From Woodstock with Joe Cocker, through ten years of touring with Tom Jones, to forming his Latin Jazz band, the Bobby Torres Ensemble, Bobby's been on the music scene for over 35 years.

Bobby Torres is a record producer, songwriter, percussion instructor, session musician and bandleader based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1995, the Bobby Torres Ensemble has been his central focus.

Visit www.bobbytorres.com to learn more.

Five years ago, Brett Dennen was a camp counselor from Northern California who played guitar, wrote songs and performed fireside. The folk and rock influenced singer/songwriter's authenticity, willingness to weave meaning into his melodies has been recognized across the music industry and in small coffee houses alike. Drawing on a deep appreciation of Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and World artists, Brett remains true to his roots and style.

His thoughts on human rights and environmentalism are apparent in his lyrics and in his life-style. He created an organization called Love Speaks that literally provides local activists and nonprofits with a stage – Brett's stage – to connect with his audience.

Keep an eye on what Brett is up to next, and/or get involved at www.brettdennen.net.

"I am driven by hope, life and love and it pours out of me in the form of music" Chris Pierce

Born in Los Angeles, California, Chris started singing and performing at a very young age. Chris Pierce is a soul singer, a song-craftsman and an extremely gifted performer who's been compared to greats such as Bill Withers, Al Green and Otis Redding to name a few. His success in the LA music scene transformed into an international sensation, playing to sold out crowds and opening for Seal.

Chris offers his music as a celebration of life, love and the pursuit of joy through realization in the present moment; his music will speak to your heart and touch your soul.

Check out the energy for yourself at www.chrispierce.com.

It all started in 2005, when the band self-produced their first album in a home studio. It put Derby on the top ten lists around the country. Their vocally-driven, vintage-tinged pop-rock received comparisons to the Shins, Sloan and Brendan Benson. They put on a wildly frenetic live show that has made them a favorite at home in Portland, and around the coutry.They've shared the stage with the likes of the Decemberists, Cake, Magic Numbers, British Sea Power, the Posies, the Minus Five, Robyn Hitchcock, Robbers on High Street, Youth Group, Stars of Track & Field, Violent Femmes, Imperial Teen, Badly Drawn Boy, and Rogue Wave, just to name a few. With new material they're back on the road.

Listen up at www.myspace.com/derbyrock.

Wildly melodic and inherently quirky, The Dimes' sunny day indie-pop is born of the same Northwest, um, loins as The Decemberists, The Shins, Ben Gibbard and even recent Austin-to-Portland transplants, Spoon. Known for causing breakouts of unexpected hand clapping and foot stomping among fans at their shows, The Dimes boys have cooked up some delicious indie-pop goodness on their new release, The Silent Generation. However, even with all of the charming comparisons to their Northwest kin, The Silent Generation is built around something undeniably original – a stash of depression era newspapers singer-song writer Johnny Clay found in the floorboards of his house.

Put some in your ears at www.thedimes.com.

Dominic Castillo & The Rock Savants is an indie rock band out of Portland, Oregon. What this band brings to the stage is a fully realized voice that can serve up riveting lo-fi and can also handle densely arranged indie rock. In fact, their latest release, "Singles for Singles," received a five star review from CD Baby as well as being their top Editors Choice. If Phantom Planet, Elliot Smith, The Strokes, and Elvis Costello threw a party, it would sound like this.

Drop into some beats at www.dominiccastillo.com.

Dyers Rocket is a three-piece (drum, bass, guitar and vocal) group that combines many sounds to create their entertaining and likable appeal. The electric and acoustic driven combo covers styles from blues, reggae and surf to more beat-driven and lively mixes. Consisted of three members each from Portland, Oregon, Dyers Rocket is guitarist/vocalist Austin Blanchard, bassist Seth Tucker, and drummer Cameron Hering. The group has extensive live playing experience and multiple recorded sessions. With growing support and an assured grasp on their music, Dyers Rocket brings valid potential to today's world of music.

Get to know 'em at www.myspace.com/dyersrocket.

The Elevaters are a Los Angeles based sextet that blend funk, rock, hip hop, and soul into an accessible sound that draws audiences from all backgrounds. They have played alongside hip hop luminaries KRS-One, De La Soul, and Medusa. They attract large crowds to venues such as: House of Blues, Avalon, Sunset Junction, Key Club, Roxy, Viper Room, The Mint, and Temple Bar.

Get lifted with the Elevaters at www.elevatersmusic.com.

Jay Nash, Californian native and rock troubadour, has been blessed with the kind of excruciatingly rustic voice so rarely heard on record. It's refreshing to find an artist that refuses to simply dwell on the hard times, instead choosing to bask in the good and the great that life has to offer. There's no bravado, no ill-placed audacity. Nash, its plain to see, is one of us - one of the good guys. A trailblazer for passion and hard graft - a man who knows no limitation.

Listen for yourself at www.jaynash.com.

