Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble

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Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble PJCE’s mission is to create and perform original jazz music that engages and supports our community’s diverse artists, cultures, and place.

The Portland Jazz Composers’ Ensemble is a 12-piece jazz chamber orchestra which commissions, performs, and records original works by its members and others in the Portland music community and beyond. PJCE envisions a vibrant jazz community where composers, performers, students, and audiences create, see and hear their cultural experiences artistically expressed and represented in original jazz compositions and performance.

Up next from PJCE Records! Multi instrumentalist and composer George Colligan's latest release on PJCE Records is due ou...
10/07/2026

Up next from PJCE Records!

Multi instrumentalist and composer George Colligan's latest release on PJCE Records is due out on October 15th and showcases an ensemble full of Colligan’s former students who have emerged as standout artists in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Be in the Right Now bridges virtuosic modern jazz improvisation with deeply reflective, existential poetry.

Catch the album release concert featuring a stellar band anchored by the Colligan and the evocative vocal storytelling and lyrics of vocalist/bassist Zyanna on Thursday, October 15th at 7:30 pm at The Old Church Concert Hall. You can purchase concert tickets, and find the album available for pre-order in PJCE's Bandcamp shop—both linked in our bio.
📸 Adam Kocka
🎨 Tiny Little Hammers

This week at Wilfs! Listeners may experience an uplifting sensation when they feel the reaction of Dan Balmer's guitar w...
10/07/2026

This week at Wilfs!
Listeners may experience an uplifting sensation when they feel the reaction of Dan Balmer's guitar with Mike Horsfall's vibraphone. Don't miss these masters at work with the Dan Balmer/Mike Horsfall Quartet Thursday, October 8th form 5-7 pm. Tickets are just $15!

Photos by Norm Eder

This week at Wilfs! Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble's Artistic Director Ryan Meagher is back with his trio on Thursday,...
09/29/2026

This week at Wilfs!

Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble's Artistic Director Ryan Meagher is back with his trio on Thursday, October 1st! Unwind with Ryan's sly sophistication and innovative grooves from 5-7 pm surround by in Wilfs' intimate dining room.

Tickets are just $15!

📷 Andrea Niemiec

09/24/2026

Join us this evening in the Wilfs dining room for the sophisticated grooves and tight ensemble work of the Christopher Brown Trio!

Find PJCE Records artists playing at PJCE Happy-Hour Jazz at Wilfs every Thursday from 5–7 pm. Grab a $15 ticket and unwind in style!

A note from the Artistic Director:In my 10 years as the Director of PJCE Records, I have never seen an artist tackle a p...
09/21/2026

A note from the Artistic Director:

In my 10 years as the Director of PJCE Records, I have never seen an artist tackle a project as ambitious as this one. Willmette Week said "Rebecca Sanborn’s ‘Shadow Work’ Is Almost Too Big to Play Live." PJCE has been there since its inception in 2021, so I was thrilled when Rebecca approached us about recording the album with our large ensemble and releasing it on PJCE Records.

Just like producing a season of concerts with a 12-member jazz band, an album of this scale — there are almost 30 artists involved — is a gargantuan feat. Grant funding and album sales only cover a small portion of the costs. With that in mind, I interrupt your regularly scheduled PJCE communications with an important request.

Will you help fund Shadow Work today?

While PJCE Records partners with artists to release their albums, individual artists are responsible for recording and producing their own music. Funds raised from this Kickstarter campaign help Rebecca bridge the funding gap between the three (3!) grants she received from the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Music Oregon, and the Holler Fund and the significant costs of recording a body of work at this scale.
The Kickstarter closes on Thursday, September 24th at 9 am PT, so opt in to art, pick out an incredible offering from Rebecca, and pledge your support TODAY.
Ryan Meagher
Artistic Director
*Note that PJCE receives no funding from this Kickstarter.*
📷: Jason Quigley

09/16/2026

Idit Shner Quartet returns to PJCE Happy-Hour Jazz at Wilfs this Thursday from 5–7 pm! Grab a $15 ticket and wind down your week in style!

A colossal thank you to all who joined us last night and the massive team that made Shadow Work come to life!📷 Norm Eder...
09/05/2026

A colossal thank you to all who joined us last night and the massive team that made Shadow Work come to life!

📷 Norm Eder Photo

09/04/2026

Rebecca Sanborn’s Shadow Work takes the stage tonight at Alberta Rose Theatre at 7:30 PM. We are thrilled to be part of Opening Night of Montavilla jazz festival 2026. Tickets are available at the door for this one night only show. See you there!
“Big Room” shot and edited by B R O O K L Y N Z E H

09/02/2026

Just in from Willamette Week's Daniel Bromfield about Rebecca Sanborn's release with PJCE:
"As you might expect, it’s a big, towering, ambitious work, but Sanborn’s voice is more than a match for the dense arrangements, soaring over these knotty compositions with a grace that brings to mind past jazz maximalists like Björk and Betty Carter. Out Sept. 4 via PJCE Records."

Be there with us Friday night to celebrate at The Alberta Rose Theatre! September 4th at 7:30 pm. Opening Night of Montavilla Jazz Festival 2026!
📷 Rick Martin

09/01/2026

We can't wait to hear Shadow Work amplified by the full force of the PJCE backing Rebecca Sanborn.

Get your tickets for Friday, September 4th at The Alberta Rose Theatre now! Opening Night of the Montavilla Jazz Festival is likely to sell out.

Address

New York, NY

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19179712775

Website

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