Admission is FREE but seats are limited. Reserve your tickets to the show!

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event with Stephan Crump.

Memphis-bred, Grammy-nominated bassist/composer Stephan Crump is an active bandleader with fifteen critically-acclaimed album releases and numerous film scoring contributions. Stephan’s solo performance, which explores his unique musical language through an expansive range of sonorities on the acoustic bass, is a culmination of decades of work as a bassist, composer, and improviser. From his home studio in Brooklyn, Crump released monthly solo recordings from 2020 into 2021 for a fan-supported series via his Bandcamp page. The new album, Rocket Love, is curated from this body of work. 

Known for transforming his instrument into a speaking entity of magnetic pull, Crump's focus on creative instrumental music has led to collaborations with many of the leading lights of his generation, most notably Vijay Iyer, in whose trio and sextet he played a dynamic, founding role. Stephan can also be heard as long-standing member of Jen Chapin Trio, Ches Smith Trio, Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet, Liberty Ellman Sextet, Secret Keeper (duo with Mary Halvorson), his own Rosetta Trio (with Jamie Fox, Liberty Ellman), his Rhombal quartet (with Ellery Eskelin, Adam O’Farrill, Tyshawn Sorey), Borderlands Trio (with Kris Davis, Eric McPherson) as well as co-led ensembles with Ingrid Laubrock, Cory Smythe, Mat Maneri, and Okkyung Lee.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz.

The 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival features two special evenings at the Multnomah Whiskey Library - The Green Room, on February 22 and 29 from 8pm to 10pm. This free community event, part of the larger festival presented by PDX Jazz, showcases the talents of Bryson Wallace from KMHD. His unique mix of classic and contemporary jazz is a perfect fit for the inviting atmosphere of the Whiskey Library, ensuring a memorable experience for all. The festival itself is a celebration of jazz music, bringing together diverse artists and styles to create a vibrant musical tapestry in Portland. Don't miss out on these nights of great music and community spirit at one of the city's most unique venues! 

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz proudly presents: Stephan Crump Masterclass
Lewis & Clark College, Evans Music Center, Room 122, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM

Revealing Magnetism - Distillation, Freedom, Development in the Groove

Known for transforming his instrument into a speaking entity of magnetic pull and for collaborations with leading lights of creative instrumental music, Stephan Crump shares his musical philosophy, including a practical approach to discerning the DNA or underlying polarity within various grooves and meters. Useful to musicians of all instruments, this process clarifies fundamental versus ornamental gestures in the line, helping us generate feel in the music and revealing a path toward freedom and development. Stephan will demonstrate how to internalize this polarity on a visceral level, moving beyond the cerebral, counting mode into a more holistic and gestural presence in the music. This allows us to interact and communicate from deeper within ourselves and in terms of shaping energies, lift and landing, tension and release…magnetism.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz.

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE Jazz Conversation Series

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington is a cultural giant and a musical pioneer who passed away 50 years ago in 1974. Yet his influence remains pervasive, fresh and ceaslessly modern. But why, and how? How many appreciate that he not only created the music that defined (and even named) the Swing era, but that he elevated Black American music to the level of high art without sacrificing its roots? How many understand that he created a career formula for artistic and economic freedom, or that behind his tailored suits and sophistication, hew was a true revolionary, using music to push for social justce and equality? In an era when being a musician was one of a few ways an African American artist could achieve self-determination, Ellington's entire career was a struggle for civil rights and personal respect. With a generous offering of music, videos and images, we will both examine and question his legend, to truly grasp the enduring stature of Edward "Duke" Ellington. 

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Ashley Kahn

Ashley Kahn is a Grammy-winning American music historian, author, professor and producer. He teaches at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music, co-wrote Carlos Santana’s award-winning autobiography The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light (Little, Brown, 2014), and is a producer of Carlos (2023), the documentary on Carlos Santana (Imagine Documentaries/Sony Pictures Classics. He has written books on two legendary recordings: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, and one on a legendary record label: The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records. His most recent book is George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters. He also edited Rolling Stone: The Seventies, a 70-essay overview of that pivotal decade.

Kahn, who was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jazz Journalists Association, broke into the music business as a tour manager and music festival producer, has held a variety of positions in radio, television, and online businesses. As a journalist, his byline has appeared in many publications and websites, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Statesman, and others, and his writing has garnered four ASCAP/Deems Taylor awards, and three Grammy nominations. In 2015, he was awarded a Grammy for his album notes to the John Coltrane release Offering: Live at Temple University, and in 2017, he received the Robert Palmer-Helen Oakley Dance Award for Excellence in Writing from the Jazz Journalists Association.

Kahn has worked on many music documentaries in a variety of roles: as producer/director—Carlos; Kind of Blue: Made in Heaven for Sony Music (2005)—as a consultant/writer—Netflix’s Chasing Trane 2016) and Stanley Nelson’s documentary on Miles Davis for PBS (2018)—and as on-screen interviewee: PBS’s Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music (2016); BBC’s 1959: The Year That Changed Jazz (2009); and many others.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE Jazz Conversation Series:
A Love Supreme: Understanding The Message of John Coltrane, a multimedia presentation with Ashley Kahn at Mayo Hunt Recital Hall at the University of Portland

Too often, John Coltrane’s towering legend and enduring influence overshadows his message. This presentation employs music and video excerpts -- focusing on his masterful 1964 recording A Love Supreme (marking its 60th anniversary) to better understand the connection between his music and universal message. How did he weave a spiritual focus into his music? What role did Coltrane envision for himself and his recordings? What was his core message, and how does it continue to influence professional musicians — and not just jazz — today?

