Kurt Deutscher’s Full Music Biography

Kurt graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Portland Oregon during a period when the music department of the school was structured as a music conservatory and was attended by some of the best young musicians in the city. The school’s jazz ensemble won so many awards during his time there that the school had to clear out a football trophy case to make room for them all, including winning best overall at the Clark College Jazz Festival during his junior year, and the jazz combo winning the Reno Jazz Festival during his senior year.

He was fascinated with jazz and regularly attended a Sunday night jam session in downtown Portland. He was too young to be in the club when he wasn’t on stage and would wait in the adjacent restaurant listening through a doorway until his turn to play on stage.

His professional career began at age seventeen playing drums for weekly ballroom dances in a quartet on Tuesday nights,  and at a fancy restaurant lounge in a five-piece vocal harmony group on the weekends. As a teen, Kurt had opportunities to perform with Sonny King (s), Eddie Weid (p), Kurt Selvig (b), Tim Rooney (g), Bobby Baker (brass & woodwinds), Darin Clendenin (p), Tim Gilson (b), Caton Lyles (percussion), Bruce Smith (percussion), Dee Wiggins (percussion), Obo Addy (master drummer), and was a member of Thara Memory’s Creative Jazz Orchestra.

At age 19 he graduated from the Armed Forces School of Music and began serving in the United States Marine Corps Band San Diego. While serving in the Marine band, Kurt was a regular drum sub for the Wind Jammers Big Band and did some gigs with members from the US Navy Band both in the role of USMC Bandsmen and as a civilian playing in local restaurants and clubs. He also played in the San Diego City College Night Band, and the UCSD Night Band, and was recruited into the Palomar College Jazz Band a few days before it competed and won first place at the Reno Jazz Festival. Kurt also moonlighted with the Sugar Trio with Sugar Huff (organ), and Earl Voltz (sax), performing up to six gigs a week in restaurants and nightclubs. Kurt often performed over a dozen performances a week between all of the groups.

In his mid-twenties, Kurt moved back to Portland where he started working as a side man, and first-call substitute in several popular jazz groups. During this period he worked with Marianne Mayfield (v), Jof Lee (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Rebecca Kilgore (v), Lee Wuthenow (t), Dave Frishberg (p), Gordon Lee (p), Dale Lawrence (g), Kacy Colleen (v), Joe Seifers (b), the Rick McNutt (vibes/marimba) Sextet with Curtis Craft (percussion), Dick Blake (p/b), Dan Perz (g), James Blackburn (p), David Duthie (b), Casey MacGill (v)(ukulele)(p), the three-part vocal harmony group Euphoria co-led by Ray Hardiman (p), Rebecca Hardiman (v), Sherry Summerville (v), and Duane Summerville (v) and one gig with Jim Pepper (s), plus many other’s who were active in the live music scene at the time. He also performed with the Mt. Hood Community College Big Band and George Timmons aka Dr. T & His Orchestra.

In his late 20s, Kurt co-founded and co-led the band Tall Jazz with Dan Presley (b) and Mike Horsfall (p + vibes). During Kurt’s tenure with the group, the trio averaged 150 performances yearly throughout the Pacific Northwest, including performances in Canada and Japan. Tall Jazz also released six critically acclaimed recordings and received endorsements from The Oregon Arts Commission, The Metropolitan Arts Commission, The Jazz Society of Oregon, Young Audiences, and NIKE. The band also toured for a week in Japan as Jazz Embasidors representing the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz and the City of Gresham Oregon. The band was a featured artist with the Oregon Symphonic Band and the Bravo Concerts in Vancouver WA. The band was later inducted into the Jazz Society of Oregon’s Jazz Hall of Fame in 2010; albeit without Kurt, who had left the band after 12+ years.

During his tenure with Tall Jazz, Kurt continued working as a side man, including playing drums for Art Abrams Swing Machine, Dick Schwary Big Band, the Mazel Tov Orchestra, led by Sammy Epstein (clarinet), Ben Medler Big Band, Everything’s Jake, led by Timothy James Darby (g) where he alternated gigs with Hollis Taylor (violinist); whom he also did some quartet work with, Jack Falk (clarinet), Shirley Nanette (v), Suzi Stern (v), Jim Beatty (clarinet), Matt Molnar (p)(v), Martin Pearson (f), Ellen Vanderslice (v), and Dan Faehnle (g). He also had the opportunity to perform with Jessica Williams (p), Brian Dunning (f), Rob Thomas (violin), Bud Shank (s), Bobby Shew (t), Glen Moore (b), Haley Horsfall (v), Cheryl Alex (f), Tom Hill (trombone), Gerry Amato (clarinet), Israel Annoh (percussion), Martin Zarzar (percussion), John Jb Butler (g), Dawn Clement (p), Amandah Jantzen (v), Patrick Lamb (s), and the Clark Community College Jazz Ensemble (d) and Jazz Choir (v) which included a week of concerts in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Kurt also became a voting member of NARAS (The Grammys).

In his late 30s, Kurt played with The Original Cats, co-led by Sweet Baby James Benton (v), Bob Hernandez (s), Bobby Bradford (t), and Cleve Williams (trombone). He also performed with Carl Smith’s (s) Natural Gas Co., and recorded with Joy Ciaffoni (v), and the Eddie Parente (violin) Jazz Quartet with John Keyser (g), and Craig Snazelle (b). Kurt performed once with Esperanza Spalding (b). He also worked with Alyssa Schwary (v), Janice Scroggins (p), Al Criado (b), Marilyn Keller (v), Dan Balmer (g), John Fresk (p), Peter Boe (p), Jeff Uusitalo (trombone), and Paul Mazzio (t), and John Stowell (g). In 2001, on the recommendation of Dave Captein (b), Kurt played a gig with the Swizzle Chicks, a three-part harmony vocal group co-led by Beth Kahlen (v), Stephanie Torres (v), and Carrie Rambo (v). Kurt and Carrie Rambo married in 2004 and continue to do music together.

