Roger Woods Tentet plays at the Jazz Station in Eugene
The Roger Woods Tentet Plays Blue Note: Celebrating The 85th Anniversary of Blue Note Records.
- Roger Woods baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, flute, compositions, orchestrations
- Joe Manis tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet
- Sam Reid alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet
- Paul Krueger trumpet, flugelhorn
- Doug Doerfert trumpet, flugelhorn
- Leo McMullen trombone
- Matt Ingman bass trombone, tuba
- Torrey Newhart piano
- Robert Lassila bass
- Ken Mastrogiovanni drums
Roger Woods, Saxophonist, Clarinetist, Composer, Orchestrator and Bandleader, is a performing artist who hails from Baltimore, MD and currently resides in Eugene, OR. Growing up in Baltimore, MD, Roger attended Frederick Douglass Senior High School, a high school with an advance music program where he studied Piano, Cello, music theory/harmony and history. It was also there that Roger was exposed to the world of Jazz by his music teachers and mentors (and local performing legends) Drs. Thomas DeLaine (Trumpet) and Reppard Stone (Trombone, Piano and Composition). Roger’s interest in playing Jazz was heightened through additional private studies with local great Saxophonist Whit Williams. Additionally, he began playing in local clubs sitting in with other local legends, including the late great Baltimore Alto Saxophonist Arnold Sterling. After graduation from high school, Roger attended Howard University in Washington, DC from 1979 thru 1983, furthering his music studies, particularly in Jazz studying with the late great John Malachi (Piano and Improvisation), Dr. Reppard Stone (Jazz Arranging) and playing in the renowned Howard University Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Professor Fred Irby. Roger recorded several records with that ensemble with fellow bandmates and future Jazz greats Wallace Roney (Trumpet), Greg Osby (Alto Saxophone) and Gary Thomas (Tenor Saxophone). After college, Roger continued to live and perform in Washington, D.C. (1983-1997) as both a leader and sideman playing with that area's top musicians, including Rick Henderson, Lawrence Wheatley, Webster Young, Buck Hill, Charlie Young, Winard Harper and many more. Additionally, he met and set in with several national Jazz greats (Sonny Stitt,, Pepper Adams, James Williams, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon, etc.) as they passed through town. Since moving to Oregon in late 1997, Roger immediately immersed himself unto the Portland Oregon Jazz scene playing with some of that city’s Jazz greats, including Mel Brown, Randy Porter, Gordon Lee, Dan Gaynor, Stan Bock and the late great Andre St. James. From 2002 thru 2004, Roger co-led a nine piece group, the St. James/Woods Nonet, with Portland Bassist Andre St. James and was its primary Composer & Arranger. Currently, he is leader and Composer/Orchestrator of the Eugene-based and newly-formed The Roger Woods Tentet, a Jazz ensemble comprised of the city’s best Jazz musicians, including Saxophonist Joe Manis and Pianist Torrey Newhart. Additionally, he was recently for several years a regular member of the Portland-based Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra as its Baritone Saxophohist & Bass Clarinetist. The CIJO is led by the legendary Bassist, Composer & Arranger Chuck Israels who has performed and recorded with some of the most iconic of musicians in Jazz history, including Bill Evans and John Coltrane.
