While downtown, take a moment to view the beautiful window displays at the Downtown Macy’s across from Pioneer Square, featuring an interpretation of this year’s festival by talented Macy’s artists. As well, you, a Portland Jazz Festival guest can receive a store discount for limited time.

Here’s the promotion:

From Feb 21 through March 7 bring your Portland Jazz Festival ticket (or ticket stub) into the Downtown or Lloyd Center Macy’s, and receive a 10% visitor savings pass* valid for multiple days of shopping. Just show your jazz ticket to a sales associate in the Fine Jewelry department to receive a savings pass. Remember, go in before March 7.

*Limited exclusions. Restrictions apply. See store for details.

Oregon Music News continues its complete coverage of the Portland Jazz Festival in an interview with Dave Holland, a review of Monday’s Incredible Journey of Jazz at Beverly Cleary School, a preview of Luciana Souza’s Thursday show, and more.

Monday, the Oregonian posted their exclusive Pharoah Sanders interview online for your reading pleasure. Read every Oregonian 2010 Portland Jazz Festival article online.

Wednesday, The Willamette Week interviewed Sue Mingus and Dave Douglas.

Click here for last week’s articles from the Oregonian and Portland Tribune.

Special 1/2 price Student/Senior Tickets
to Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy
Prime General Admission for $15 and GA/All Ages for $12.50 (+ $1 handling fee)
Limited availability via walk up only at the Crystal Ballroom/ Ringler’s Pub
11:30 AM – 11:30 PM, every day

Arguably the most prolific and original musician/composer of his generation, two-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter Dave Douglas brings a new project, Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy to the 2010 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank.

Born out of the Festival of New Trumpet Music in 2005, Brass Ecstasy nods to the ever-evolving spirit of brass music through soul inflected compositions. Joined by Vincent Chancey on french horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Nasheet Waits on drums, the group will perform in support of their debut Greenleaf Music recording, “Spirit Moves”. On the album, the group pays homage to the brass instrument with eight new original compositions and three arrangements of classics by such disparate artists as Otis Redding, Hank Williams and Rufus Wainwright.

From his New York base, where he’s lived since the mid 1980s, Read the rest of this entry »

Some great stories have been published recently highlighting the artists and events of the 2010 Portland Jazz Festival. We couldn’t say it better. Take a moment to read these and you might uncover a hidden gem that you’ll want to take in over the week’s festivities.

Portland Jazz Festival rebuilding its base by Ryan White, Oregonian

Tickets available for ALL shows, and a few shows are close to selling out

The best seats are selling fast!

Nordic Tones Package (general admission to all Norse Hall shows) available for $50

Purchase tickets at any Ticketmaster location or from the PDX Jazz Box Office. See more info on the ticket page.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience for Portland jazz fans, the legendary saxophonist and John Coltrane collaborator Pharoah Sanders performs at the 2010 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank on Sunday, February 28.

Sanders is best remembered in the great Northwest for his 1965 appearance on the album “John Coltrane Featuring Pharoah Sanders – Live In Seattle”. Now, Sanders returns not as a sideman, but as a leader. His enduring rhythm section will be comprised of Justin Faulkner-drums, Hans Glawischnig-bass, and long-time collaborator William Henderson on piano.

In the early 1960’s Sanders’ group played an engagement at New York’s Village Gate, where John Coltrane heard him. By 1965, Sanders was playing and recording with Coltrane on a regular basis, up until Coltrane’s death. Strength was a necessity in that band, and as Coltrane realized Read the rest of this entry »

PORTLAND, Ore. – As a cultural, entertainment and educational event that celebrates Black History Month, the 2010 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank offers more than 75 programs and events throughout the Portland area during the last eight days in February. With a Gospel Brunch on Sunday the 21st, the Incredible Journey of Jazz in middle schools during the week, local performances at venues throughout Portland, the PDX Jazz Student Stage, and intimate artist Jazz Conversations, the festival brings jazz to new audiences and educates the next generation of jazz listeners, an integral part of the PDX Jazz mission.

The Gospel Brunch at 2:00 pm on Sunday, February 21 kicks off the Portland Jazz Festival at Self Enhancement, Inc. (3920 North Kerby Avenue, Portland) and features the SEI Sounds of Soul Choir. This annual event supports SEI, a nationally recognized youth development organization that helps students achieve success despite significant barriers including poverty, family substance abuse, gang involvement, and low academic achievement. More about SEI can be found at www.selfenhancement.org. Advanced reservations for the brunch ($10-$25) are strongly recommended.

