Chris's profile

Chris Pumphrey is a composer, arranger, bandleader, and musician well-known in the Baltimore area for his ability to not only span, but to fuse avant-garde elements with expansive melody and in-the-pocket rhythm. Born and raised on a gentleman's farm in Harford County, he studied and performed music while working variously as a logger, pool builder, and contractor. He earned his degree in music composition from University of Maryland at Baltimore County, where he studied with Stuart Saunders Smith. Chris currently works with Gutierrez Studios in Clipper Mill.
Since moving to Baltimore City in 2000, Chris has been involved in a wide range of musical collaborations and projects. Best known for his work involved with the Baltimore Afrobeat Society, Chris transcribes and directs the music for this twenty-three piece band which plays the music of Nigerian afrobeat star Fela Kuti.
Working with Nana Projects (shadow puppet theatre group), Chris has composed the finale music for the Great Halloween Lantern Parade in Patterson park six times since moving to Baltimore. Chris has also written music for theatre groups Trixie Little, The Mobtown Players, and Fablevision.
Highly virtuosic on both the alto saxophone and piano, Chris writes and performs in a number of ensembles around the city. Chris was featured in the City Paper's "Now Hear This" section for this past New Years Eve show at The WindUp Space: "You might know saxophonist Chris Pumphrey as the organizer behind the Baltimore Afrobeat Society, whose yearly big band blowouts are the stuff of Baltimore underground legend. Just as likely you know him as one of those guys in the city's left field jazz/improv universe who's just sort of hard to miss, whether it's a regular Out of Your Head outing or a collaboration with a fellow scene figure, with quintet Il Culo, Baltimare, the Mobtown Palyers, Trixie Little, or, finally, with his own sextet." - Michael Byrne. Other groups Chris plays with are John Berndt's Multiphonic Choir (sax quintet focusing on multiphonics), Mikrokingdom (rotating cast of free improvisers including John Dierker, Michael Formanek, Will Redman and Marc Miller), and Lubbock (a ten piece group of some of the city's finest jazz musicians). Chris also composes for solo instruments and small ensembles. Chris has also performed in the High Zero and Transmodern Age festivals, is a frequent improviser at The Red Room, and is involved with the weekly Out of Your Head series at the Wind Up Space.

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