In his 40s he was performing with Tom Grant (p), Dave Captein (b), Eli Risman (g), Gino Michaels (p), Kirtly Wade (organ), Matthew Von Doran (g), Andrei Kitaev (p), Stone Grether (g)(v), David Vest (p), Solomon Douglas Swingtet (p), Frank Tribble (g), Phil Goldberg (p), Bill Beach (p), Shelly Rudolph (v), George Mitchell (p), Andre St. James (b) Rick DellaRatta (p), Frank De La Rosa (b), Eric Skye (g), Brian Casey (b), Brian Ward (p), Renato Caranto (s), John Walling Septet (brass), Geoff Fotland (s), and Dennis Costi (s).

During his 50s, Kurt worked regularly with Ray Hardiman (p), Rebecca Hardiman (v), and Whitney Moulton (b) as a quartet and in several tribute bands with the addition of Laird Halling (s). He also did work with Joe Millward (p), Nancy King (v), John Gilmore (v) Gary Harris (s), Matt Schiff (g), Don McFarlane (p), Bryant Allard (t), Karla Harris (v) Amy Weston-Wells (v), Rita Marquez (v), Bill French (p), Connie Johnson (vibes), Paul Paresa (p), Julianne Johnson (v), Barbara Ayars (v), Julie Hoodenpyl (v), Julie Irmer (v), Bo Ayars (p), Amy Roesler (b), Rick Greene (s), David Saffert (p), Jillian Snow Harris (v), Billie Edison (v), Kiran Raphael (p), Darin Clendenin (p), Dennis Caiazza (b), Ed Bennett (b), Kevin Deitz (b), Phil Baker (b), Kevin Karrick (g) Susan Sandel (v), Clay Giberson (p), The band French Twist with Mitzi Zilka (v), Leslie Gignilliat-Day (v), Jason Woodrow (v), Stephanie Kitson (v), Lake Jiroudek (g), Neil Mattson (g), Fred Simon (p), Michael Bard (s), Chuk Barber (percussion), Ken Anoe (b), Debra Patton (v), Lori Boone (v), Shira Subotnick (v), Nancy Curtin (v), Vince Frates (p), Laura Cunard (p)(v), George Mitchell (p), Noel Keith Jewkes (s), Kay Andreas Kostopoulos (v), David J. Kim (p), Mark Hammersly (b), Kerry McCoy (p), Matthew Holmes (b), Charlie Brown III (p), Justus Reece (g), Bill Athens (b), Ryan Meagher (g), Mike Doolin (g), Barbara Lusch (v), Sherry Summerville (v), and Duane Summerville (v), Dan Schulte (b), Randy Porter (p), Heather Keizur (v), Steve Christofferson (p), Tommy Thompson (b), Maria Manzo (p), Michael Kissinger (clarinet)(v), Ron Steen (d), Graham Covington (p), Ted Swenson (b), “Conversation” with Michael Winkle (v), Craig Snazelle (b), and JoséLouis Sosa (p), Zsofia Csikos-Tardy (v), Attila Csikos (g), Christopher Woitach (g), John Moak (trombone), Perry Thoorsell (b), Chance Hayden (g), Keith Karns (t) Quintet, Bartholomew Hafeman (v), Sarah Saul (v), Joel Hoffman (g), Oren Sweebny (b), Cliff Jetton (brass), Sean M Kelleher (s), Bruce McDonald (p), Cyndy Ramsey-Rier (p), Max Rees (g), Clark Bondy (s), Nancy Erickson (v), Steve Agritelley (vibes), Craig Bidondo (p), Bobby Torres (percussion), David Watson’s (v) Re-Birthing The Cool Bebop N Beyond, Pete Peterson (s), Mary-Sue Tobin (s), Mark Vehrencamp (tuba), Paul Ward (p), Kaytlin Hansen (b), Paula Byrne (v), Jan Koenig (v), Brian Myers (s), Paul Moyer (p), Malea (v), Solid Brass PDX (brass ensemble), Cross Winds Big Band, Carroll Raaum Swing Orchestra, Providence Hospital Stage Band, VanPort Big Band, Big River Big Band, Pranksters Big Band, and was the drummer for Liberace & Liza Holiday at the Mansion at Portland Center Stage.

During his 60s he also performed with Chris Lee (vibes), Paul K Ward (p), Eric Gruber (b), Lisa Dae (v), Greg Goebel (p), Dirk Foley (v), Paul Brainard (g), Jack Radsliff (g), Robert Rodriguez (b), Ray Griffin (s), Bill Coones (b), Mario DePriest (v), Mike Arnopol (b), Tom Freedman (b), Justin Copeland (t), Todd Marston (p), John Mazzocco (b) Brandon Nelson (p), Cathy Heithaus (violin), Julie Rundquist (violin), Laura Owens (viola), Georgienne Young (cello), Shawn Wang (b), Pete Lampe (b), Danny Schauffler (s/f), Emi Gilbert (p/v), Xylyn Hathaway (b), Tony DeSilva (p/g), David Steinberg (v), Jonathan Eder (p), and Patrick Carr (p) ...

This bio is a work-in-progress. If you spot people or bands Kurt performed with that are missing, let him know so he can get them added.