Joe Manis Quartet performs at the Jazz Station in Eugene
Come to the The Jazz Station to celebrate Joe Manis' latest release Take It With Me on FreshSound Records
- Joe Manis tenor saxophone
- Keith Brown organ
- John Storie guitar
- Charlie Doggett drums
Originally from Dexter, Oregon, SteepleChase recording artist Joe Manis was the recipient of a 2013 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship. Recent Joe Manis Trio appearances include Fat Cat NYC, the Shedd Institute’s jazz series, Jimmy Mak's, Tula's, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, and the Montavilla Jazz Festival. Manis has performed on NPR's Jazz Night in America, hosted by Christian McBride.
Manis has toured Europe as a duo and in a trio with David Friesen, where they recorded Structures, a live album. 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 Portland Opera, the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Sunriver Music Festival Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, and the Eugene Opera.
Manis has presented jazz masterclasses across the country, including at University of Nevada, Reno, Whitman College, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Oregon, Ferris State University, Central Washington University, Willamette University, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Pacific University, Lower Columbia College and Mesa, Glendale, Portland, Spokane Falls, Mt. Hood, Clackamas and Lane Community Colleges. He received a Master of Music in Jazz Studies-Performance with Academic Honor from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon. Additional studies were at the Eastman School of Music. He is a current faculty member at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College and a former music faculty member at Portland State University, University of Portland and Umpqua Community College. His article "Rhythmic Analysis: Jeff 'Tain' Watts - 'Housed From Edward'" was published in the March 2012 edition of JAZZed Magazine.
Keith L. Brown is an accomplished composer, educator, and pianist, who has established himself as one of the most sought-after pianists in contemporary jazz. He was born in Memphis, TN, and raised in Knoxville, TN, where he began playing piano and bass at a young age. Keith grew up in a musically inclined family, where both his parents were musicians, and many of his aunts and uncles possessed exceptional musical talent. His father, Donald Brown, is a world-renowned jazz pianist, composer, and educator who was a part of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and has performed with many greats. His mother Dorothy is also a pianist who plays various woodwind instruments. Keith is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Piano at The University of Oregon.
Keith's musical journey began by learning to play the songs of R&B artists like Stevie Wonder by ear. He then started taking classical piano lessons at the age of eight. His father played a pivotal role in nurturing Keith's musical ambitions by teaching him how to play his original compositions and jazz standards. Keith and his brothers, Kenneth and Donald Jr., were deeply into hip-hop music during their formative years. However, Keith began to study jazz seriously after graduating from high school. It was during this time that he was significantly influenced by other great Memphis pianists such as Phineas Newborn Jr., James Williams, and Mulgrew Miller.
Since he began seriously playing at the age of 18, Brown has performed and recorded with a who’s-who of jazz luminaries. He currently tours as the pianist for Kenny Garrett. His tours and performances with artists such as Stefon Harris, Russell Gunn, Jazzmeia Horn, George Coleman, Greg Tardy, Camille Thurman, Terreon Gully, Willie Jones III, Endea Owens, Charles Tolliver, Buster Williams, Lenny White, Steve Turre, John Clayton, and more have captivated audiences worldwide. Drawing on his roots in R&B, Funk, Classical, Jazz, and Hip-Hop, Brown's unique composition and piano style seamlessly integrates these influences. He possesses an exceptional understanding of the language of jazz piano masters and can effortlessly transition between hard swing, funk, and free styles, while also showcasing his own distinct voice. With his innovative approach to jazz piano and his ability to seamlessly blend different musical styles, Keith L. Brown is a true standout in the world of contemporary jazz.
John Storie is an Oregon-based guitarist, vocalist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. He is Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon. As a headliner for major international festivals and venues, he also performs with the award-winning New West Guitars.
John’s current tours include Melissa Manchester, Ann Hampton Callaway, Sarah McKenzie, and songwriter/vocalist Spencer Day.
In 2019, John released a new project featuring pianist Josh Nelson called “Ponderosa”. This album features Storie also as a vocalist, with his own songs and covers ranging from Woody Guthrie to Sergio Mendes.
In 2017, John recorded on Gwen Stefani’s album You Make it Feel Like Christmas which topped the Billboard charts at #1 holiday album. In 2018, the reissue of the same album, also topped the Billboard holiday charts, as well as placed for ads such as Starbucks and Target, and in 2024 the single You Make it Feel Like Christmas went RIAA Platinum.
From 2012-2025 John was a member of Jeff Goldblum’s Mildred Snitzer Orchestra performing globally and with guest artists such as Miley Cyrus, Inara George, Gregory Porter, Sharon Van Etten, Sarah Silverman, and others. John released 4 albums with Jeff on the Decca and Verve Records labels, with all albums topping the Billboard Jazz Charts and iTunes Music Charts. John performed with Jeff on BBC, NBC, CBS, and ABC television with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Late Late Show and The Today Show.
Since 2005, Storie has been the co-founder of the New West Guitars - a guitar trio featuring original compositions as well as arrangements of classic standards and pop covers. NWG has performed at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Amerikafest in Berlin, Philippine International Jazz Festival, as well as festivals and venues in the US including Britt Fest, Rochester Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s, Subculture NYC, and the Blue Whale. NWG also has conducted clinics at major universities and music conservatories. Currently collaborating with the Archtop Foundation - Blue Guitars, NWG is set to release their new trio album in early 2026.
While a student at USC’s Thornton School of Music (BM ’06) and CalArts (MFA ’12), John was recognized by the Downbeat Student Music Awards, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. In 2005, John was selected as one of 10 semi-finalists in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition and performed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC with Chris Potter, Terri Lynn Carrington, James Genus, and Bob James.
From 2017-2025, John was faculty in the Los Angeles Community College District. Since 2018, he has been an artist-in-residence at his alma mater California Institute of the Arts conducting his class Concert Booking and Tour Planning for the Self-Promoting Musician as well as Musician Budgeting 101.
In 2025, John released his first comprehensive online Jazz Guitar Pathway curriculum for PickupMusic. In addition, John has upcoming album releases with his own groups slated for 2026.
Charlie Doggett began violin lessons at the age of eight and later switched to the drum set. As a teenager he played in Rock and Pop cover bands earning his first paid gig at the age of 15 and later received formal instruction, through scholarship, at the University of Oregon, School of Music and Dance. He has been a contributing member of the Portland music scene for over two decades performing regionally as well as throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. He is a longstanding member of “Upper Left Trio”, David Friesen's “Circle 3 Trio”, Tim Willcox's “Superjazzers” and others. Doggett has had the privilege of performing and or recording with artists including Dave Frishberg, John Gross, Pancho Sanchez, Obo Addy, Nancy King, Esperanza Spalding, Damian Erskine, Ethan Iverson, Joe Manis, George Colligan, Randy Porter, Titos Sompa, and many others. He maintains an active teaching schedule as adjunct faculty instructor at Lewis & Clark College, and Clackamas Community College. “Doggett, a drummer of imagination and curiosity, propels each tune with cunningness and unrelenting swing.” -John Barron/All About Jazz.com
