Thor Polson’s Piano Studio

[NB: For the time being, I’m living in Kansas City, working on my last book, and recording with local jazzers, but I can still be contacted through this website.  Please don’t hesitate to do so!  Thor]

Thor Polson is a member of the Rogue Valley Music Teachers Association and teaches piano at his studio in Medford.  He has performed at dozens of Twin Cities venues, and his recordings have been aired on four radio stations there and more recently on other stations such as Jefferson Public Radio, KSKQ, KRUU, Pandora, and Jango Radio. His previous album Northern Lights received high praise from Jazz Police critic Andrea Canter, and his most recent album The Portal was released in January of 2020.  Thor gigs regularly in southern Oregon, performing on occasion with such notable West Coast jazzers as saxophonist Adam Harris, guitarist Ed Dunsavage, and vibraphonist Ian Harland, among many others, and he recorded three originals with Kansas City jazzers Matt Otto, Joey Panella, and Brian Steever in August of 2021.  He has also filmed two television spots on RVTV with Hawaii vibraphonist Thomas Mackay and appeared with him at the Medford Jazz Festival and the Dunsmuir Jazz-in-the-Canyon Jazz Festival.  More recent performing projects have included tributes to Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Wes Montgomery, with tributes to Charlie Parker and the Bill Evans/Jim Hall recording collaborations as current works in progress, not to mention upcoming performances in his Janus Concert Series, which will feature local musicians playing original compositions and seldom-heard masterpieces written by well-known jazz composers.  (His Janus Jazz Quartet was voted the best Rogue Valley jazz group in the “2024 Best of Ashland” Sneak Preview readers’ poll.)  Though a jazzer at heart, Thor originally moved to southern Oregon for a three-year course of study in classical piano with Dr. Alexander Tutunov at SOU and continues to take lessons from him occasionally.  He also gigs regularly and is available to play jazz solo or in combos for practically any occasion.

Thor-Polson-Piano-Teacher-portrait 2024
Upcoming Gigs and Concerts
Albums
Interview on KRUU-FM

Personalized Piano Lessons

  • Private one-on-one piano instruction and individualized lesson plans for students of all ages
  • The benefits of extensive teaching and performance experience from an improvising pianist with a lengthy background in classical music as well
  • Access to various piano styles, both written AND improvised (classical, jazz, ragtime, blues, pop, rock, etc.)
  • Music theory (including the ability to read both notes AND chord symbols) as well as other skills such as ear-training, sight-playing, analysis, memorization, technique, rhythm, and improvising
  • Locations in both Medford and Ashland
  • Affordable tuition rates: $25 per half-hour lesson, $35 for forty-five minutes, and $45 for a full hour with free initial consultations provided in all cases and with certain discounts available as the situation warrants (i.e. discounts for siblings as well as scholarships given on the basis of need and effort)
Link to Thor’s YouTube Channel

Albums

The Portal

“The ensemble is solid and fits as tightly as a glued puzzle. This is the embodiment of jazz: cool, relaxed, and blissful.” – Jango Radio

“Everywhere Polson brings effortless urbanity and lyricism to this music, which is as seductive as it is persuasive, an object lesson in style.” – Raul da Gama, Jazz da Gama

“Each tune on The Portal is a personal statement, a journey of beauty and emotion, and each tune is a worthy listen, as each has its own sui generis quality. The blending of geography and players offers a cohesiveness of execution, and each composition is given its due and proper treatment.” – Shannon Smith, Sound in Review

“Pianist Thor Polson takes listeners through an imaginative portal into utopian worlds on his latest offering The Portal, and his rapport with the musicians on this recording displays a refined choreography.” – Jazz2Love

“Eight originals and two other stunning pieces make for a forty-minute album that will stay active in your collection for years to come.” – Dick Metcalf, Contemporary Fusion Reviews

“A fine new entry in the realm of jazz.” – Grady Harp, Top 100 and Hall of Fame writer for Amazon

This album is available through Amazon and all major music outlets.

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The Portal available on Amazon

Northern Lights

“Polson’s cohorts appear in varying combinations of duo, trio, and quartet ranging from boppish acoustic arrangements to more fusion-inspired electronic explorations…. Northern Lights is a series of unexpected and creatively assembled compositions that evoke a wide palette of emotion, a feast for the ears.”

– Andrea Canter, jazz critic and contributing editor, Jazz Police

“There’s exquisite communication within this talented group of musicians, and Polson’s playing is becoming more and more intuitive and diverse with each new recording. (The free piece towards the end is really quite remarkable.) There’s a funkiness now, which is new and incredibly groove-based, and also a playfulness reminiscent of Thelonious Monk.”

– Laura Caviani, Minnesota jazz pianist and educator

“Polson’s genius shines through as always.” – Dee Henry Williams, KFAI-FM

“Sweet stuff!” – James Moore, KRUU-FM

This album is available through Amazon and all major music outlets.

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Northern Lights available on Amazon

Gigs, Concerts, and Other Events

Pending: I miss performing, and I’ll be back at it someday.  More then!