WHO IS THIS GUY ANYWAY????   WHO INDEED!!!!

Who performs live and on recordings with Legendary Artists in Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, World beat, Country etc....???

Who is the only resident Northwest native (all local hype aside) to have played on a million selling recording in recent years??? ( Steve Miller Band-"Wide River"- The most current studio release)

Who has toured as support act for greats such as Miles Davis and James Brown, and performed in world class venues from the Universal Amphitheater in L.A. to Red Rocks in Colorado, to Carnegie Hall,  to Gorky Park in Russia??????

Who has worked as Musical Director of a nationally syndicated late night television show spotlighting some of the top acts out of Nashville and elsewhere in the contemporary Gospel World???

Who was at one time the youngest Instructor to teach at the College

level in the state of Washington???

Who has traveled around the globe' on many charitable tours, benefits and fundraisers - not just the look good/feel good events designed stir up press exposure, but 'down and dirty' in the field types of outreaches lifting up the needy; traveling from the Leper colonies of Molakii, to  dry desert orphanages in Northern Chile,  and to Eastern Europe to become the first American musician to perform inside a Russian prison???

Who has held crowd records for years at many west coast nite clubs and concert venues with various acts he's performed with???

Who has performed with  the World renowned Oregon Symphony, in all series: Classical, Pops, and Interactive, as both soloist and orchestra musician???

Who came close to losing an arm in a bizarre and tragic chainsaw accident, losing the ability perform but quite likely saving his Fathers life in the process, and then making a gritty recovery to return to the stage???

Who else can go from a jazz gig with Mel Brown, to an ALS benefit featuring a 'low down' Blues guitar battle with Robert Cray, on  to play with African master drummer Obo Addy, to a Concert with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra,  to rocking a  record breaking crowd at the Steve Miller Band show - all in a ten day period?!?!?!?!?

Who breaks so many rules and jumps so many stylistic fences that the press doesn't have a category box to stuff him in or a clue of how to handle???

Who Who Who??????????    Jay "Bird" Koder - That’s Who!!! 

Compiled by Don Miller