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Thor Polson & Friends - The Portal, from the Twin Cities to Portland Thor Polson’s new album The Portal was released in January of this year and is dedicated to the memory of Twin Cities musician Charles Shelby. It contains ten tracks: eight originals, a collaboration, and a jazz standard (i.e. Romberg & Hammerstein’s “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise”). This music was recorded with various musicians in the Twin Cities and southern Oregon, and the groups involved range from a duo (“Sparrow”, “Waltz for Heather”, and “Threnody”) to a quintet (“Lamento” and “Beyond Pettus Bridge”); Polson’s solo-piano work can also be heard on the track “Norwegian Blue”. There follow short descriptions of each piece: 1. “Bells” (quartet): an example of what Polson likes to call “urban grit”. Thor Polson contributed the harmonic progression, Eric Solberg the bass line, Jeff Keys the melody, and Joe Dowdall the percussion. 2. “Lamento” (quintet): dedicated to the memory of vibraphonist Blair Martin. This piece originally appeared on the Urban Cadence album First Time Out. 3. “Sparrow” (duo): a musical tableau in honor of this beautiful little bird. 4. “Norwegian Blue” (solo piano): a tribute to the majestic and often misty landscape of southern Norway. 5. “Beyond Pettus Bridge: A Dream Deferred” (quintet): dedicated to all of the people who suffered and died during the civil-rights movement of the 50’s, 60’s, and beyond. 6. “Waltz for Heather” (duo): written for a dear friend and former girlfriend. 7. “Threnody” (duo): featuring singer Nancy Harms and dedicated to the memory of my father. 8. “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise” (quartet): performed live in Ashland, Oregon with local musicians. 9. “Crescent Beach (for Zack Polson)” (quartet): inspired by a trip to northern California with my nephew. 10. “Potion of Solitude” (trio): a novelty piece based on Alexander Scriabin’s “mystic chord”. Thor Polson has performed at dozens of Twin Cities venues, and his recordings have been aired on four radio stations there and more recently on other stations such as Jefferson Public Radio, KSKQ, KRUU, Pandora, and Jango. His last album Northern Lights received high praise from Jazz Police critic Andrea Canter, and his new album The Portal was released in January of this year. Thor gigs regularly in southern Oregon, performing on occasion with such notable West Coast jazzers as saxophonist Adam Harris, guitarist Ed Dunsavage, and vibraphonist Ian Harland, among many others; he has also filmed two television spots on Rogue Valley Television (RVTV) with Hawaii vibraphonist Thomas Mackay and appeared with him at the Medford Jazz Festival and the Dunsmuir Jazz-in-the-Canyon Jazz Festival. More recent projects have included tributes to Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Wes Montgomery, with tributes to Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Bud Powell, and to the Bill Evans/Jim Hall recording collaborations as current works in progress, not to mention an upcoming concert with his newly formed Janus Trio which will feature nothing but original compositions. Though a jazzer at heart, Thor originally moved to southern Oregon for a three-year course of study in classical piano with Dr. Alexander Tutunov at Southern Oregon University and continues to take lessons from him occasionally. Track Names, Times, Composers 1. Bells (T. Polson, J. Keys, E. Solberg & J. Dowdall) 5:12 2. Lamento 5:24 3. Sparrow 1:59 4. Norwegian Blue 2:42 5. Beyond Pettus Bridge: A Dream Deferred 5:17 6. Waltz for Heather 3:24 7. Threnody 2:18 8. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (S. Romberg & O. Hammerstein II) 6:22 9. Crescent Beach (for Zack Polson) 4:22 10. Potion of Solitude 3:47 With the exception of tracks 1 and 8, all pieces were written by Thor Polson. Players, and Instruments: Allan Adler: tenor saxophone (track 8) Joe Dowdall: drums and percussion (tracks 1, 2, 5, 9 & 10) Nancy Harms: voice (track 7) Jeff Keys: flügelhorn (track 1) and trumpet (tracks 2 & 5) Dana Mathewson: soprano saxophone (track 3) Theresa McCoy: drums (track 8) Dave Miller: acoustic bass (track 8) Keith Nance: flute (track 2), tenor saxophone (track 5), and soprano saxophone (track 9) Thor Polson: keyboard (tracks 1 & 8) and piano (all other tracks) Darrell Pridgen: electric bass (tracks 2 & 5) Eric Solberg: acoustic bass (tracks 1, 9 & 10); voice (track 10) Steve Watne: harmonica (track 6) |
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