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Ashley Kahn

Ashley Kahn is a Grammy-winning American music historian, author, professor and producer. He teaches at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music, co-wrote Carlos Santana’s award-winning autobiography The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light (Little, Brown, 2014), and is a producer of Carlos (2023), the documentary on Carlos Santana (Imagine Documentaries/Sony Pictures Classics. He has written books on two legendary recordings: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, and one on a legendary record label: The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records. His most recent book is George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters. He also edited Rolling Stone: The Seventies, a 70-essay overview of that pivotal decade.

Kahn, who was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jazz Journalists Association, broke into the music business as a tour manager and music festival producer, has held a variety of positions in radio, television, and online businesses. As a journalist, his byline has appeared in many publications and websites, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Statesman, and others, and his writing has garnered four ASCAP/Deems Taylor awards, and three Grammy nominations. In 2015, he was awarded a Grammy for his album notes to the John Coltrane release Offering: Live at Temple University, and in 2017, he received the Robert Palmer-Helen Oakley Dance Award for Excellence in Writing from the Jazz Journalists Association.

Kahn has worked on many music documentaries in a variety of roles: as producer/director—Carlos; Kind of Blue: Made in Heaven for Sony Music (2005)—as a consultant/writer—Netflix’s Chasing Trane 2016) and Stanley Nelson’s documentary on Miles Davis for PBS (2018)—and as on-screen interviewee: PBS’s Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music (2016); BBC’s 1959: The Year That Changed Jazz (2009); and many others.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Fractal Quartet, featuring Libby Roach (guitar and vocals), Eric Gruber (bass), Whityn Owen (drums) and Noah Bernstein (sax)

Fractal Quintet is a long standing Portland ensemble led by guitarist, vocalist, and composer Libby Roach. Roach’s compositions embrace all of her varied influences, touching on elements as diverse as latin jazz, mixed meter fusion, and soul jazz, all held together by a playful, Zappa-esque sense of fun and experimentation.

Originally hailing from Louisiana, Libby Roach grew up in Ashland, OR and was involved from a very early age in music, theater, and film. Her music has appeared in independent film soundtracks, and her legendary punk rock band Smidgen opened for Primus in Southern Oregon in 2012. Fractal Quintet has long been the forum for the development of Libby’s intricate long form pieces, which tend to be comprised of many contrasting sections and yet seamlessly balance a sense of intense, driving groove with rhythmic adventurousness and strong, lyrical melodies. Her unique brand of fingerstyle rhythm guitar is steeped in samba rhythms and has been developed partially as a result of her trips to South America throughout her life. The tunes “Summertime” and “Sideways” showcase her Bjork influenced vocal work alongside brilliant improvisations from the band’s stellar lineup. “Precipieces” is a unique accomplishment: a record that maintains a strong sense of groove and pop sensibility while never compromising in terms of sophistication and complexity.

The sidemen in Fractal Quintet have all made important contributions to the regional music scene over the last two decades. Keyboardist Andrew Oliver has played with a myriad of Portland jazz icons and led his own bands, including the internationally recognized jazz and West African fusion project “Kora Band” and his chamber jazz collaboration with PJCE Records co-founder Dan Duval, the Ocular Concern. Reed player Lee Elderton has played with Andrew Durkin’s Industrial Jazz Group, Ocular Concern, Optic Nerve Trio, PJCE’s resident large ensemble, and many more. Trumpeter Katy Presley has toured extensively with notable punk and ska bands in addition to collaborating with her father, notable upright bass player Dan Presley (“Tall Jazz”). Upright bass player Eric Gruber has played with Bridgetown Sextet, Andrew Oliver Sextet, and Devin Phillips, among others. Drummer Whityn Owen is a major force behind Fractal Quintet, and has played with notable funk bands Rubberneck and Ben Darwish’s Commotion.

Prior to Whityn Owen’s arrival, the late Kipp Crawford held the drum chair in Fractal Quintet for many years. The Portland music community experienced a deep loss when Kipp was tragically killed in an accident in 2009 at the age of thirty one. Kipp had been a core member of Fractal Quintet for many years, and “Precipieces” includes two pieces which feature Kipp’s drumming and production work. The Ashland Schools Foundation has established the Kipp Crawford Memorial Endowment Fund, which is used to create enriching opportunities for jazz musicians in the Ashland schools. To learn more or donate to the fund, click here.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz proudly presents: Sullivan Fortner Community Outreach Event

For the past decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY Award-winning artist out of New Orleans received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window (Mack Avenue, 2018), alongside multi-GRAMMY winner, vocalist-composer Cecile McLorin Salvant. As a solo leader, he has released Moments Preserved (Decca, 2018) and Aria (Impulse!, 2015) to critical acclaim, and he’s only getting started. Now based in New York, Fortner has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Poll categories, winning first place in Rising Star Piano and Rising Star Jazz Artist.