Next up, approximately 2,000 students experience the Incredible Journey of Jazz, a 60-minute musical theater performance tracing African American history in tandem with the evolution of jazz. Presented by the Portland Trail Blazers and the American Federation of Musicians, these performances (not open to the public) take place in celebration of Black History Month at area middle schools on the weekdays leading up to the Portland Jazz Festival headline concerts, February 25-28. Students are exposed to music from African rhythms through gospel, ragtime, blues and ultimately to jazz. The 60-minute musical/theater piece was originally developed by Portland State University professor and pianist Darrell Grant along with the Leroy Vinegar Jazz Institute.

Over the past year, PDX Jazz has presented nearly 200 free performances showcasing regional jazz artists at ongoing series including PDX Jazz @ RiverPlace, PDX Jazz @ the ArtBar, and PDX Jazz @ RiverFest. A number of free performances will be presented throughout the week and during the Portland Jazz Festival at Read the rest of this entry »

Grammy-nominated vocalist Luciana Souza opens the main weekend of jazz at the 2010 Portland Jazz Festival. Souza performs in support of her 2009 Verve release, Tide, a collaboration with husband and producer Larry Klein which was recently nominated for a Grammy as “Best Jazz Vocal Album.”

One of the jazz world’s leading singers and interpreters, Souza transcends traditional musical boundaries and creates memorable performances. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, she grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators. After receiving degrees in Jazz composition from the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, Souza quickly made a name for herself on the U.S. jazz scene.

As a leader, Souza’s eight acclaimed releases include four Grammy-nominated records Brazilian Duos (2002), North and South (2003), Duos II (2005), and her latest release Tide. Additionally, her debut recording for Verve, The New Bossa Nova (2007), was named Bilboard’s Latin Jazz Album of the Year.

Many top musicians seek her out for recording and performance collaborations including Read the rest of this entry »

In honor of the Seventh Annual Portland Jazz Festival, Rogue Ales has released its seventh limited edition bottle of Jazz Guy Ale which previously featured artistic renditions of jazz performers including a pianist, guitarist, bass player, saxophonist and trumpet player. This year however, Rogue decided that the Jazz Guy Ale bottle should celebrate a living Rogue and Portland’s own jazz guy, Bill Royston, PDX Jazz Artistic Director.

A long time friend of Rogue, Royston co-founded the Portland Jazz Festival and has been the driving force behind Portland’s jazz scene for 14 years. In both 2007 and 2008 he was nominated as Jazz Producer of the year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Six time world-champion Jazz Guy Ale is available Read the rest of this entry »

The Mingus Big Band, an all-star ensemble that tours extensively in the United States and abroad, headlines the 2010 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank. The late composer and bassist, Charles Mingus, always superseded traditional forms to create his own sound, above the fray. The Mingus Big Band continues this legacy today under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, Charles’ widow.

Since 1991, the band has been a mainstay at some of New York City’s most venerable jazz clubs. From 1991 to 2004, the 15-piece band performed Thursday nights at the Fez under Time Cafe, occasionally alternating with the Charles Mingus Orchestra. From November 2004 to September 2008 the band was in residency at Iridium Jazz Club and in October 2008 moved to Mondays at the Jazz Standard, where they continue today. The band released Nostalgia in Times Square, their debut, in 1993 and has since released seven additional albums, all reaching high levels of critical acclaim. Six have been nominated for Grammys.

For this exclusive Northwest engagement, the band features Read the rest of this entry »

Norway has quietly been building its cache of fine jazz musicians ever since America’s indigenous music landed on its shores in the 1920’s. Bolstered in recent years by Norwegian government support, Nordic jazz has made a big push spreading internationally. With seven universities dedicated to jazz, there’s no doubt Norway will continue to be a force in keeping jazz alive. This year the 2010 Alaska Airlines/ Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank is thrilled to present a trio of ensemble premieres to North America as part of the festival showcase, “Is Jazz Dead (or has it moved to a new address)? New Music from Norway.”

Trygve Seim wowed audiences in 2007 with his ensemble, and this year he comes with Frode Haltli with whom he recently released an atmospheric jazz improvisation called “Yraz” on ECM Records. All About Jazz calls their latest album, “An intimate, deep and beautiful exploration.” Seim’s ECM debut “Different Rivers” won the annual prize of the German Record Critics (Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2001). Similarly, Haltli’s ECM debut “Looking on Darkness” won the French Prix Gus Viseur in 2004 as well as the Norwegian Spellemannprisen for Best Contemporary Music Album. For their concert on Saturday, February 27 (3:00 PM), they’ll present music from Yraz and other collaborations as a duo of saxophone and accordion.

Also on ECM, The Christian Wallumrod Ensemble represents the intersection of jazz, chamber and experimental music. Christian Wallumrod has worked Read the rest of this entry »