Umpqua Bank in Portland, Ore., has released its first CD - not a certificate of deposit, but a compact disc.
Umpqua's 127 branches are now offering "Discover Local Music: Vol. 1: Sacramento to Seattle," featuring songs from artists including Ohmega Watts, Rye Hollow, Stephanie Schneiderman, and Hank Hirsh, for $12. Several Umpqua branches will host live performances by some of the 11 artists this week and next.
The recordings on the "Discover" CD, as well as those from other Pacific Northwest artists, can be sampled online at UmpquaMusic.com. Fans of local music can create custom CDs of up to 10 songs for 75 cents per song, plus shipping and handling, and people who open an Umpqua checking account can create a disc for free.
The "Discover" CD was released Tuesday. It will also be available online at iTunes and at CDBaby.com.
Raymond P. Davis, the president and chief executive of the $7.1 billion-asset Umpqua Holdings Corp., said Monday in a press release that the CD and the May launch of UmpquaMusic.com are further examples of how the company is trying to create innovative experiences for its banking customers.
Some of Umpqua's branches also hold poetry readings and offer customers laptop computers to use in branches.
