About this Event
Featuring Ryan Blotnick on guitar, Justin Wood on saxophone and flute, Tyler G. Wood on keyboards, Ross Gallagher on bass, and Brian Shankar Adler on drums, the group moves between hummable tunes, soundscapes, and quiet anthems. The concert highlights compositions written by Ryan Blotnick and new works by Justin Wood.
The Woods evokes the place where Blotnick spent his formative years chasing streams and building forts. To Blotnick:
“the woods is a place where everything is deeply interconnected- even if it appears disconnected on the surface. The above ground is a dangerous place for most living things. But in the subnivean level, a whole world exists beneath the snow, connecting to underground tunnels and fungal networks. Likewise, in music there is a conscious level where musicians interact intentionally in a more extroverted arena. At the same time, we are interacting on a subconscious level, adjusting dynamics, blending, and having each other’s backs. This kind of deep listening and collectivism is what makes music such a powerful force.”
Among the influences for The Woods Blotnick cites guitarists Wes Montgomery (“Cuyo”), Grant Green (“Smokey Corners”), Kurt Rosenwinkel (“Two Lights”), Neil Young (“Lurvey Spring”) and Marc Ribot (“Snowfields”), with hints of Bill Frisell throughout.
Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. (doors open to the public at 7:00 p.m.). Tickets are $20 for Mechanics' Hall Members, $25 for General Admission, $200 to reserve the couch. No one turned away for lack of funds at the door.
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
first emerged in New York’s modern jazz scene, earning Jazz Times' praise as “one of the bright lights” of his generation, and has since built a career bridging jazz, world music traditions, and cinematic soundscapes. His playing—at once lyrical and daring—has graced stages from Copenhagen to New York and found its way into award-winning films at Sundance, SXSW, and DOC NYC. Now based in Maine, he continues to compose and perform widely, exploring new sonic terrain with his quartet and local groups such as SOULBENDERS, Katherine Perkins and Danny Fisher-Lochhead’s Large Ensemble. His latest album, The Woods (Fishkill Records, 2026), featuring Tyler G. Wood on piano and organ, has been lauded by critics - Something Else! praised his “mastery of hue and tone,” calling the record “his most consistent effort yet,” while New York City Jazz Record highlighted the quartet’s “masterful work together.”
Saxophonist and flautist Justin Wood grew up playing in jazz duos and trios with brother Tyler Wood in Aroostook County, Maine, and has lived in New York City since 1999. His current project, Green and Blue Spaces, is a suite of compositions celebrating New York City's parks, waterways, and vistas, many of which also serve as sonic refuges for artists to practice, meditate, and realize their full voices unconstrained by walls. This work received a Premier Grant from Staten Island Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Justin has performed and given clinics globally with ensembles including the eclectic quartet Spoke, Colombian "power-brass" band Chia's Dance Party, and Bill Lee's Natural Spiritual Orchestra.
, originally from Presque Isle, Maine, has carved out a multifaceted career as a musician, producer, and recording engineer. After early forays into piano, trumpet, and drums, he landed in Brooklyn, where he toured and recorded with artists such as Luke Temple, Glass Ghost, Chester French, and Joan As Police Woman. A co-founder of the indie-soul project Oh My Goodness, Wood also works internationally as an audio engineer, capturing folkloric traditions around the globe with Remix <--> Culture.
is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who draws upon and works within a variety of American musical traditions. Born and raised in East Blue Hill, Maine, Ross moved to New York City after high school, where he received a B.F.A. from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music while participating in the rich musical landscape of the city. He has gone on to work with a variety of artists including Marc Ribot, Joe Henry, Andrew D’Angelo, Madeleine Peyroux, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Paula Cole, Margaret Glaspy, and Hogfish, as well as on Broadway in the musical Hamilton. In addition to his work with other artists, Ross maintains a creative practice that draws heavily from his study of Jazz music in combination with his ongoing research into and experimentation with electronic music and digital modes of sonic expression. His most recent work is entitled neon night, available on all streaming platforms.
is an interdisciplinary percussionist and composer whose work transcends musical genres and geographic boundaries, blending North Indian tabla, drum set, Argentine bombo legüero, and found objects to explore rhythm as a language of collaboration, embodied expression, and environmental connection. Described by JazzTimes as “a polyrhythmic force,” Adler has performed internationally in settings ranging from caves and forests to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Stone, collaborating across music, opera, dance, film, and visual art. His compositions have been commissioned by ensembles including Palaver Strings and Rasa String Quartet, and his interdisciplinary projects bridge art and science to engage communities around environmental issues. A 2025 Center for Arts and Social Justice Fellow, Adler has recorded on more than fifty albums, toured and performed with leading artists and ensembles, and received support from the Maine Arts Commission, ASCAP, and other organizations. An educator and author of A World of Percussion and Embodied Rhythm, he serves on the faculties of Bates College, Bowdoin College, and the University of Southern Maine, bringing a global, exploratory approach to rhythm, improvisation, and musical connection.
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.
Street Parking: Available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and nearby streets. Pay by meter or the Passport Parking App. Free after 6 PM, on Sundays, and between Parris and Alder Street. Some blocks may vary — look for posted signs.
Garages: The Arts District Garage (41 Brown St) has 250+ spaces, is open 24/7, and accepts credit card only, with entrances on Brown, Cumberland, and Casco. The Elm Street Garage (21 Elm St) is conveniently near the Portland Library. The Spring Street Garage is three blocks away at 45 Spring St.
ACCESSIBILITY
To enter our building, patrons will need to navigate a single step or use a modular ramp. Please note that the wheelchair ramp has a steep incline.
A wheelchair-accessible elevator is available. The elevator is 60" deep, 48" wide, with a 32" door opening. There are four wheelchair-accessible bathrooms on the third-floor level, adjacent to the Ballroom.
If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 207-773-8396.
Event venue & nearby stays
Mechanics' Hall, 519 Congress Street, Portland, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.