Portland Jazz Festival Fires up February 2005
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Posted by: editoron Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 10:09 AM |
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The festival has grown significantly since last years inaugural Portland Jazz Festival, which featured such acts as Wayne Shorter, Regina Carter and Poncho Sanchez. This year offers more than 75 acts over 10 days, all in the heart of downtown Portland. With more shows, more diverse acts, more educational opportunities, there’s plenty for jazz fans of all ages. It also offers all the splendor of downtown Portland, complete with tax-free shopping, unique architecture, luxurious hotels and some of the best restaurants in the Northwest. So come, enjoy the jazz, enjoy Portland, and experience Portland Jazz Festival, February 11-20, 2005.
The music is why people come to the Portland Jazz Festival, and this year offers some of jazz’s most elite headliners and interesting up-and-coming artists. The low end is a focus this year, with three of the genre’s top bassists headlining. Charlie Haden and his Quartet West have been hailed as one of the top groups in terms of creative expression, and the group features some of the west coast’s finest players, in pianist Alan Broadbent, saxophonist Ernie Watts and drummer Larance Marable. Bassist, composer and bandleader Dave Holland is on a roll of popularity with critics and listeners alike. The Grammy winner has topped a majority of magazine polls, and his Quintet, featuring Chris Potter, Steve Nelson, Alex Sipiagin, and Nate Smith, has reached a new plateau of public popularity and critical acclaim with a sound that is elegant, refined, and one of the tightest groups working today.
John Patitucci was a favorite last year with the Wayne Shorter Quartet. This year, with guitarist Adam Rogers, Patitucci gets a chance to stretch out even more in a duo setting, with both artists given the room to improvise as well as create texture and color with their stringed instruments. The 2005 Portland Jazz Festival features two distinctive singers, both at the top of their games. 3-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves has been hailed as one of the country’s finest vocalists, with a wide range, elegant voice and an innate sense of swing. Brazilian vocalist, and 2-time Grammy nominee Luciana Souza has been creating more of a stir this side of the equator with her smart blend of Brazilian, jazz, classical and new music.
Some of jazz’s most innovative artists are descending on Portland. Steel drummer Andy Narell’s Parisian group, Calypsociation, a 13-piece steel drum orchestra that meshes the assorted sounds of the Caribbean with jazz, makes its North American debut at the Portland Jazz Festival. The group is unlike anything heard in jazz, with the unique sounds of the steel pans echoing with deep harmonies and rhythmic intensity.
Vibraphonist Joe Locke & 4 Walls of Freedom burst through the structures of jazz with a unique and groundbreaking sound, with a conceptual sound played by one of the tightest bands playing today. Locke made a splash last year with local pianist Darrell Grant, and he gets a chance to truly shine here, leading a group that includes jaw-dropping tenor player Tommy Smith, who will also perform as a solo act during the festival. Danilo Perez was also a star last year with Wayne Shorter. This year, making the North American premiere leading his own group, Perez will show off a sound that smartly blends Latin elements with cutting-edge modern jazz, all led by his fleet fingers on piano.
Patricia Barber keeps gaining fans. Her sparse but pointed piano playing, smoky, laid back vocals, and introspective jazz nature are the epitome of cool. Midwest trio The Bad Plus is the new face of jazz, blending rock, classical and other elements into a highly original, energetic acoustic jazz mash that has made them a favorite of younger jazz fans.
The Portland Jazz Festival also features a wide array of fabulous local and regional talent. Artists like drummer/bandleader Mel Brown, virtuosic vocalist Nancy King, contemporary jazz favorite Tom Grant, Seattle singer Greta Matassa, genre-blending violinist Aaron Meyer, pianist/educator Darrell Grant, and numerous others are all fine headliners in their own right. Many of these artists are playing in local clubs, like Jimmy Mak’s, voted by Down Beat magazine as one of the country’s top 100 places to hear jazz, the hip and cool Blue Monk on Portland’s east side, and the plush, old-school Wilf’s, at the train station.
The Portland Jazz Festival has also partnered with several local organizations for select events. The fest kicks off with a tribute to the late Native American saxophonist Jim Pepper, with both a jazz lecture and tribute concert featuring former Pepper sidemen, sponsored by the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute and the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission.
The Jazz Society of Oregon presents its annual “First Jazz” concert with pianist Bill Charlap, vocalist Dee Daniels, and new Jazz Society Hall of Fame inductee, guitarist Dan Balmer. A Valentine’s Dinner and Dance, with vocalist Valerie Day & the Knights of Swing, will set hearts a-flutter. PDX Jazz and the Creative Music Guild will present a modern program titled “What We Live.” Along with the headliners and regional acts, there are multiple jazz events, including a series of Jazz Dialogues with headlining artists, as well as Jazz Exhibitions, Jazz Brunches, Jazz & Rogue Ales tastings, and Midnight Jam Sessions. In addition, there is a full slate of educational opportunities for jazz fans. Headliners will take time to lead master classes and teach students and fans about jazz. There will also be a student jazz jam, and multiple student bands. There’s something for everyone who wants to learn and listen.
Off Stage
The Portland Jazz Festival is more than music. Fans can rest their ears and stroll downtown for tax-free shopping throughout the city, at the numerous stores, malls boutiques, and vintage shops. There are plenty of places to refuel, as Portland has some of the best and most diverse restaurants in the Northwest. Portland is one of the most walkable cities in the nation, with smaller city blocks than other urban areas. But for those who don’t want to hoof it, the area also has a great public transportation system. Buses go all over town, and there is both light rail (MAX) and streetcar system that covers the greater downtown core. Get a schedule at www.trimet.org. Most concerts are in the city’s “fareless square,” where you can ride free at any time. Or take the Late Night Jazz Shuttles, which will sweep you between hotels and clubs so you can experience even more jazz.
Tickets
Visit www.pdxjazz.com for ticket information, Jazz Passport packages, Gold Circle ticket options, lodging information, and a full schedule of performances. Tickets are also available at all Safeway / TicketsWest outlets, and at www.ticketswest.com. Call 503-224-8499 to reserve by phone. For more information on the Portland Jazz Festival, call 503-228-5299. Tickets are available for purchase at the Festival Office (The Galleria, Suite 207, 921 S.W. Morrison Street; 503-228-5299) until Feb. 16.
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