About Joe Manis & Ryan Meagher
Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) is a jazz guitarist and composer
who grew up in San Jose, California. Perhaps best-known for his compositional
acumen, he is also well-known for his flexibility and range. He is truly in his
own space when exploring his thought-provoking original material with exciting
and sensitive sidemen, but he has also accompanied a pool of incredibly diverse
artists. He can lay down traditional harmonic and rhythmic framework for
artists like Terell Stafford and Randy Brecker, and John Clayton. But he can
also stretch and provide color like he has alongside very adventurous artists
like trumpeters Cuong Vu and Taylor Ho Bynum, bassist David Friesen, and the
poll-winning ensemble Mostly Other People Do the Killing.
It was during the period that he lived in New York City when
launched his debut album Sun Resounding announcing his arrival on the modern
jazz scene. Shortly after the success of his second album entitled Atroefy on
Fresh Sound New Talent Records he attended the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
to attain his master of music degree in pursuit of a career in jazz education.
His third album Tone was recorded in NYC in between his studies at UNR and it
received international critical acclaim. After the completion of his master of
music degree Meagher relocated to Portland, Oregon where he quickly became a
recognizable force in the creative music community there. Along with releasing
his fourth record Tango In the City of Roses on PJCE Records he has been instrumental
in expanding the scene. He has been working closely with the Portland Jazz
Composers Ensemble since 2013 and is now the organization's Artistic Director.
He is also a co-founder of the Montavilla Jazz Festival. He was previously
Editor of the Jazzscene Magazine, and currently teaches at Mt Hood Community
College, Willamette University, University of Portland and directs the jazz
program at Lower Columbia College in Longview, WA. He has a total of nine
albums as a leader, and has been a sideman on many more. His most recent
release, AftEarth, is a multidisciplinary work that was featured in the October
2023 issue of Downbeat magazine.
Originally from Dexter, Oregon, SteepleChase recording artist Joe
Manis is noted for the strength of his "intense, updated take on the
glorious Rollins-'Trane tradition." (Willamette Week) Manis was the
recipient of a 2013 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship. His
album for SteepleChase Records, The Golden Mean, features George Colligan on
organ, Kevin Congleton on drums, and Lillie Manis on viola and was released in
2015. North By Northwest was released by SteepleChase Records in 2013.
He released his debut album Evidence in 2009 features Manis on
tenor saxophone, Kevin Congleton on drums, and Portland luminary Dave Captein
on bass: the Willamette Week called the album "explosive," and said
"(Manis) makes Pink Floyd's 'Money' sound like something a young John Coltrane
might have played"; the Eugene Weekly said: "Fabulous... Will thrill
fans of Monk, Rollins."
Manis has toured Europe as a duo and in a trio with David Friesen,
where they recorded Structures, a live album. He currently plays with Friesen's
Trio. He also appears on Risky Notion (Four stars & Best Albums of 2015,
DownBeat Magazine) on Origin Records with George Colligan's Theoretical
Planets. Manis has played with Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited,
including a performance at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, and appears on their
album Rise Up! on Real World Records. He has also performed with the George
Colligan Quartet, the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra, the Ken Schaphorst Big
Band, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Johnny Mathis, the Temptations, comedian Bob
Newhart, Wayne Newton, the Oregon Symphony with Gladys Knight, the Oregon Bach
Festival Orchestra, the Portland Opera, the Sunriver Music Festival Orchestra,
the Eugene Symphony, and the Eugene Opera. Manis has performed on NPR's Jazz
Night In America, hosted by Christian McBride.
