Ben Macy Trio

The first iteration of the band formed at George Fox University, where Ben first fell in love with Jazz by listening to the Oscar Peterson Trio. Ben put a band together to play for a friend’s recital, and he just kept playing. Past trio members include Wayne Miller, current bass player for Derby, and Andy Uppendahl, local studio drummer and previous drummer for the 5 O’clock People. The current member’s individual backgrounds in classical, rock, drum core, and jazz all play an integral part in the band being able to produce its original sound.

Group founder and principle songwriter Ben Macy, 27, first started playing piano at age 5 under the unwavering glare of his mother. Since then, he has come to enjoy his instrument and has done solo work as well as play in many rock, folk, and jazz ensembles in both high school and college. After graduating from George Fox University in 2001 with a degree in Chemistry, he moved into Portland to continue pursuing his musical career. Ben played jazz in the Portland area for over 3 years while studying with jazz great Darrell Grant, before he decided to “get a real job”. Now, after 2 years away from the town he calls home, Ben returns with his third album and many new experiences to share through his music.

Murray Gusseck has been a musician since the age of 7 when he learned to play piano and violin until he switched to the drums at 15. Murray attended San Jose State University in San Jose, CA as a music major specializing in world music. During this time he studied with Dan Sabanovich, Hafez Modirzadeh, Royal Hartigan, and C.K. Ladzekpo. Murray made his mark as a teacher and composer with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps, of which he was both a performer and instructor for 15 years. He is the author of Parking Lot Etudes and co-author of Fresh Perspectives For The Modern Drumline, both of which have grown to be mainstream publications in the world of marching percussion. In 1998 he joined up with schoolmates Nima Rezai and Dan Heflin to form “Merge,” an eclectic world fusion trio consisting of Chapman Stick, sax, and drums. The group toured and performed in northern and southern California for several years, producing their self-titled CD “Merge”. Murray is sponsored by Pearl, Remo, Zildjian, and Vic Firth.

Brendon Lamoreaux has been dabbling in the ways of the upright bass for a quite a few years now. Primarily influenced by straight-ahead jazz, bop, and classical, he may be found in the house band at various jam sessions like Jax and Mississippi Pizza Pub, all the while continuing to gig with small combos around the Portland area. Brendon has studied at PCC, WOU, and with local bass giants Andre St. James and Dan Schulte. Always looking for a new musical challenge, Brendon joined up with the Ben Macy Trio to further explore the different dynamics of a jazz trio.