In addition to associations with such diverse voices as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Diane Reeves, Etienne Charles and John Scofield, Fortner’s frequent and longtime collaborators have included Ambrose Akinmusire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Kassa Overall, Tivon Pennicott, Peter Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Fred Hersch and the late Roy Hargrove. Recent collaborations include GRAMMY-nominated releases Dear Love (Empress Legacy) and Generations from leaders Jazzmeia Horn and The Baylor Project, respectively.

A highly-sought improviser, Fortner has performed across the country and throughout the world at such cultural institutions as Snug Harbor, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Sweet Lorraine’s and The Jazz Playhouse in New Orleans, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard and Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. He’s appeared at celebrated festivals, including Newport, Monterey, Discover, Tri-C and Gillmore Keyboard, among others. In 2019, Fortner brought his band to the historic Village Vanguard for a week-long engagement he would reprise in 2020 as a virtual performance during lockdown. His notable studio contributions include work on Etienne Charles’s Kaiso (Culture Shock, 2011), Donald Harrison’s Quantum Leap (FOMP, 2010), and Theo Croker’s The Fundamentals (Left Sided Music, 2007).

Playing solo or leading an orchestra, Fortner engages harmony and rhythmic ideas through curiosity and clarity. Within phrases, he finds universes, and listeners often hear how he’s moved by each note he explores. Coming up in New Orleans, Fortner began playing piano at age 7, following a storied lineage of improvisers, masters of time and every iteration of the blues. He earned his Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory and Master of Music in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music (MSM). A champion of mentorship, Fortner has offered masterclasses at MSM, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), Purdue University, Lafayette Summer Music Workshop, Belmont University and Oberlin Conservatory where he held a faculty position.

Pulling distinct elements from different eras, Fortner’s artistry preserves the tradition and evolves the sound. He seeks connections among different musical styles that are at once deeply soulful and wildly inventive. Both his works and his insights have been featured in culturally iconic publications, from The New York Times to The Root. Accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and, in 2020, the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz.

Admission is FREE but seats are limited.  Reserve your tickets to the show!

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Colescott & His Red Hots.

Colescott Rubin is an award winning bassist/tubist/vocalist, vaudevillian circus entertainer, songwriter, dancer, and educator. He has performed around the world, including Argentina, Spain, Iceland, Mexico, & Russia, and with Grammy-winning artists Esperanza Spalding, Patrice Rushen, Catherine Russell, and John Legend, among others. He’s currently on staff at Berklee College of Music, where he and teaches master classes and graduated on a Presidential Scholarship. His band “Colescott & His Red Hots”, named after his grandfather’s 1940s swing band, takes musical inspiration from his great-grandfather, a New Orleans musician who played with Louis Armstrong over 100 years ago. He also tours with his musical family variety act, The Rubin Brothers, who just released their first record in 2023 with their San Diego Quartet. He co-directs the eight piece Rubin Bros Brass Band for the major league rugby team of New England, just made his circus debut in NYC as a musical unicyclist clown, and you can see him on American Idol February 2024.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event with Chance Hayden’s Desert Room All Stars feat. Shaymus Hanlin

Guitarist, composer and producer Chance Hayden presents the Desert Room All Stars, a monthly series every Last Sunday at McMenamins Al’s Den evoking the venue’s storied past in the 50s and 60s as the Desert Room. Formerly a high-class hang for Portland’s underworld where anything desired was obtainable, burlesque and jazz were showcased nightly with a long-term house band led by New Orleans native saxophonist Charlie Gabriel who attracted notable guests such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Sammy Davis Jr. In a similar format, Hayden leads a trio plus various guests performing two sets of mid-century jazz, blues and original works inspired by that period. Hayden’s guitar stylings are rooted deeply at the intersection of these genres, yielding an "adventurous, no-holds-barred sensibility with both bluesy grit and modern-jazz finesse” (Jazz Society Of Oregon). Though the building has undergone numerous changes through the years and become more of a singer-songwriter hub under McMenamins ownership, vibes of the Desert Room era remain highly palpable and Hayden will reveal that Al’s Den stands as one of one of the city’s most iconic rooms for jazz.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Christopher Woitach Duo.

Christopher Woitach is a jazz guitarist and composer performing a wide range of jazz styles, from Dixieland to Free jazz, Ragtime to Bebop, as well as Rock and Roll, Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and more.

Christopher Woitach has played with many nationally and internationally known artists, including Bernadette Peters, Rich Little, Hank Roberts, Bob Mover, Tony Monaco, Mel Brown, and John Stowell. He regularly performs throughout the Pacific Northwest and at jazz festivals in the U.S. and Canada.

Christopher Woitach has lived in Portland, Oregon since 2002, and has been a mainstay on the local music scene. He accompanies singers and horn players in duos, trios, and quartets, plays regular solo gigs, leads a new dance band, the Cascade Zephyr Swing Band, and plays a monthly engagement with his group on pedal steel, the Christopher Woitach Steel Quartet.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event “Jazz and Wine Conversation”.