Van Auken's style is incisive and genuine. He is a rock classicist with a singer-songwriter streak. His propensity for blending rock, blues, folk and country allows his songs to move in various directions, while keeping the same destination. It's easy to swamp him with flattering comparisons. Finding a home somewhere in the midst of Tom Petty, Lyle Lovett, Van Morrison and The Faces, Van Auken is somewhat akin to acoustic folk-blues, not quite country, and can rock loud like the best red-blooded Amercians. The expressive immediacy of his voice is distinctive and demands attention, calling to mind the soulful songs recorded back in Muscle Shoals, as well as the rock classics heard in his mom's van while growing up.

Try some, it's good for you www.jaycobvanauken.com.

Norman is a collaboration of musicians from throughout Oregon’s Willamette Valley, uniting musical souls from all tastes in a pleasing blend of interest-peaking forms. Born initially as a solo act by singer Eric Nordby, Norman has grown into a full band (up to seven different members). The benefit of having a diverse method by which to perform is one of Norman’s strongest assets.

Influenced heavily by the Pacific Northwest and all that it implies (rain, forests, Sasquatch, etc.), Norman combines a collective understanding of the Northwest into Nordby’s tunes. Nordby’s musical influences range from folk and rock giants Bob Dylan and Neil Young, to defunct mid-west emo-heroes The Promise Ring and French bedroom-techno artists Stereolab. The techniques and styles of each of these influences are expressed not only musically and lyrically in Norman, but in production as well.

See what Norman is up to at www.myspace.com/normansongs

Luke Reynolds, former Blue Merle front man, returns as Pictures And Sound with a self-titled debut album, on Vanguard Records. In 2005, Reynolds found success with Blue Merle's well-received album and smash hit, Burning In The Sun. Blue Merle has since parted ways allowing Pictures And Sound to flourish.

Reynolds, who played a dozen instruments on the Pictures And Sound album including pedal steel, guitars and keyboards, joined up with his friends Dave Wilder (Macy Gray, Liz Phair) on bass and Pete McNeal (Jem, Z-Trip, Cake, Ricki Lee Jones) on drums, to create a body of work that is modern in its arrangements and soundscapes yet a throw back to an era when songs were written and recorded in a more organic atmosphere.

See and hear them at www.picturesandsound.com.

"Schneiderman's exceptional songwriting talent and radiating charm are a winning combination. Her honest, earthy presence and rich, serene vocals separate Stephanie from the hordes of "girls with guitars." She shows all the potential of becoming a world class, world renowned artist." ~ Adam Zacks, Talent Buyer, House of Blues

Six solo albums, two collaborative albums, three music production credits, several film and stage roles and the creation of a wildly successful concert series to benefit refugees in Uganda - Yes, trying to pin down Stephanie Schneiderman to any one genre, talent or discipline is next to impossible. With a fresh approach to everything she does, Stephanie continues to churn out some of the finest stuff around. And if her recent projects are any evidence, the best is yet to come.

What next? Find out at www.stephanieschneiderman.com.

Portland native Gavin Wahl-Stephens grew up at the city's blues festivals, grooving at independent gigs and ripping solos over old B.B. King tapes in his Southeast basement. After moonlighting as a reggae guitarist and getting his solo start at blues jams in Pabst-soaked taverns, the release of his self-titled debut album in 2007 made Gavin, and his band, mainstays on the Portland scene. Maturing into a tight progressive blues outfit with distinctly northwest quirks, Gavin has won accolades for his honest sound, roaring live shows, and personal lyrics that focus on the unavoidable blues of perpetual motion. Gavin's sound is self-assured yet unpretentious: "I'm trying to find the laid-back groove of The Band," Gavin explains, "but when it's time to kick down the door we're going for something like Dylan live in '66."

www.myspace.com/stephensblues

Ronno "Dizzynest" Rutter, sings his songs with his guitar from Kalamazoo with the Willamette on his mind. Doug "Fender Bender" Kelly hammers out the dents on the chords and Daniyel "The Pepper Grinder" with his suitcase scenario. Ronno's Dizzynest songs have been heard in and around the city of Portland, Oregon in various configurations: Un-Heard Crossing with Sha Montana, Dizzynest Stringband with Thia, Neil Gilpin and Bernie Keough, Two Tone Brothers with Clarence Goodman, and now Dizzynest with Doug Kelly and Daniyel Hicks. Ronno is a singer-songwriter who writes songs that are typewriter driven, rollin' rag rescues and slow shoe shuffles. All are original compositions with the great craft of theft – waves of inspiration sometimes referred to as crime waves but always with the realization that you must wear a disguise to protect the innocent.

Spin with Dizzynest at www.dizzynest.com.

SubAtomic is an electronic fusion quintet, hailing from Portland, Oregon. Deryk Dement plays drums, everything from tasty mellow jazz to heavy-duty breakbeat that will make you shake your ass. Dave Binnig plays trumpet into effects pedals creating on-the-fly loops that weave a smooth ambient texture and will carry you through space and time. Joel Barber provides heady vocal samples and sound effects via turntable and laptop. JB is half of Portland's electronic duo Surrounded by Ninjas. Filling out the low-end frequency is Dr. Ruff on electric bass and custom midi rig. Brooks Foster is the newest player, with real jazz chops and an arsenal of saxophones. SubAtomic is taking a non-traditional approach to danceable music, fusing styles and crossing genre boundaries while maintaining a groove that will keep your head bobbing and your feet moving.

Get sonically subversive at www.subatomicpdx.com.