PORTLAND JAZZ COMPOSERS? ENSEMBLE is a 14-piece group which performs original works by its members and by other jazz composers in the Portland music community and beyond. There are many talented jazz composers in Portland and we give them a platform for large-group composition and arrangement. The result is a distinct and unique book of modern music. Pianist Andrew Oliver and saxophonist Gus Slayton founded the group near the end of their studies at Portland State University in 2007. Originally formed as a workshop group for experimenting with new compositional ideas, the group had its first public performance in January 2008. The Portland Jazz Composers ensemble is now entering its third year of performance. So far the group has premiered 25 new compositions written explicitly for the PJCE.