The upcoming Jazz and Wine Conversation event promises to be an engaging and enriching experience, combining the soulful world of jazz with the refined tastes of wine. Scheduled for February 24, 2024, from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, this event will be hosted in the welcoming lobby of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. The conversation will be moderated by Eric Degerman, the esteemed CEO of Great Northwest Wine and co-founder of Winepress NW, who brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience in orchestrating wine competitions and contributing to The Seattle Times.

Joining him will be Nate Klostermann, the head winemaker of Argyle Winery, the Biamp Portland Jazz Festival’s premier wine partner. Klostermann started his winemaking journey at Falconer Vineyards in Minnesota before moving west to the Dundee Hills. He joined Argyle as a harvest intern and quickly rose through the ranks to become the head winemaker, mentored by the renowned Oregon wine pioneer and Argyle founder, Rollin Soles. Klostermann is known for his hands-on approach to winemaking and his commitment to producing world-class méthode champenoise sparkling wine, barrel fermented Chardonnay, and 'silky' textured Pinot Noir.

Adding to the ambiance, Eldon T Jones, one of Portland's finest saxophonists known for his heartfelt jazz, gospel, and soul performances, will share his insights and a few of his favorite wines. This gathering is set to occur just before the much-anticipated Bob James + Lee Ritenour performance, making it a perfect prelude to an evening of exceptional music. Attendees can look forward to a harmonious blend of discussion and discovery, set against the backdrop of Portland's vibrant cultural scene.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

Image provided by ©Richard Duval Images

The 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival features two special evenings at the Multnomah Whiskey Library - The Green Room, on February 22 and 29 from 8pm to 10pm. This free community event, part of the larger festival presented by PDX Jazz, showcases the talents of Bryson Wallace from KMHD. His unique mix of classic and contemporary jazz is a perfect fit for the inviting atmosphere of the Whiskey Library, ensuring a memorable experience for all. The festival itself is a celebration of jazz music, bringing together diverse artists and styles to create a vibrant musical tapestry in Portland. Don't miss out on these nights of great music and community spirit at one of the city's most unique venues! 

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Dave Fleschner Trio.

Dave Fleschner performs routinely around the world. He has performed with Grammy Winning artists: B.B. King, The Pointer Sisters, Steve Miller, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Bobby Rush, Chubby Carrier  and The Portland Symphony Orchestra. He has toured internationally with Curtis Salgado, John Nemeth, Kara Granger, Karen Lovely, Earl Thomas and United by Music North America. Fleschner’s song “I Want to love you” was in contention for Grammy Nomination by two different artists in the same year.  He has released several albums as a band leader – and countless albums as a producer, sideman and band member.   For this special night, Dave will be joined by world renowned Portland Drummer Brian Foxworth and Guitarist/Producer Teddy Pressburg

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Paul Mazzio Trio.

Portland native Paul Mazzio has been a top call trumpet player in the area for nearly 25 years. His early training included performing with the renowned North Texas St 1:00 lab band, and international touring and recording with the Woody Herman Orchestra. Recording credits include work with such artists as Gino Vannelli, Tom Grant, Chuck Israels, Alan Jones, Ben Wolfe, and many others.

Live performances include work with Terrence Blanchard, Natalie Cole, Diane Reeves, Arturo Sandoval, Manhattan Transfer, and many others. Along with his own jazz quartet, Paul currently plays with Rebirthing the cool, the Ed Bennett Quintet, Sabroso, Art Abrams Swing Machine, Dick Titteringtons 3 Trumpet Band, and Nushooz.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Michelle Medler Quartet at the AC Hotel!

Pacific Northwest native, Michelle Medler, is thoroughly dedicated to music and art. She’s a multi-instrumentalist who wears many hats. Performing, composing and recording with passion, in multiple styles; you may catch her with the Quadraphonnes sax quartet (part of the 2023 Oscar nominated musical film score to “The Holdovers”). Michelle plays hard-bop Jazz with the Medler Sextet,1920’s-40’s swing with the Shanghai Woolies & Salsa with Melao de Cuba. She’s been sharing music with students since age 19, working her way through college by teaching high school band. Emerging as an acclaimed educator, she co-founded and co-directs the Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra. Michelle is addicted to groove, harmony and improvisation. Her band MMQ has been together since the early 2000’s performing, traveling, recording and giving clinics. Michelle Medler Quartet is releasing a new album ‘Music Rules the World’ at the 2024 PDX Jazz Festival with Dan Gildea on guitar, Ben Medler on electric bass and Jason Palmer on drums. Michelle fronts the band on tenor saxophone, flute and vocals. She is also responsible for the mixed media original cover artwork for her albums using oil pastels, alcohol ink, photography and graphic design to create her album covers.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Farnell Newton Sexual Chocolate with Vanilla Sprinkles

Trumpeter Farnell Newton is one of the most versatile musicians in the Northwest, playing straight ahead jazz, smooth jazz, Latin music, soul, hip hop, funk and more. In the last few years, Farnell has toured with 3-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter Jill Scott and with the Legendary Rhinestone Rockstar Bassist Bootsy Collins. In previous years, Farnell has performed with great musical artists, including George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Dumpstaphunk, The Nth Power, Lettuce, Karl Denson, Fred Wesley, Stevie Wonder, and many others.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Chris Azorr Trio.

