Christo's's Upcoming Shows

Excited to have Mark Lewis for the first time at Christo's Lounge on International Jazz Day! Saxophonist and flutist Mark Lewis has enlivened jazz scenes from Seattle and San Francisco to Rotterdam and Paris. He’s created a vast and intensely stimulating body of music, including more than 1,800 compositions inspired by people, places and experiences along his path. World renowned for his technical command of his instruments, endless creativity, exceptional compositions, humor, and the joy of music that comes through his horns, Mark Lewis delivers a true jazz experience. Recent awards include Cadence Magazine Top Ten Critics Poll for his album Naked Animals and #2 on alto sax and #3 on flute in the 39th Annual Jazz Station Awards for his album The New York Session, a collaboration with pianist George Cables, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Victor Lewis. Mark Lewis met John Butler in the 1980’s when they both had moved to the Netherlands, which was widely regarded as a hotspot for real jazz by American musicians. John became part of the Mark Lewis International Jazz Quintet which also featured musicians from India, Holland, West Africa, and South America. His quartet features John Butler on guitar, John Mazzocco on bass and Chris Lee on drums. “You listen to the guys with the primo recording contracts on the very top labels, and in my opinion, they’re not in Mark’s league” – Ted Gioia, music and culture writer. “A Northwest Treasure” – Jim Wilke, Seattle jazz radio legend

For the first time in 20 years, Portland synth punk band Point Line Plane returns to the stage! Featuring an opening set by Salem based goth punkers Jesus Egg. Between 2002 and 2005 Portland synth/punk duo Point Line Plane played 150 shows across the US. Vocalist/keyboardist Joshua Blanchard (Major Hex) and drummer Nathan Carson (Witch Mountain) initially honed their near-telepathic live skills in destructively short 20-minute concert performances. By the time they’d derezzed, their discography included two studio albums, the soundtrack score for a documentary film about haunted houses, plus a slew of comp tracks and singles. The band made its name by creating noise music with pop hooks. As electro continued to fizzle out and screamy dance-punk/neo-no wave enjoyed a brief spike of popularity, kids and college radio DJ’s took note of PLP’s eclectic and original style, often contrasting the sound to other innovators like Liars, Ex-Models, and Lightning Bolt. Actual comparisons were hard to draw, however; reviews in print and online found writers grasping for metaphors rather than listing influences. Point Line Plane briefly expanded to a trio and joined the SKiN GRAFT Records roster for their sophomore album “Smoke Signals”. By the end of their tenure, they found their sound mired in grimmer pastures, more often reflective of restraint, tension, and drama. Repetition, hypnosis, psychedelia, paranoia, darkness - these ingredients combined to satisfy extreme noise enthusiasts with sophisticated sonic textures as well as fans of more classic, melodic songwriting. 2026 will see the original duo resume activity after having powered down 22 years ago - and now the band’s long lost debut album has been extensively restored and remastered and will be released on May 29th, 2026

So happy to have the extraordinary Dan Balmer back with his great band featuring Clay Giberson on keys, Bill Athens on bass and Jason Palmer on drums! From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. His playing spans nearly one hundred CDs including twelve as a leader from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film and radio. Dan’s love of guitar and making music combined with discipline, technique and restless curiosity provide an ever-deepening experience for himself and his listeners. In every performance he finds himself in the middle of the path, amidst a continuous and compelling process of discovery. Dan has performed or toured with Joey DeFrancesco, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Les McCann, Javon Jackson and Karrin Allyson, Benny Golson, Jeff Hamilton, Gerald Clayton, John Clayton, Terell Stafford, Ingrid Jensen, Duduka da Fonseca, Kendrick Scott, Taylor Eigsti, Buddy De Franco, Bruce Forman and countless others.

NYC saxophonist and composer Nick Biello and longtime musical collaborator and bassist Alex Tremblay unite with stalwart West Coast drummer Jerry Steinhilber for a presentation of brand new music. Biello and Tremblay feature a deep connection that is fully manifested in the subtle, delicate trio environment, and Steinhilber’s trio mastery includes his performances with saxophone legends George Garzone and Joe Lovano. Biello’s compositional voice rings true in the trio environment, having recorded “Between Light and Shadow”, an acclaimed trio recording featuring music inspired by astrophysics and alinear time. In his most recent trio project, “Flexitarian”, Biello has crafted new improvisatory vehicles that are equal parts storytelling and freewheeling explorations, both grounded in narrative melodic themes as well as being indulgently spontaneous. “Flexitarian” is as captivating as it is unpredictable. Nick has shared the stage with world-class artists, such as Slide Hampton, Cedar Walton, and John Benitez. He has performed at the Pescara and Bussi Jazz Festivals in Italy, as well as the Taipei and Taichung Jazz Festivals in Taiwan, and other festivals across the globe. Nick's saxophone has been heard in notable NYC venues such as Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy's, Lincoln Center, Cellar Dog, Smalls, Mezzrow, Smoke, Zinc Bar, The Kitano, Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, and Sony HallNick has recorded on hundreds of albums, from his own original projects to his work as a sideman for other artists. His debut album, "Vagabond Soul," released in 2017 on the Truth Revolution Recording Collective, features Phil Markowitz, John Benitez, Clarence Penn, Paul Jones, Andrew Renfroe, and Vincent Lionti. “Between Light and Shadow”, a collection of original compositions for the chordless trio format, was released in May of 2024 on La Reserve Records and features Biello’s working trio of Alex Tremblay on bass and Peter Kronreif on drums. His third album as a leader, “New America”, combines the rhythm team of Tremblay and Kronreif and adds the formidable musicianship of trumpet virtuoso Charlie Porter and the eminent pianist George Colligan.

