8 Questions – Portland Cello Project

contributor: Shelley Bowers, September 8, 2010

Doug Jenkins is one of the main masterminds behind the beloved indie
orchestra The Portland Cello Project, who have been known to cover
both Bach and Salt N Pepa in the same set. They will be performing
Saturday night at Mississippi Studios as a part of Music Fest
Northwest with Crooked Fingers and the Mynabirds.

1. Can you tell us about the beginnings of the Portland Cello Project?

It started as a lark. A bunch of classically trained cellists in town
got together to read classical music in Tony Rogers living room
(including Zoe Keating in that brief time she lived up here), Gideon
Freudmann, myself, some others. We decided to try to bring the
classical music to the bars. It eventually evolved into what it is
now. Not so much classical music, more just trying to bring the cello
to the people and the people to the cello.

2. I’ve seen PCP perform a vast array of music, from Justin Timberlake
and Beyonce to Woody Guthrie and Peter Gabriel. How do you come about
putting together your set lists, and who arranges all these songs for
cello?

When I make a set list, I try to think, “what would confuse the
audience most… but not make them throw things?” And that’s how I come
up with the songs we play. I do about 90% of the arranging: so, all of
the collaborations that collaborators don’t ‘write themselves, most of
the classical stuff, all of the pop stuff and metal stuff. Kevin
Jackson does about 10% (all of the video game things and most of the
movies). We do original pieces, too, composed by members. In fact,
most of our new record is music composed by our members: Gideon
Freudmann, Ashia Grzesik, myself, (and Rachel Blumberg has a big piece
on there — she’s like an honorary member now).

3. Why did you decide to pursue your current course instead of the
traditional path of a classical musician, which generally involves
endless auditions in the hope of landing a spot in a major orchestra?

Most of us pursued the traditional path at least through college, and
then decided to stop torturing ourselves. Some of our members still
pay their bills playing classical music, though.

4. How have your colleagues that are still primarily in the classical
music world reacted to the Portland Cello Project?

Well, there are members of the group who are still very much in the
classical world. Justin Kagan — an original member of the group — is
in the Oregon Symphony. In other towns, Seattle, San Fran, LA,
Chicago, NYC, we try to bring our classical friends on stage with us.
There are always parts in our music that can be sight-read by strong
players like that. So we just make it a big party. It’s a fun show to
be a part of no matter what you do for a living as a cellist.

5. You recently partnered with Daniel Fickle of Two Penguins
Productions and made a stunning video for Denmark, which depicts a
tiny shrimp attempting to escape from its polluted environment. How
did the idea for this video come about?

I said, “Daniel, I love the work you do. I have 100% faith and
confidence that if I let you do whatever you feel inspired to do, it
will be awesome. So, choose any song you want off the new album and
you have total artistic freedom.” And he did, and it’s amazing. It’s
remarkable how much it fits the actual backstory of the composer’s
song, too, I think. I’m really stoked about it.

6. You’ve performed with a vast array of accomplished musicians, from
Laura Gibson and Thao Nguyen (of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down) to
Horse Feathers and The Dandy Warhols. How do you go about recruiting
such an all star cast?

It’s always different. Portland’s a small town, so you just meet
people from going to their shows or them coming to your shows (or
both) and you hit it off and something comes of it. It’s pretty
informal and spontaneous, honestly.

7. What has it been like to work with the fine people at Kill Rock
Stars, who released your 2009 collaboration with Thao and Justin
Power?

They are wonderful and supportive. Here’s a local, hip record company
who decides to totally reach outside their usual scope and sign a
cello act with a John Tavener piece opening the record! They were
completely open to giving us creative freedom at what we were doing,
and supportive every step of the way. We’re honored to work with them,
and I hope the relationship continues into the future.

8. What will fans be able to expect for this special MFNW edition of PCP?

Ha! Really unique and special stuff we’ve never done before! I
probably should have been publicizing this, but we just got back from
a bunch of touring and I was too swamped on the road. We’re
collaborating with Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers), for one thing!

Janet Weiss (Quasi, The Jicks, Sleater-Kinney) and John Vecchiarelli
are playing drums with us (simultaneously), so it will be loud, dancy,
and fun. Adam Thompson (Thao with the Get Down Stay Down) is playing
bass. Last year when we played MFNW the crowd was drunk and annoying,
so this year we’re going to do a set of dance music and just make it a
lighthearted party rather than our usual mixture. (Though we’ll still
try to play Denmark and I think maybe the Crouching Tiger theme or
something bad ass like that.) On the dance list are, Get UR Freak On,
Smooth Criminal, 99 Red Balloons, some other stuff– all with guest
singers. Probably do Pantera since we have double drummers. Then, at
midnight Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers) is going to do a killer set,
and we’re joining him on 4 songs of his. His music is amazing — I’m
really stoked for that collaboration.