The Willamette Jazz Trio plays at the Jazz Station in Eugene
The Willamette Jazz Trio: Album Release "Standards, Vol. 1"
- Robert Bohall piano
- Robert Lassila bass
- Nik Barber drums
Downbeat award recipients Robert Bohall, Robert Lassila, and Nikolas Barber comprised the rhythm section for the Jazzarts Oregon ensemble 2023-24 which was recently awarded top graduate combo in the 47th annual student music awards in Downbeat magazine.
Robert Bohall is an active pianist residing in Eugene, OR. He graduated with a Masters in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon in 2023. Robert teaches privately, performs at various venues in Lane County, and collaborates with other musicians in the recording studio. Check out his most recent album on all major streaming platforms, “We Are Santa’s Elves,” recorded with Nik Barber and Robert Lassila. Robert also performs as a bass singer in the Eugene Symphony Chorus as a section leader, and has performed for three seasons in the Oregon Bach Festival chorus.
Originally from Vancouver, WA, Nikolas Barber has become an integral force in the Eugene OR music scene. Currently playing in some of the Willamette Valley’s best up and coming acts, Barber has imprinted his own propelling, colorful, and versatile sound upon the groups he plays with. Nik first started playing the drums shortly after his older brother Aaron began playing guitar when the boys were both children. Over the span of Nik’s childhood, he became heavily engrossed in the emotive qualities of beat-oriented music, with some of his earliest inspirations being Metallica and The Beatles. While growing up in Vancouver WA, Nik attended the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, where he got to closely study Jazz and Big Band style drumming. It was during these formative years that Nik discovered his love for Jazz music, soon rising to the highest level Jazz Band in the school. During High School, Nik would go on several regional tours with the Youth Rnb/Soul Band “Heatwave” out of Palm Springs, CA. In 2016, Nik was awarded the prestigious “Shape of Jazz to Come” Award, as well as the “Eli M. and Ruthe Nadel” Scholarship from the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
In the summer of 2017, Nik relocated to Eugene OR to attend the University of Oregon’s Jazz Studies program. While in college, Nik studied with renowned Pacific Northwest Drummer Gary Hobbs, and has been a part of the Oregon Jazz Ensemble. It is with this group that Nik toured internationally, performing at the Umbria, Vienne, and Montreux Jazz Festivals. Nik is also a part of the dream-rock collective Laundry, who has opened for artists such as Mild High Club, Ritt Momney, The Backseat Lovers, and Winona Forever. Laundry has amassed over 2.5 Million listens on Spotify, as well as regularly maintains 30,000 monthly listeners. Laundry’s latest album “Movie Star” was released in 2021. In addition to Laundry, Nik is also part of the indie/songwriter group Golden Boy, Blues band Inner Limits, and has toured with the Swing Revival Band Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Nik is currently pursuing a Master’s of Music Degree at the University of Oregon under the direction of Ken Mastrogiovanni and Keith Brown.
Robert Lassila is a composer, acoustic and electric bassist, and educator. Raised in Bend, Oregon, Robert found a love for music at a very young age starting with the guitar. Experimenting with many instruments in the early years of his life, a real passion was found when he started playing electric bass in high school. Through high school, he tenaciously studied both electric bass and bass clarinet, taking every opportunity he could to play with school and community bands.
Upon arriving at the University of Oregon, Robert began studying acoustic bass in both classical and jazz settings. Developing ability on the instrument very quickly, he soon became an in demand bassist in the Eugene area. It was also during this time that he started to develop strong composition practices, writing pieces for both small and large ensembles. Before finishing his undergraduate degree, Robert had arrangements and compositions performed by the Oregon Jazz Ensemble and JazzArts Oregon, as well as performing a recital of all original compositions and arrangements.
Recently, Robert has had experience performing in a diverse array of ensembles. As an electric bassist, he has performed with finalist from The Voice, Thunderstorm Artis, and Grammy nominated artist from the Freestyle Fellowship, Myka9. As a classical bassist, he has performed with the Eugene Ballet, and is a substitute player for the Eugene Symphony. Additionally, he maintains a full schedule playing jazz as a sideman for many different groups in the area, and has performed with guest artists at the University such as Adam Larson, Roxy Coss, and Ulysses Owens Jr. As a recording artist, he recently played on multiple albums, including The Nutcracker with OrchestraNEXT, and We Three Kings with the Willamette Valley Jazz Trio, which also featured his own arrangements.
