Charlie Porter Quintet

Sci-Fi Standards: Jazz Reimaginings of Iconic Film Themes, featuring music from Star Wars, Blade Runner, Dune, The Terminator, and more. Charlie Porter trumpetNick Biello saxophoneGeorge Colligan pianoGarrett Baxter bassChristopher Brown drums Listen Here >>> YouTube Charlie Porter is a GRAMMY Award–winning jazz trumpeter and composer who has been active on the international jazz scene for over two decades. He has released six albums as a leader, including Immigration Nation, which was named one of the Best Albums of the Year by DownBeat. As a performer and bandleader, Porter has appeared at major jazz festivals worldwide and at leading New York venues including The Blue Note, Smalls, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland, and The Jazz Gallery, among many others. Of Lebanese, Greek, Italian, and British ancestry, Porter brings a naturally cross-cultural perspective to his work, shaping projects that merge musical traditions, interdisciplinary collaboration, and narrative design in ways that continually push the boundaries of jazz. He has collaborated and performed with a wide range of artists across generations of the music, including Joe Zawinul, Orrin Evans, Chuck Israels, Kenny Washington, Paquito D’Rivera, Winard Harper, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, among many others. His work emphasizes long-form composition, ensemble interplay, and concept-driven projects that often expand the possibilities of traditional jazz presentation — from live collaborations with visual artists to immersive, narrative-driven releases. DownBeat has described his playing as “fluid, expressive, and magnificent.” In addition to his work as a recording artist, he continues to develop new projects that explore the evolving language of modern jazz. Charlie’s current work includes the upcoming release of his seventh album as a leader, Sci-Fi Standards, Vol. 1: The Future We Knew, due this summer. The project reimagines music from classic science-fiction cinema through an original jazz lens, blending composition, improvisation, and ensemble interplay. Following boundary-expanding releases such as Cipher and his Sketches project — which featured live collaboration with visual artists — the album continues Porter’s ongoing exploration of new creative frameworks. Its release will coincide with tours throughout the East Coast, West Coast, and Asia. As a composer, Porter has been commissioned by the Doris Duke Foundation and Chamber Music America. He is currently Professor of Trumpet at New York University. Saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist and composer Nick Biello is developing a reputation as an exciting and artful musician. Nick has shared the stage with world-class artists, such as Slide Hampton, Cedar Walton, and John Benitez. He has performed at the Pescara and Bussi Jazz Festivals in Italy, as well as the Taipei and Taichung Jazz Festivals in Taiwan, and other festivals across the globe. Nick's saxophone has been heard in notable NYC venues such as Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy's, Lincoln Center, Cellar Dog, Smalls, Mezzrow, Smoke, Zinc Bar, The Kitano, Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, and Sony HallNick has recorded on hundreds of albums, from his own original projects to his work as a sideman for other artists. His debut album, "Vagabond Soul," released in 2017 on the Truth Revolution Recording Collective, features Phil Markowitz, John Benitez, Clarence Penn, Paul Jones, Andrew Renfroe, and Vincent Lionti. “Between Light and Shadow”, a collection of original compositions for the chordless trio format, was released in May of 2024 on La Reserve Records and features Biello’s working trio of Alex Tremblay on bass and Peter Kronreif on drums. His third album as a leader, “New America”, combines the rhythm team of Tremblay and Kronreif and adds the formidable musicianship of trumpet virtuoso Charlie Porter and the eminent pianist George Colligan. Nick was prowess as a saxophonist and improviser by being named the winner of the Julius Keilwerth 2014 International Saxophone Idol Competition. Additionally, as part of being named the winner of the competition, Nick was afforded the opportunity to perform alongside the great Ernie Watts. Nick has studied with Jackie McLean, Steve Wilson, George Garzone, Jon Gordon, and Phil Markowitz, and holds a Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music. With experience in an array of educational environments, Nick is available as a group clinician or as a private teacher. He teaches Saxophone at The New School and New Jersey City University, is the Artistic Director of the Blaine Harbor Music Festival in Washington, and teaches private students. Nick is a D'addario Woodwinds Artist and uses D'addario reeds and accessories. George Colligan has earned an international reputation as a multi-instrumentalist (drums, trumpet, organ, keyboards) , composer, accompanist, teacher and bandleader, as well as a widely read jazz blogger. Winner of the 2015 DownBeat Critics Poll (Keyboard) , he has maintained a long-standing musical association with jazz legend Jack DeJohnette, including extensive U. S. touring with An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover. More recently, Colligan toured the U. S. and Canada as a leader with his trio featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White. With more than 130 recordings to his credit as a sideman, Colligan has collaborated with an extraordinary range of jazz artists, including John Scofield, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, Chris Botti and many others. His most recent release, King’s Dream (PJCE Records, 2022) , is his 36th album as a bandleader and features faculty and alumni from Portland State University. After fifteen years in New York City, Colligan now resides in Portland, Oregon, where he serves as Full Professor at Portland State University. His work has been recognized with multiple grants, including awards from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, South Arts Jazz Road and PSU Faculty Development. He has also received the PSU College of the Arts Dean’s Council Award for Research, Scholarship and Creativity (2020) and the Researcher of the Year Award from the PSU College of the Arts (2021) . Throughout his career, George Colligan has toured, recorded and performed as a