Have included or include: Tony Rogers, Douglas Jenkins, Skip Von Kuske, Justin Kagan, Gideon Freudman, Galen Cohen, Kevin Jackson, Allegra M, Sonja Myklebust, Anna Fritz, Noah Seitz, Jessie Dettwiler, Jenette Mackie, Heather Broderick, Amanda Lawrence, Brian Bruner, Pamela Cameron-Snyder, Rob Brooks, Erin Winemiller, Samantha Kushnick, Ivy Lin, Catherine Odell, Collin Oldham, Kristin Holovnia, Emma K Wood, and Ashia Grzesik.
The first time you see the Portland Cello Project perform you might be perplexed when you hear affectionate fans shouting "We Love PCP!"
In spite of a barrage of musical and visual sensory overload, you’ll figure out that you aren’t in a crowd of horse-tranquilizer-snorting maniacs, and that “PCP” is the tongue-in-cheek acronym of this group
of classically trained cellists.
But you’ll wonder what kind of a crowd this is…? In the course of one of PCP’s epic 2-3 hour shows – (the format of which is always a one-time affair – the group writes almost entirely new arrangements
for every performance cycle) – you’ll see such sights as: old ladies, straight out of the symphony hall nodding their head to cello hip-hop; young children playing air cello while dancing to 16 cellos
accompanying The Builders and The Butchers; hipsters too-cool-for-school mesmerized by Arvo Paert; members of the Decemberists playing late 19th century Russian compositions transcribed for Hammond Organ, a 40-piece choir, and of course: a symphony of cellos.
Since the group’s inception in late 2007, they have performed with a veritable “Who’s Who?” list of Portland musicians, from Laura Gibson to The Dandy Warhols, Horse Feathers, Mirah and Loch Lomond, just to name a few.
The cello is more-or-less the only constant in this amorphous collective from Portland, Oregon. Yet there is an organizer holding this anarchic display of controlled chaos together. You’ll see him sitting in the back row of the cello section at all of these shows, as if to appear an anonymous member of the horde. This is Douglas Jenkins. Jenkins, who often pens15-20 new scores for each performance, has led the band through two previous CD’s of original songs and covers, and has been at the heart of the band’s rise to immense popularity in their hometown.
The group’s newest full-length is being released on June 9th, 2009 on their new label, local independent Kill Rock Stars. This CD – and indeed the relationship forged with this well-suited record label –
embodies the group’s belief that “collaboration is the cornerstone of independence and artistic freedom.” Two of the artists who have collaborated with PCP: Thao Nguyen of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down and local musician Justin Power, contribute four songs each to this CD, the “Thao and Justin Power Sessions”. And the other four songs on the record are strategically placed examples of cello sublimity and madness: from a Pantera cover, to a solemn religious piece by John Tavener.
Although it’s no longer an anomaly for popular musicians to work with an orchestra, it tends to be on the symphony's terms, in the symphony's concert halls, and for the symphony's exclusive rates. The
classically trained cellists of The Portland Cello Project are working to reverse that tradition by making their talents accessible to their guests wildest dreams, while bringing the instrument into venues where
you wouldn't normally see cellos. With this in mind, the group will be touring throughout 2009, bringing their collaborative philosophy to a dirty punk club near you!
A brief excerpt of our repertoire list:
* Beethoven, Ludwig Van. Allegretto From The Seventh Symphony. Arr. Douglas Jenkins (4 or 8 cellos)
* Britney Spears. Toxic. (8 cellos, 1 soloists.)
* Bright Red Paper. One December, D is for Dead Sea, and Cm (4-12 cellos) and Viscount (8 cellos)
* De Falla, Manuel. Danza Del Fuego. Arr. Douglas Jenkins (6 cellos)
* Elgar, Edward. Concerto for Cello and Orchesra (First Movement). Arr. Jenkins (8 celli and soloist)
* Freudmann, Gideon. Robin Hood Changes his Oil (4-6 cellos)
* Fritz, Anna. Stay. (8 celli)
* Laura Gibson. Hands in Pockets. Arr. Jenkins (5 celli)
* Jaina, Nick. Red Queen. (Arr. Ali Ippolito 8 celli)
* Musée Mecanique. Under Glass (Arr. Sean Ogilvie (5 celli, guitar, vibes)
* Nintendo. The Super Mario Brothers Theme Song (3 Cellos, Arr. Jackson)
* Outkast. Hey Ya. (3 cellos)
* Pärt, Arvo. Fratres. (4 celli)
* Ravel, Maurice. Le Jardin Féerique arr. Noah Sykes (4 cellos)
* Rogers, Tony and McIntyre, Amy. Various works by The Ahs. (many cellos, tenor and soprano voice and banjo.)
* Salt N Pepa. Push It. (3 cellos)
* Shearer, Adam (John Weinland). Gold. (Arr. Jenkins)
* Shorter, Wayne. Footprints (Arr. Von Kuske)
* Strauss, Richard. Also Sprach Zarathustra. (4 celli, performed by as a many as 12.)
* Villa Lobos, Heitor. Bachianas Brasilieras Number 5. (8 cellos and soprano)
* Villa Lobos, Heitor. Bachianas Brasilieras Number 1. (8 cellos)
* Von Kuske, Skip. Lament. (Cello Orchestra.)
* Waller, Holcombe. Literally The End of The World. (8 celli)
I love your picture! That's a lot of cellos! Just looking at it, I start hearing music in my head. I'm glad to become friends - and hopefully one day we'll have an opportunity to collaborate on something. Best wishes, Stan
check it out in KRS MAILORDER! or itunes! PCP's newest full-length is being released on June 9th, 2009 on their new label, local independent Kill Rock Stars. This CD – and indeed the relationship forged with this well-suited record label – embodies the group’s belief that “collaboration is the cornerstone of independence and artistic freedom.” Two of the artists who have collaborated with PCP: Thao Nguyen of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down and local musician Justin Power, contribute four songs each to this CD, the “Thao and Justin Power Sessions”. And the other four songs on the record are strategically placed examples of cello sublimity and madness: from a Pantera cover, to a solemn religious piece by John Tavener. Although it’s no longer an anomaly for popular musicians to work with an orchestra, it tends to be on the symphony's terms, in the symphony's concert halls, and for the symphony's exclusive rates. The classically trained cellists of The Portland Cello Project are working to reverse that tradition by making their talents accessible to their guests wildest dreams, while bringing the instrument into venues where you wouldn't normally see cellos. With this in mind, the group will be touring throughout 2009, bringing their collaborative philosophy to a dirty punk club near you!
hey, thanks for the compliment. it's really nice when people actually pay attention to friend-adds and their information. maybe you will see my camera one day, :) Nicole.
la Katrin' fait son cello woman show le jeudi 14 Mai à 20H30 aux trois baudets avec des invités de haut vol 64 bld de Clichy M°Blanche réservation 01 42 62 33 33 à bientôt de se revoir
