Coming up soon: Thursday October 27 at 7 pm MARATHON OF IMPROVISED MUSIC at Merge, NE Corner of Powell St. and Clark Drive, Vancouver BC. With Yves Charuest and Elizabeth Lima and the N.O.W. Orchestra. Gonna be a bunch of music made. One ton of musicians. Wow!
And here's the big news, folks . . .
And here's the big news, folks . . .
Moving to Vancouver B.C. on October 17, 2016.
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My Canadian wife has long wanted to return to her home in Canada. We chose Vancouver B.C. to be our home. After 26 wonderful years in Portland, it is bittersweet to be leaving for not only another city, but another country. My wife and I began the immigration process some time ago - these things move slowly - but I was admitted to Canada and am looking forward to making the move BUT not without sadness and a considerable amount of nostalgia on both our parts. We love Portland, and will be back often.
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CD Release: GMC Trio, John Gross with Cameron Morgan and Scott Cutshall, Shards, available on bandcamp.com.
"Shards is the first release by the GMC Trio and contains original music along with compositions by Coltrane, Shorter, and Debussy. This trio has been performing in the NW since 2010. It features tenor icon John Gross, the ambient guitar shreddings of Cameron Morgan, and the multi textural drumming of Scott Cutshall."
Here is an authentic little clip of the trio playing Billy Mintz' "Love and Beauty" at the 2012 Portland International Jazz Festival.
"Shards is the first release by the GMC Trio and contains original music along with compositions by Coltrane, Shorter, and Debussy. This trio has been performing in the NW since 2010. It features tenor icon John Gross, the ambient guitar shreddings of Cameron Morgan, and the multi textural drumming of Scott Cutshall."
Here is an authentic little clip of the trio playing Billy Mintz' "Love and Beauty" at the 2012 Portland International Jazz Festival.
The Archives
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I Love New York:
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The Sound of Our City, The Old Church
Portland Jazz Composer's Ensemble Thursday, February 26, 8:45 p.m. |
Back to New York in June. Uptown, downtown, upstate, New Jersey, and beyond, mid- to late June, 2015.
Creative Music Guild Improvisation Summit, June 4, 5, and 6, 2015. |
Clinician, Clackamas Community College, 43rd Annual Instrumental Jazz Festival, March 13 and 14th, 2015 featuring Dick Titterington's Three Trumpet Band
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival July 17, 18, 19, 2015 Montavilla Jazz Festival, August 2015 |
 John Gross with Billy Mintz
The "Ice Tour," Billy Mintz Quartet in the Pacific Northwest, November 2014. 
Billy Mintz Quartet
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Band members, Billy Mintz Quartet |
As time goes by, some great gigs to remember:
Thara Memory and the American Music Project, 2013. Photo: Fran Kaufman
A memorable gig with diva V.R. Smith and her Quintet at Ivories. Packed house and great evening of music.
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John Gross, Putter Smith and Joey Sellers at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, 2013
John Gross Trio with Dave Frishberg and Charlie Doggett at Ivories, a matinee on Sunday December 1. This trio plays music from the great period of American song-writing, 1920 to 1960. Composers include Ellington, Strayhorn, Monk, Cohn, Miles Davis, Bob Brookmeyer, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jack Sheldon, Gary McFarlane, Charlie Mingus and others. The criterion is beauty. The Trio recorded an album in 2009, Strange Feeling, which apparently betrayed a "penchant for intimacy and wit" (Jazz Times). That's good, right? |
Back to New York in 2014
Gigs at so many places. 1,000,000 thanks to Jonas Tauber and Lola Regenthal, Billy Mintz and Roberta Piket, Tim Price, Bill Goodwin, Hans Taumen, Putter Smith, and all who listened. 
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Jamming with the Alan Jones Academy Band at the West Cafe . . . Thanks Alan for bringing so much to Portland's music scene and supporting young musicians.
Scott Cutshall's Phraseology Quartet playing Monk at Revival Drum Shop, 2013
David Friesen's annual Christmas Concert, in Salem at Christo's.
A great holiday tradition. |
Forest Grove, 2013: An evening of jazz at Pacific University featured the John Gross Trio with Dave Frishberg on piano and Todd Strait on drums. It was a great chance to play on the west side, where I teach. My improv students from Pacific University also performed. A special shout out to Sterling Bax (b.), John Larson (p.), Samantha Turlock (vocals), and Andrew Bragg (d.), who performed admirably.
November 2013: Scott Cutshall's Phraseology celebrated the music of Thelonius Monk in an unusual setting: two drummers, and two saxophone players. Presented by the Creative Music Guild at the Revival Drum Shop,
The music is so structurally sound, you can do anything with Monk and it still sounds like Monk. - John Gross
Portland, October 2013: John joined Thara Memory for a special evening in honor of Obo Addy. N.E.A. Jazz Master Randy Weston performed a tribute to the late Obo Addy: musician, teacher, leader and awe-inspiring artist of numerous genres. Along with Addy’s ensemble Okropong, Weston paid homage to Addy and his African inspired music. Close friend and colleague, Thara Memory also honored Addy with a new composition performed by his American Music Program. A part of the Obo Addy Legacy Project in partnership with Lewis and Clark College, PDX Jazz and KMHD Radio.
Photo: Thara Memory by Lavi Hendin
Photo: Thara Memory by Lavi Hendin
California, October 2013: John toured California with Billy Mintz (d), Roberta Picket (p) and Putter Smith (b) to celebrate the recent release of Billy's new album by Thirteenth Note Records. Reviews were great, and a live broadcast on San Diego's Jazz88 station brought in more fans. The best night was at the wonderful club, Piano Kitchen in Santa Barbara, with a packed house and everyone on their feet. Photo here is from a packed house at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles. The Quartet was joined by trombonist Joey Sellers. After the tour, the Quartet, joined by Joey Sellers, went into the studio to record for a new release for the Billy Mintz Quintet.