sideman with an exceptional list of jazz luminaries, among them Lonnie Plaxico, Gary Bartz, Benny Golson, Miguel Zenón, Tom Harrell, Steve Coleman, Eddie Henderson, Jane Monheit, Michael Brecker, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Mingus Big Band, Lee Konitz, Randy Brecker and Stefon Harris, among many others. Critical response to Colligan’s work has been consistently strong. All About Jazz has described him as “an equally deserving torch-carrier of the piano trio tradition,” while Jazz Times has praised his technique and improvisational mastery, noting performances that have inspired standing ovations and affirming his place among the most accomplished creative artists of his generation. Garrett Baxter is one of the many young and exciting musicians in Portland’s jazz scene. Garrett earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies: Bass Performance in 2020. In June of 2020, he was chosen for the Outstanding Undergraduate Jazz Performer award. In addition to performing as a bandleader, he has also performed in bands led by Idit Shner, Roger Woods, Joe Manis, Tony Glausi, Dan Gaynor, Paul Krueger, Steve Owen, Toby Koenigsburg, Torrey Newhart, Josh Hettwer, and Mike Denny. He also had the opportunity of performing in the Javon Jackson Quartet at the Jazz Station. Through his time at the University of Oregon, Garrett has shared the stage and taken lessons with some of his musical inspirations, including Linda May Han Oh, Ben Wendel, Walter Smith III, Kendrick Scott, Terrell Stafford, Josh Nelson, Jay Thomas, and more. At UO, he was a member of the Oregon Jazz Ensemble, UO’s premier large jazz ensemble, as well the JazzArts Oregon Combo, UO’s top small ensemble. He was also a member of the UO Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, Garrett began studying privately in Portland with Chuck Israels, great bassist best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio from 1961 through 1966. While at UO, he studied both classical and jazz bass with Tyler Abbott, jazz with Idit Shner, and composition with Steve Owen and Paul Krueger. Christopher Brown is an acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader, and educator who seeks to be a voice within the advocacy of Jazz and American culture. And through the expansive range of groups that he has assembled and/or performed with, which range from duos to large ensembles across a spectrum of genres, his musical and personal experiences have led him towards an interest in synthesizing the principles of Jazz with the broader concerns of life. So given that music influences culture, and culture influences businesses—which in turn shape the global market economy we all participate in—is why he likes to say “we’re all in the people business. No people, no business.”Aside from having won the top high school small group award in 1995 through Down Beat Magazine, he was selected in 2002 to represent the U. S. in a Rutgers University sponsored performance in Fukui, Japan, in addition to being awarded the Pee Wee Russell scholarship from the NJ Jazz Society in the same year. Following that, he was also selected twice as the drummer for the intercollegiate all-star big band's performance at the NJ Music Educators Association annual convention (2003/2005) . Also, his recording with Rutgers' Scarlet Knight Jazz Bones (led by Conrad Herwig) , helped them take home the 2011 International Trombone Association's “Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition” award. And lastly, he was given the 2007 Artist of the Year award (following Esperanza Spaulding) through Portland State University’s “Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute.”In addition to his main passion as a drummer, he has also kept up his proficiency on the alto saxophone over the years, which consequently resulted in him having performed live with the great Ralph Peterson Jr. Quintet (2002) on channel six in NJ for one of their segments called “New Jersey Talking,” as well as having headlined as a saxophonist for both the 2007 PDX Jazz Festival (OR) and the 2010 Cathedral Park Jazz Festival (OR) . And lastly, he served as the principle saxophonist in the 63rd NJ Army National Guard Band from 2001-2012. Altogether, since Christopher’s enlistment in the Marines, and subsequent move to the North East, he has had the pleasure of performing and or recording with many of the world’s top recording artists, such as: Beyonce, Esperanza Spalding, Shoshana Bean, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Ralph Bowen, Ralph Peterson Jr., Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre, Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Charles Fambrough, Benny Golson, Bobby Watson, Terry Gibbs, Buddy Defranco, Vincent Herring, Javon Jackson, Stanley Cowell, Antonio Hart, David Sanborn, Geoff Keezer, James Genus, Onaje Allen Gumbs, Don Alias, Don Braden, Victor Goines, Anthony Wonsey, John Lee, Delbert Felix, Vic Juris, Lonnie Plaxico, David Leibman, Sean Jones, Marquis Hill, Gerald Clayton, Arturo O’Farrill, Randy Brecker, Chuck Israels, George Colligan, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, John Patitucci, Cyrus Chestnut, Kamasi Washington, Orrin Evans, Samus Blake, Ben Williams, Aaron Goldberg, Sara Gazarek, Gary Bartz, Tobe Nwigwe, Damian Lillard, and Mel Brown. Aside from Christopher’s first big musical break coming in the form of a month long European tour with Roy Hargrove’s Quintet in the summer of 2006, he has also spent some more time in front of the camera between commercials for Master Card and the History Channel, re-enactment scenes on the Maury Povich show, Beyonce’s “Count Down” video, Tobe Nwigwe “Mini Me” Music Video ft. Damian Lillard, and the big budget film “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. And lastly, he’s a former Ambassador Council board member for Habitat for Humanity (Portland Region) , a current steering committee member for “TASTE for Equity” (OR) , a part of the 2025 class of TEDx presenters (OR) , can be found performing several times a month at Portland’s famed 1905 Jazz club, and has released a debut album as of December 3rd, 2025 entitled “Sole City” on the PJCE record label. Online ticket purchases close one hour before showtime. If the show is NOT sold out, and tickets remain, they can be purchased directly at the box office door. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.