza with the WDR Big Band, the Jaco Pastorius Big Band, Les McCann, Skerik, Jeff Lorber, Jubu Smith, Nigel Hall, and the Buddy Rich Alumni All-Star Band, along with notable figures like Bob Sheppard, Joe Locke, John Beasley, George Colligan, Vardan Ovsepian, Antonio Hart, Dayna Stephens, Charmaine Neville, and many others. Additionally, he has gained recognition for his appearance in the GospelChops.com “Shed Sessionz Vol. 1” DVD.

In academia, Damian serves as an adjunct professor at Portland State University in Oregon. He also engages in international teaching with Jazz Education Abroad (JEA) in cities such as Shanghai, Bangkok, Cyprus, and Beirut. In the United States, he has contributed his expertise at Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp, the National Guitar Workshop, and Berklee College of Music’s Guitar Week.

A valued contributor to the bass education community, Damian regularly writes for the well-known site scottsbasslessons.com, and he has contributed articles to Bass Player Magazine and Bass Musician Magazine. For over a decade, he has sustained a popular weekly column at NoTreble.com.

Damian has also authored two books, “Right Hand Drive” and “The Improvisor’s Path,” and is the creator of BassEducation.com.

Renato Caranto, All things Sax

Renato can bop hard, lay out a swinging groove, and play a ballad so sweet it will send shivers up your spine.

Born in a small province in the Philippines in 1955, Renato studied music with his musician father from a very young age. He started performing professionally at the age of 15 and eventually traveled from his native homeland to Japan and Guam where his skills soon attracted the attention of booking agents from the U.S.

Renato arrived in America in 1981 and meticulously studied and honed his skills during the years he spent on the road touring with various top-40 cover bands. He burst onto the Portland, Oregon music scene in 1992 and has not stopped since. The early years were spent playing the Blues with many notable local groups which led to several yearly awards for “Best Blues Horn” from the Cascade Blues Association. But his greatest desire was to play Jazz. He got his wish in 1995 when drummer Mel Brown recognized his tremendous talent and asked him to join his group at the newly opened Jimmy Mak’s club. That group, the Mel Brown B3 Organ Group, is still going strong today and gaining new fans every time they play.

Renato is now a firm fixture in the music community throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He has recorded and/or performed with many notable local greats (Mel Brown, Tom Grant, Michael Allen Harrison, David Ornette Cherry, Dan Balmer, Alan Jones, Sweet Baby James, Louis Pain, Ron Steen) as well as many nationally known talents (Esperanza Spalding, Bernard Purdie, Arturo Sandoval, Curtis Fuller, Javon Jackson, James Carter, Clarence Clemons, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Grant Green, Rob Paparozzi of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bruce Conte and Mic Gillette of Tower of Power, Teddy Edwards, horn section for Harry Connick, Jr,). He has performed in all of the major festivals in the area and was the featured artist and poster-musician for the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival in 2006.

Renato has several self-produced CD albums which have all garnered glowing reviews: Blues for Ama; Generations; Straight Ahead; and Nice to be Home. Renato has also been featured on hundreds of recordings for others. In addition to performing and recording, Renato is an in-demand instructor of saxophone and Jazz studies. He has taught for over a decade at the Mel Brown Jazz Camp at Western Oregon University; Battleground High School; Skyview High in Vancouver; and Lincoln and Grant High in Portland.

Renato tours with Grammy winner, Esperanza Spalding throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Renato also tours with Merle Haggard.

Bob Stark, Producer/ Recordist/Mixer

I’ve been involved in the recording industry for 35+ years and will continue to do so for much longer.  I’ve always viewed the recording process as the potential to capture the best musical performances.  I’m a fan of capturing the performance in a studio that makes most sense for the client.  To that end, I’ve built relationships with several studios in the Northwest and beyond…  

My focus has been in pop, jazz, neo-soul, new age and singer/songwriter material.  If you’ve been to my discography page you’ll find this quite evident. 

Clients and Artists have included Universal Music, Sony, Warner, Windham Hill, Gold Circle Entertainment, Missy Higgins, Esperanza Spalding, Everclear, Taylor John Williams, Michael Shrieve, Michael Brecker, Christopher James, Alan Jones, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Jarrod Lawson, Tahirah Memory, John Nilsen, Vayo, Craig Carothers, Les Gold, Nike, Microsoft, Intel… the beat goes on…