Super stoked to have the Mike Prigodich Elektric Group back at Christo's after so many years! MPEG offer up sizzling original jazz fusion in the spirit of Chick Corea, blending Latin rhythms and fiery improvisations, with beautiful melodies and crunchy harmonies. Featuring Mike Prigodich on keys, John Nastos on sax, Damian Erskine on bass and Brian Foxworth on drums. Mike Prigodich is a trailblazing jazz fusion pianist, composer, and bandleader whose music defies genre boundaries and embraces complexity with unflinching clarity. Based in Oregon, Prigodich draws inspiration from artists like Chick Corea, Dave Grusin, Yellowjackets, and others, but his sound is unmistakably his own—melding jazz with Latin, rock, and global influences to create emotionally rich, rhythmically daring compositions. Prigodich made his mark with the release of his acclaimed 2011 debut album, A Stitch in Time, featuring an all-star lineup including Damian Erskine, Reinhardt Melz, and John Nastos. Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign following a life-altering cancer diagnosis in 2008, the album was both a personal and artistic milestone. His story—of transformation through adversity—has become part of the music’s emotional DNA. In 2025, Prigodich returned with Stage Magic, a stunning live album recorded at Classic Pianos in Portland. Capturing the unfiltered energy and synergy of his ensemble, the album showcases Prigodich’s signature compositional style: odd time signatures, intricate harmonies, and melodies that are as memorable as they are complex. Stage Magic is a masterclass in 21st-century jazz fusion – “a sonic journey brimming with inventive melodies, rhythmic complexity, and a deep sense of play.” (Jazz Chill Music) His work has earned high praise from jazz luminaries. Chick Corea called his music “wonderful, beautiful, really great,” and George Whitty (Brecker Brothers) described his debut album as “one of those discs you want to hear again as soon as it’s finished.” At once cerebral and soulful, Mike Prigodich’s music offers more than virtuosity—it offers vision. As a composer and performer, he continues to shape the future of jazz fusion with fearless creativity, technical brilliance, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity.

So excited for the great saxophonist Joe Manis to bring his swinging band to Christo's! Featuring John Storie on guitar, Tyler Abbott on bass and Charlie Doggett on drums! Originally from Dexter, Oregon, SteepleChase recording artist Joe Manis is noted for the strength of his "intense, updated take on the glorious Rollins-'Trane tradition." (Willamette Week) Manis was the recipient of a 2013 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship. His album for SteepleChase Records, The Golden Mean, features George Colligan on organ, Kevin Congleton on drums, and Lillie Manis on viola and was released in 2015. North By Northwest was released by SteepleChase Records in 2013. He released his debut album Evidence in 2009 features Manis on tenor saxophone, Kevin Congleton on drums, and Portland luminary Dave Captein on bass: the Willamette Week called the album "explosive,” and said “(Manis) makes Pink Floyd's 'Money' sound like something a young John Coltrane might have played"; the Eugene Weekly said: "Fabulous... Will thrill fans of Monk, Rollins." The Joe Manis Trio was featured at Rontoms during the 2010 PDX Jazz Festival, a high-energy performance that was a featured Willamette Week "Pick" and received praise from local music critics and bloggers; the Trio returned to the Festival in 2011, 2013 and 2020. Recent Joe Manis Trio appearances include Fat Cat NYC, the Shedd Institute’s jazz series, Jimmy Mak's, Tula's, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, and the Montavilla Jazz Festival. Manis has toured Europe as a duo and in a trio with David Friesen, where they recorded Structures, a live album. He currently plays with Friesen's Trio. He also appears on Risky Notion (Four stars & Best Albums of 2015, DownBeat Magazine) on Origin Records with George Colligan's Theoretical Planets. Manis has played with Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, including a performance at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, and appears on their album Rise Up! on Real World Records. He has also performed with the George Colligan Quartet, the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra, the Ken Schaphorst Big Band, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Johnny Mathis, the Temptations, comedian Bob Newhart, Wayne Newton, the Oregon Symphony with Gladys Knight, the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Portland Opera, the Sunriver Music Festival Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, and the Eugene Opera. Manis has performed on NPR’s Jazz Night In America, hosted by Christian McBride. Manis has presented jazz masterclasses across the country, including at University of Nevada, Reno, California State University, Northridge, Whitman College, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Oregon, Ferris State University, Central Washington University, Willamette University, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Pacific University, Lower Columbia College and Mesa, Glendale, Portland, Spokane Falls, Mt. Hood, Clackamas and Lane Community Colleges. He received a Master of Music in Jazz Studies-Performance with Academic Honor from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon. Additional studies were at the Eastman School of Music. He is a current faculty member at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College and a former music faculty member at Portland State University and Umpqua Community College. Manis is the Director of the Oregon Jazz Workshop in Eugene. His article "Rhythmic Analysis: Jeff 'Tain' Watts - 'Housed From Edward'" was published in the March 2012 edition of JAZZed Magazine. Manis also has written for the Jazz Society of Oregon's Jazzscene. He is married to violinist/violist/educator Lillie Manis, with whom he has a son, Ellery.