Chris is a Portland native who has been playing, composing, and performing jazz, and Latin jazz for over 40 years.

After studying jazz at the University of Oregon, he spent the 90’s recording and touring the country in a successful rock/swing band.

Since returning to Portland in the late 90’s, he has performed regularly with Latin Jazz groups Conjunto Alegre, Cuba Ache and others. He currently performs across the NW as a solo artist and with multiple jazz groups.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Reggie Houston and Friends featuring Mike Elson

A seventh-generation New Orleanian, Reggie Houston was born on July 2, 1947, to Ralph Houston, a pianist and acoustic bassist, and Margarete Houston, an educator and social activist. Reggie embraced education and followed in his parents footsteps to become an arts education advocate, teacher, and world-renowned saxophonist.

Reggie was inspired to study saxophone at age 10, after seeing Ray Charles play alto sax at Lincoln Beach Amusement Park, where Fats Domino also performed during Reggie's childhood. Years later, Reggie would share the stage with both musical giants, and spend 22 years as a member of Fats Domino's band, before moving to Portland, Oregon in 2004.

Reggie’s devotion to his craft, and to sharing his deep knowledge of Louisiana’s history, musicians, and musical genres, stems from a time-honored New Orleans tradition of arts education. Nurtured by his teachers—musical giants like Edward “Kidd” Jordan, Johnny Fernandez, Danny Barker, and Alvin Batiste—the latter of whom learned at the knee of legendary musician Sidney Bechet, referred to by Duke Ellington as “the very epitome of jazz,” Reggie has now picked up the mantle to pass that knowledge on to future generations of musicians.

When funk first developed, exploding onto the scene, Reggie was there—not as an observer, but as a 13 year-old musician playing his first professional gigs with legendary keyboardist David Batiste Sr. and The Gladiators, widely accepted as one of the preeminent and pioneering bands of funk.

Reggie knows the music. It is in his blood. He can trace the many, varied styles and influences of southeast Louisiana music all the way back to pre-colonial Africa. It is this knowledge, coupled with the strong arts education tradition of his hometown that gave rise to Reggie’s newest project, Anonymous Legends: A History of New Orleans Music—the culmination of Reggie’s life’s work.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event
Moon Music presents Moon Jazz: A night of original music, plus tribute to Joni Mitchell and Bill Frisell

Chelsea Luker (The Quadraphonnes) and Dan Duval (Andrew Oliver Sextet, Ocular Concern) have been members of Portland's Jazz scene for over a decade. The two began collaborating on projects around 2016, playing varying degrees of improvisational rock and soul. As a duo, they have created a unique set that builds bridges across genres, and satisfies their many musical chairs. On their jazz nights, Luker plays sax, flute, guitar and sings while Duval takes the space of an entire rhythm section with his guitar. For the Portland Jazz Festival, they would like to honor their two biggest musical heroes, Joni Mitchell and Bill Frisell, by playing their own arrangements from the artists' catalogues.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Noah Bernstein Quartet.

Noah Bernstein is a saxophonist/composer active in the boundless expanses of the Portland, OR music scene. From the years 2011-2015 he toured extensively with Oakland-based art rockers tUnE-yArDs and the Portland R&B group Shy Girls. His duo GRAMMIES with drummer Dan Sutherland has been exploring the intersectionality of improvisation, electronic sample-based instrumental hip hop, avant-garde sound processing, and discreet minimalism since the two met in 2011. A fourth album of their music is set to release in Spring 2024. 2011 also saw the first gigs of a quartet called Lennie Bird: a partnership between Bernstein and saxophonist Sunjae Lee to dig into the Lennie Tristano school of music focusing on the repertoire of musicians Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, and Tristano. This show marks the return of Lennie Bird with an all new line-up of long-time collaborators featuring Akila Fields (piano), Andrew Jones (bass), and Matt Mayhall (drums). Bernstein holds degrees from the Oberlin College and Conservatory in jazz saxophone performance and creative writing. He grew up in rural Vermont and carries with him its brooding forests and rolling hills wherever he goes.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

This is a FREE event but RSVP is required.

PDX Jazz proudly presents Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble: Union Makes Us Strong- Amplifying Workers' Voices with New Jazz from PJCE

Join PJCE and Musicians Union Local 99 for a concert exploring the past and present of Oregon’s labor movements through newly commissioned jazz compositions and arrangements performed by PJCE’s 12-member ensemble and guest vocalist Marilyn Keller.

The free event will include premieres of compositions and arrangements by Kerry Politzer, Jasnam Daya Singh, Ryan Meagher, Lars Campbell, and Caroline Miller. Presented as part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, the music will touch on the causes of timber, health care, and farm workers, among others.

