I’m blessed to live in Portland, Oregon, a city with some amazing indie music scene: from jazz, blues, folk / bluegrass, funk, soul, you name it (sorry punk / rock scene, not really a big fan!!). It’s a pleasure to watch these musicians play both live and in studio setting. Most importantly, I am very honored to be part of this amazing scene.
It all started 2 years ago. A gal name Sarah Billings (I was introduced to hear through one of my best friend, Natalie), a dear friend of mine, is a local artist / singer / songwriter / musicians. Her style of music is a combination of jazz, soul, blues and country. Her passion inspire others to create, her confidence lays within her bubbly personality, she’s a joy to be around. She is a full time music student at PSU, full time artist and part time barista at a local coffee shop chain.
As a bass / piano player in her band (Sarah Billings Band), I got to meet and play with other artists around town. These are some of Portland’s greatest musicians; they’re legends in my book!! These are the people that shaped Portland’s music scene; they put their heart and soul in what they’re doing. They don’t just create music, they impart their creation to others; inspire others to create more and even better art.
I remember the first time I sat down with a gentleman name Jacob Merlin, who met Sarah through some random connection (typical Sarah..). A brilliant composer and musician, Merlin found his passion for songwriting at a very young age. One lovely evening at a bar, Jacob played for me a song that he wrote when he was a Sophomore in High School. The repertoire consist of some crazy chords, progressions and beautiful, poetic lyric! Jacob is Portland’s best kept secret!
To make long story short: I have the privilege to play with one of Portland’s funk / soul band this Sunday evening: Jacob Merlin & The Alchemist. Jacob has played with some of Portland’s legendaries, saxophonist Renato Caranto and trombonist Rick Tippets to name a few. The thought of being on the same stage with these guys is very humbling. Here I am, a 22 years old bassist from Indonesia, making music with Portland’s greatests!
The moral of the story: I would do just about anything for the love of music..
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