The best seats are selling fast!

Luciana Souza: Superior section sold out, best Prime selling fast

Mingus Big Band: Superior nearly sold out, best Prime selling fast

Dave Holland: A dozen Superior seats remaining, best Prime selling fast

Pharoah Sanders: Superior sold out, best Prime selling fast

Dave Douglas: A dozen Superior seats remaining

All Norwegian shows: A couple dozen Superior seats remaining

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 on… »

Most of the discounted multiple concert packages for the 2010 Portland Jazz Festival are sold out (still a few left). The popular A-Train and Broadway packages first offered in October are gone, and a limited number of the Nordic Tones package remains -offering general admission tickets for the three Norwegian showcases. Reserved seats for In The Country, Trygve Seim & Frode Haltli, and the Christian Wallumrod Ensemble are almost sold out! Individual, Superior-level tickets for the Mingus Big Band are sold out, but some balcony seats remain. The best seats for Luciana Souza, Dave Holland Quintet, Pharoah Sanders, and Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy are going fast!

One other remaining ticket package is available via the Amtrak Cascades PDX Jazz Train, leaving Seattle at noon on Friday, February 26 and returning Sunday evening, February 28. This package includes seats to Sanders, Holland, and Mingus, plus hotel, a Friday VIP reception, Sunday brunch and transportation to your hotel. For more information on the Jazz Train click here or call the PDX Jazz Box Office. Reserve by February 8.

For the best remaining individual concert tickets call the PDX Jazz Box Office, 503-228-JAZZ (5299), 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Monday through Friday), walk-in to the box office at 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 420, Portland, or contact Ticketmaster.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FOR MORE UPDATES

Tickets now on sale from the PDX Jazz Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, or online at Ticketmaster.com.