Smokin’ at The Half Note
A Tribute to Wes Montgomery & the Wynton Kelly Trio
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SMP presents a collaboration a long time in the making between pianist Thor Polson and the Ed Dunsavage Trio featuring Joe Cohoon on bass and Chicken Hirsh on drums. This concert will be a farewell performance for Thor who will be leaving southern Oregon in June. This presentation will be a tribute to guitar great Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio which featured Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. They were also the rhythm section for the Miles Davis Quintet at the time. For this concert, we will perform most of the music on the classic recording, “Smokin’ at The Half Note which was recorded in 1965/66. Pat Metheny once said that he learned how to play guitar by listening to “Smokin’ at The Half Note.
Thor Polson has performed at dozens of Twin Cities venues, and his recordings have been aired on radio stations there and more recently on traditional and internet stations such as Jefferson Public Radio, KSKQ, KRUU, Jango Music, and Pandora. His latest album “Northern Lights” received high praise from Jazz Police critic Andrea Canter. Thor gigs regularly in southern Oregon, performing regularly with local jazz musicians and organizing tributes to such legendary jazz figures as Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. Though a jazzer at heart, Thor originally moved to southern Oregon for a three-year course of study in classical piano with Dr. Alexander Tutunov, from whom he continues to take occasional lessons. 
