If musical instruments were drinks, the cello would be classified like a fine wine: Fabulous in its own right, but at its best when served as accompaniment. Portland Cello Project breaks out of that mold, bringing anywhere from 8 to 16 cellists to center stage at any given performance. The result is an ever-evolving, full-bodied sound.
Yo-Yo Ma isn’t the only artist capable of squeezing heart and soul out of a cello. But the classically trained cellists of Portland Cello Project (PCP) don’t just crack the mold open; they crash through it, bringing classic staples, jazz standards, hip-hop anthems and the occasional video game theme song along for the ride.
On Saturday night PCP fielded six cellists, including artistic director Douglas Jenkins. Although Matthew Berger was credit as both cellist and percussionist, he confined himself to laying down the kind of grooves that would make any rock band proud. Berger’s beats also filled in for the lack of a conductor, creating a stable framework for the strings to build on.
PCP further busts the mold by habitually incorporating local musicians into the show, creating their own cello-heavy orchestral ensemble. And they seem to delight in offering that ensemble’s backing to unlikely collaborative partners, such as Ryan Sollee of Portland’s The Builders and the Butchers. You might think a rock guitarist would sound out of place in company with cellos, a French horn, trumpet, clarinet and flute. Then again, you might find the idea of a Pantera cello arrangement a little odd–until you hear the PCP version. Somehow the audacious arrangements don’t just work, they draw a diverse, enthusiastic audience.
Good sound management is the polar opposite, so distinctly commonplace that it blends right into the woodwork. And except for a distinct lack of support for the lone flute player, and a temporarily overpowering guitar on Sollee’s first song, Saturday’s sound work was exquisite, allowing PCP to morph its members, the backing locals and the unlikely but undeniable Sollee into one soul-altering sonic experience.
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