Tim Gilson and the MHCC All-Stars Tim Gilson has been a mainstay in the Portland jazz scene for many years. Gilson studied with world-renowned jazz bassist John Clayton and members of the Oregon Symphony. As a member of the Mel Brown Quintet, he recorded the award-winning 'Gordon Bleu' CD and toured nationally and internationally. Gilson was also Principal Bassist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Now back in Portland, Gilson performs at local venues regularly. From the college’s beginning in the early 1970’s, MHCC alumni have established successful careers touring and performing with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Buddy Rich, Mel Torme, Harry Connick Jr., Stan Kenton, and Woody Herman, to name a few. More recently, the Jazz Band is a perennial winner at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the Reno Jazz Festival, and has completed two government sponsored performance tours of Taiwan. The band has performed at the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, and in 2000 at the Jazz On The Water Festival alongside Chick Corea, New York Voices, Roy Hargrove, and others. MHCC hosts an annual jazz festival with attendance reaching approximately 90 high school and middle school big bands and combos. Three CD recordings have been released on Sea Breeze Jazz, including Super Blue, which was named a top campus CD of 2005 by IAJE columnist Herb Wong.