Kerry Politzer is a Portland-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She is on the music faculty of Portland State University, and she has taught at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University, the University of Portland, and the Oregon Jazz Workshop. Kerry leads Bossa PDX, a samba-jazz and bossa nova group for which she has transcribed dozens of classic arrangements from the original recordings. With this music, she has performed around the country at venues such as Jazz Forum Arts, the Black Dolphin, the Oregon Coast Jazz Party, Ellenburg’s Jazz in the Valley, and the Florence Wine & Jazz Festival, among other venues. Kerry has also headlined the Montavilla Jazz Festival and was a featured performer at the 25th Annual Gene Harris Jazz Festival. In addition to DIVA No Man’s Band, she has also performed with the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra, the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, and the 1905 Orchestra. She is now at work on a project that pays homage to the great multi-instrumentalist and composer Jimmy Giuffre, with whom she studied at New England Conservatory.

Jasnam Daya Singh has participated as a pianist and band-leader in Jazz festivals all over the world: Brazil, Mexico, U.S.A. , France, Belgium , Japan , China and South Korea, to name a few, as well as shows and interviews in the most important Jazz radio stations in the country such as KRML in Carmel and KCSM in San Mateo, both in California. Jasnam has also performed extensively as a solo artist and sideman in Italy, Luxembourg, Italy, New York, Japan and Czech Republic. Born Weber Ribeiro Drummond in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1962, it was not until the mid-90’s that pianist/composer Weber adopted the stage name Weber Iago as a homage to the Roma people. Since he took Amrit (initiation in the Sikh Religion) in 2013, Iago has adopted the name Jasnam Daya Singh. Singh has recorded and performed with great luminaries such as Paul McCandless, Ali Ryerson, Kenny Stahl, Claudia Villela, Charles Loos, Marcia Maria, Alex Acuna, and Alphonso Johnson. Singh has released several albums including Children of the Wind Spring Will Stay Here. At the end of 2005, Daya Singh was commissioned by the Carmel Bach Festival to write his Jazz Concertino for Piano and String Orchestra which premiered on July 9th of 2006 in Monterey, California, and has since been performed by the Portland Chamber Orchestra. In 2009, Jasnam Daya Singh’s CD (still as Weber Iago) in duo with Jovino Santos Neto, received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Album.

Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) is a jazz guitarist and composer who grew up in San Jose, California. He has been working closely with the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble since 2013 and is now the organization’s Artistic Director. He is also a co-founder of the Montavilla Jazz Festival. He was previously Editor of the Jazzscene Magazine, and currently teaches at Mt Hood Community College, Willamette University, University of Portland and directs the jazz program at Lower Columbia College in Longview, WA. He has a total of nine albums as a leader, and has been a sideman on many more. His most recent release, AftEarth, is a multidisciplinary work that was featured in the October 2023 issue of Downbeat magazine.

Trained in both the classical and jazz repertoires, trombonist Lars Campbell performs with the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theater orchestras; he also plays many of the national touring shows that pass through Portland. Lars was the co-founder of the Portland Jazz Orchestra, which he ran from 2005-2010. His discography includes appearances on Storm Large’s “Le Bonheur”, Pink Martini’s “Hang on Little Tomato”, Pepé and the Bottle Blondes’ “Pambrosia”, and Portland Jazz Orchestra’s “Good Morning, Geek”. He has also composed and arranged numerous works for large jazz ensemble, trombone quartet, and jazz sextet. Lars is the director of Instrumental Music at Clackamas Community College, where he directs the CCC Concert Band and the CCC Jazz Ensemble. He also directs the Concert Band Festival, the Instrumental Jazz Festival, and he teaches Midi Lab (Finale), Careers in Music, and other courses in the Music Department.

Caroline Louise Miller is a US composer based in Portland, Oregon. Her work broadly explores affect, ecology, labor politics, tactility, and digital materiality, often addressing contemporary issues within dreamlike musical spaces that thread field recordings, shimmering textures, and romantic melodic lines through harsh noise and clattering dissonances. She has most recently received grants, fellowships, and commissions through Alarm Will Sound, SPLICE Ensemble with funding from Chamber Music America, Guerilla Opera, Transient Canvas, and Ensemble Adapter. In 2018 she won the ISB/David Walter Composition Competition for Hydra Nightingale, created with improvisor and bassist Kyle Motl. Other projects include whistle-session hijacker, a collection of acousmatic/instrumental hip-hop crossover tracks. C.L.M.’s music appears across the U.S. and internationally. Caroline is Assistant Professor of Music in Sonic Arts at Portland State University, and holds a Ph.D in Music from UC San Diego.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz.

PDX Jazz proudly presents a FREE community event
Jazz Vespers: Mike Horsfall Trio with Laurent Nickel and Tim Rap, featuring John Moak

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz.

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Julie Collura & Neil Mattson Duo.

Julie Collura (Voice) & Neil Mattson (Guitar)

Julie Collura's evocative voice and Neil Mattson's expressive guitar take listeners on a musical journey through selections from the Great American songbook, featuring works by Porter, Mitchell, Bacharach, and Sondheim.
Influenced by Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, and Nancy King, Collura brings a warm and emotive approach to her vocals, evoking the classic jazz era.

