Jazz trumpeter Chad McCullough to play CD-release show

Chad McCullough

For many years, trumpet player and composer Chad McCullough has been an indispensable member of the small team at Origin Records, helping artists manage their projects, taking photographs and doing a lot of the grunt work in the office. Now with the release of his first CD, "Dark Wood, Dark Water," McCullough is officially an Origin artist as well.

The album features his dream-team sextet performing nine songs, seven of them McCullough's own compositions. "There's no way I would have gotten all these guys to play with me if I hadn't been pulling favors for them for the last three years," said McCullough, 27, who grew up in Seattle listening to many of his sidemen play.

"Dark Wood, Dark Water" also features Mark Taylor and Geof Bradfield on saxophones, Bill Anschell on piano, Jeff Johnson on bass and John Bishop on drums. McCullough says the album is a humble effort that spotlights the group as much as him."I didn't want it to be a typical first album where you try to show everyone you can play really fast and really high."

The Chad McCullough Group plays a CD-release party at 7:30 tonight at Tula's Jazz Club, 2214 Second Ave., Seattle; $10 (206-443-4221 or www.tulas.com).