Prestigious jazz guitarist and composer, Ryan Meagher, is releasing his fifth album, Mist. Moss. Home. Featuring a lineup of top Portland musicians, the group explores Meagher’s personal discovery of the Northwest and what it means to now call it home. The new album is full of all original works. The tour stops for the release of this record include Portland, Eugene, Reno, San Jose, and New York City. Check below for a full, detailed listing of the CD release events.
“On a dreary winter morning in the City of Roses, I rediscovered my sense of home,” said guitarist and composer Ryan Meagher. “I was cruising on my bike pretty early and then it just hit me… Mist. Moss. Home. This is my city! It took me a long time to really feel like Portland was my home, but it finally came. This album marks a major milestone in my life.”
Meagher moved his family to Portland after living in New York City for nearly a decade and releasing two albums on the Fresh Sound New Talent record label, known for launching the careers of some of modern jazz’s most recognizable names, like Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ambrose Akinmusire, Bad Plus, and Robert Glasper. While playing on the jazz scene there, he also had the opportunity to study with modern jazz guitar stalwarts like Rosenwinkel, Ben Monder, Steve Cardenas, and Peter Bernstein.
Exploring the Pacific Northwest and looking for new challenges, Meagher quickly gained notoriety in Portland’s local creative music scene. Recognized for not only his unique lyrical voice on the guitar and his expertise as an advanced modern composer, but also for his ability to bring great musicians together and cultivate the right environment to discover new territory in his music.
The band, comprised of top Portland musicians with a modern, New York aesthetic, include Tim Wilcox (saxophone), Chris Higgins (bass) and Charlie Doggett (drums). Each a monster in their own right, they all share Meagher’s vision for improvisation and exploration.
“When I first moved out here, Tim was one of the first musicians I heard play and was like, ‘Oh! There’s my tenor player,” noted Meagher on building the right group to bring his vision to life. “In addition, Chris is one of my favorite soloists in town and Charlie is, not-so-secretly, my favorite drummer. In many ways, this band also represents a new sense of place too.”
The record premieres eight original compositions and many of the tunes are written with specific people or places in mind. From loose and tonal, to harmonically dense, angular and hard-driving, they all share an enchanting melodic sense. Downbeat Magazine noted that, “there’s a strong element of folksong in Meagher’s compositions, expressed by his singing melodies and commitment to the gravity and beauty of a balanced lyrical arc.”
1. The Hipster's Folly
2. First Place
3. Banter
4. Children In the Park
5. Skip
6. Vasona
7. Platitudes (For Wayne Shorter and Alex Hoffman)
8. The Legend Continues...
Ryan Meagher - guitar, Wurlitzer electric piano on track 3, voice on track 8
Tim Willcox - sax, beer bottle on track 8
Chris Higgins - bass
Charlie Doggett - drums
Ben Turner - Wurlitzer electric piano on track 8