Mattson's guitar playing draws from influences such as Hall, Pass, Frisell, and Green. Their collaboration is sophisticated yet understated, offering a playful exploration of musical nuances.
Julie Collura is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist. Her journey unfolds at the intersection of social work, music, and expressive arts therapy. Julie holds a Master of Social Work from the Tulane University School of Social Work, a Master of Music from the University of South Florida, and a Bachelor of Music from Florida Southern College. Additionally, she earned a Certificate in Intermodal Expressive Arts from Expressive Arts Florida Institute.

A classically trained clarinetist, Julie's music career includes fifteen years as an orchestra librarian, working with prestigious organizations such as the Oregon Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, and the Washington National Opera. As a vocalist, Julie performed with jazz ensembles, choirs, and an Afro-Cuban salsa band. Her teachers include Nancy King, Dee Daniels, and Mary Kadderly.

Julie's social work career encompasses significant roles, including supporting survivors of violence through the Louisiana Victim Outreach Program and the New Orleans Family Justice Center. She served as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, providing in-person and crisis line support, as well as medical and legal advocacy. Beyond her professional roles, Julie volunteered extensively throughout the U.S. and East Africa.

Currently based in Portland, Oregon, Julie is the Therapist/Owner of Creative Change Works, LLC. Her practice involves providing individual and group therapy to adults facing various challenges, online and in-person expressive arts workshops, and creative consulting for arts and service organizations. Julie integrates her background and experience in the arts with her social work training to compassionately facilitate healing and change.

Neil Mattson is a seasoned guitarist, composer, arts leader, entrepreneur, and educator with more than 25 years of professional performance experience. As a founding member and arranger for The Hot Club of Detroit, Neil played a key role in winning the Detroit International Jazz Festival’s Heineken Star Quest Competition in 2004. His journey includes touring with Detroit jazz legend Marcus Belgrave and clarinet prodigy Dave Bennett.

Neil is a featured performer on numerous recordings, including Shy Girls' "Still Not Falling" (2013), Ben Macy’s “Of Scars and Permanence” (2012), James M. Gregg Quintet’s “Another Bridge Born” (2011), and Detroit Swingtet’s “Gypsy Djazz” (2006). He has performed at renowned festivals such as the Biamp PDX Jazz Festival, Montavilla Jazz Festival, Cathedral Park Festival, Ann Arbor Blues And Jazz Fest, Detroit Djangofest, Michigan Jazz Fest, and the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival.

Neil's jazz-fusion project Trio Flux released their debut, self-titled record in 2011, followed by “Mobius” in 2013. His music has been commissioned and performed by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.

Neil received a Bachelor of Music, Summa Cum Laude, from Wayne State University, where he was honored with the Carl & Elinor Thom Harmony House Scholarship and the Joe Fava Scholarship. His excellence in music led to his election to the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Fraternity.

As the Founding Executive Director of Montavilla Jazz, Neil has been a driving force in supporting and elevating Portland’s jazz scene for over a decade. Simultaneously, he is the founder and CEO of Montavilla Guitar Studio, impacting thousands of students and facilitating the professional growth of numerous music teachers.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Dan Gaynor Trio

Dan Gaynor has been a regular fixture of the Portland jazz scene, getting his start playing at the Jazz de Opus. He has regularly performed with Nancy King, Chuck Israels, Bobby Torres, Ed Bennett, Rob Scheps, Glen Moore, Esperanza Spalding, Bob Mover, Reggie Houston, Dmitri Matheny, Damien Erskine, Reinhardt Melz, and many others. He has recorded with David Friesen, Dan Wilensky, the Portland Jazz Orchestra, Martin Zarzar, and Robert Moore. He spent several years teaching at Western Oregon University, and his latest adventure is as a student at the OHSU School of Medicine.

Garrett Baxter is one of the many promising musicians in Portland's jazz scene. Garrett earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon, where he studied with and shared the stage with some of his musical inspirations, including Linda May Han Oh, Ben Wendel, Walter Smith III, Kendrick Scott, and Terrell Stafford. At UO, he was a member of the Oregon Jazz Ensemble, the JazzArts Oregon Combo, and the UO Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing as a bandleader, he has also performed in bands led by Idit Shner, Roger Woods, Joe Manis, Tony Glausi, Paul Krueger, Steve Owen, Toby Koenigsburg, Torrey Newhart, Josh Hettwer, and Mike Denny, and had the honor of performing in the Javon Jackson Quartet at the Jazz Station.

Drummer Michael Raynor splits his time between Portland and Chicago, where he spent more than twenty years playing with tenor sax icon and NEA Jazz Master, Von Freeman. Raynor also toured with vocalist Kurt Elling and can be heard on two of his Grammy nominated recordings, including "Live in Chicago," featuring Jon Hendricks. He has worked with Freddie Hubbard, Eric Alexander, Tia Fuller, Steve Coleman, Gary Bartz, Johnny Griffin, Ira Sullivan, Jon Faddis, Bob Sheppard, Bobby Broom, Fareed Haque, Howard Levy, Arturo Sandoval, Chuck Israels, Nancy King, and Bob Dorough among others. In addition to playing festivals throughout Europe, North America, and Australia, Raynor has co-led tours in both Asia and Africa as a United States Jazz Ambassador.

