It’s the rare artist from whose catalog a listener can pluck any song and instantly recognize who’s at the helm. Portland-based drummer, composer and producer Barra Brown’s artistic restlessness has led him from avant-garde beat-based music as one half of Korgy & Bass to original acoustic compositions with his Barra Brown Quintet & Trio – but it’s the thematic ambition of Brown’s releases and the fearless merging of electronics and improvisation that let his voice shine through no matter the genre. Within each of his compositions carries a form of experimentation, homage, play, joy, and critique and constantly leans into what’s next. In 2013 & 2015 he composed and released two albums of original compositions as the Barra Brown Quintet (BBQ) on Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble Records (PJCE). In the Fall of 2017, the PJCE commissioned Barra to write a piece for their twelve-person large ensemble. “Down at Buckskin Lake” premiered at the PJCE Ten Year Anniversary Celebration.