Blue Cranes

Blue Cranes are a creative jazz group with a sometimes-prominent indie rock sensibility, expressed not only in the band's embrace of rock rhythms and keyboard voicings but in the melodic, songlike themes played by saxophonists Reed Wallsmith and Joe Cunningham. In addition to original material, albums like 2007's Lift Music! Flown Music!, 2008's Homing Patterns, and 2010's Observatories have found the band dipping into music by other Portland artists such as the late Elliott Smith, indie rockers Blonde Redhead, singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens, and Seattle-via-N.Y.C. composer/...