The piano trio offers a pleasing blend of group interplay, the opportunity to showcase individual talent, and a small enough ensemble so that you can listen to all three voices at once. Come share the joy as Gaynor leads his piano trio in a program of jazz, blues, and love songs.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Portland State University Student Combo: Dae Bryant, Robert Rodriguez, Owen Evans and Nathan Gleason.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Mike Van Liew.

Mike Van Liew has been working as a musician, composer, arranger, recording artist, and teacher in Portland, Oregon for over 40 years. Originally trained on trumpet, he now plays mostly piano and flute. Mike has collaborated and performed with The Flying Karamazov Brothers, 3 Leg Torso, Do Jump!, Oslund and Company, the Klezmorim, the Portland Marathon, and the Oregon Zoo. These collaborations have led him to perform nationally (including on Broadway) and internationally. He performed with his 8 piece band at the 2017 PDX Jazz Festival. Mike recorded an album of his original songs, Polyglot, in 2005. His most recent project is a collection of 10 Inventions for solo piano.

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Tony Pacini Trio with Tim Rap and Ed Bennett

The TONY PACINI TRIO has performed non-stop since 1999. Originally Pacini formed a band in 1987, but with a personnel change in 1999 (present), several albums, and countless nightclub and festival performances later, the current band has continued to enjoy success and bring jazz audiences abroad joy. The trio ( Ed Bennett on bass, and Timothy Rap on drums ) is a mainstay of piano trio jazz interpretation on the West coast, and their albums have become very popular in the Japanese jazz listening market since 2000.

On The Drums: Tim credits Billy Higgins' philosophy - "to play what the music calls for, no more no less", with shaping his thoughtful approach to the role of the drums in jazz. Tim's exceptional talent caught the ear of guitarist John Stowell, leading to performances with world class vocalists Nancy King, Shirley Nanette and jazz guitar icon Herb Ellis.

On The Bass: Long considered one of the West coast's first rate string bass players, Ed stepped onto the world stage in the 1970's, touring with jazz great Carmen McRae. Three recordings were produced during Ed's work with Carmen most notably the Grammy nominated "Live At The Great American Music Hall" on Blue Note Records, which also featured Joey Baron, Marshall Otwell and jazz giant Dizzy Gillespie.

In addition to leading the Tony Pacini Trio, Tony Pacini has been the pianist and musical director of the Mel Brown Quartet for nearly 20 years (as well as producer of the Mel Brown Quartet's release, "Live: An Evening With The Mel Brown Quartet"). Pacini also broadcasts as a jazz radio host Sunday afternoons 4:00pm-6:00pm Pacific Time (World Clock; UTC/GMT -7 hours) on K.M.H.D. 89.1fm Portland, OR. Stream KMHD online anywhere in the world at; http://www.opb.org/kmhd/

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring David Kim at the AC Hotel!

David Kim was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and began his musical studies at age 10. As first place winner of the Oregon Symphony's Corbett Competition, he was featured as a soloist performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1. David discovered jazz while attending the renowned Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan. He subsequently went on to study classical music at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston. Since then, David has been passionate about jazz and continues to compose music and perform within the Portland area.

David Kim, Piano
Eddie Parente, Violin
Joey Aloia, Bass
Brent Follis, Drums

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Clackamas Community College Student Combo at University Place Hotel.

The long-standing music program at Clackamas Community College offers diverse opportunities for aspiring musicians. Whether pursuing classical, jazz, or contemporary styles, students benefit from hands-on instruction and networking with Portland-area professionals. From the Music transfer degree preparing students for 4-year universities to the Music Performance and Technology degree focusing on music business careers, CCC provides affordable pathways to success. The one-year Music Technology certificate equips students with industry-standard skills and connects them with real-world experience through internships. With renowned instructors and performance opportunities in various ensembles, CCC Music prepares graduates for thriving careers as professional musicians, educators, producers, and more. Find program information at www.clackamas.edu/music.

CCC’s jazz combo is David Asuncion-Agustin (sax), Micah Scothorn (keys), Celia Collofello (bass), and Tyrus Friedstrom (drums).

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz

PDX Jazz is excited to announce a FREE community event featuring Mt Hood Community College Student Trio

The MHCC music program is one of the most legendary in the Portland area. Their curriculum offers a vibrant, creative and rigorous environment that prepares students to be better musicians and have the option to transfer to four-year institutions as music majors or minors. The faculty provides students with a highly personalized and comprehensive education, including courses in classical and contemporary music studies, instrumental and vocal labs, music production, performance studies and master classes with world-renowned visiting artists.

MHCC music alumni have continued on in their education at the Manhattan School of Music, the Berklee College of Music, University of Southern California, and at universities across Oregon and Washington. They have become internationally known soloists and hold faculty positions at world-renown conservatories. Many have also established successful careers touring and performing with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Buddy Rich, Mel Torme, Harry Connick Jr., Stan Kenton, and Woody Herman, just to name a few. Visit www.mhcc.edu/PerformingArts for more information.

The MHCC Jazz Combo Performing at the 2024 PDX Jazz Festival consists of Mason Mauer (trumpet),  Braden Richey (guitar), Ryan Lund (bass), and Anthony Martinez (drums).

This event is part of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz