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WHAT WE DO

Tending to Portland’s living, local jazz tradition

We grew up in the Portland jazz scene and exist to help carry it forward. We do that by supporting local artists year-round, bringing music education and jazz history into neighborhood schools, and welcoming new audiences into the diverse Portland sound.

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HOW WE STAY TRUE

Fresh music without the velvet rope

Helping Portland’s jazz culture thrive comes with some non-negotiables. We believe that artists deserve fair compensation and room to take creative risks, so we give them that. Audiences and students deserve access, so we keep performances affordable and reach folks where they are. Every voice belongs in jazz, so we celebrate artists from all walks of life.

how it all began

Giving Portland jazz a home, Montavilla-style

Anybody who has visited our corner of Portland knows that Montavilla has its own character and creative energy. Back in 2014, we saw an opportunity to add something new to the mix. What started as a neighborhood project has grown into a year-round force for celebrating and expanding the local jazz scene.

 

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festival photo
Heard around the block

Gather in good company at Montavilla Jazz Festival

Part block party, part creative homecoming. Artist-led and diverse by design, our annual celebration moves with the belief that the past, present, and future of America’s greatest art form belongs to—and deserves to be enjoyed by—everyone.

Vestal Latin Jazz Residency

Vestal Latin Jazz

Through a weekly residency at Vestal Elementary, local jazz artists help students learn the building blocks of jazz and grow more confident in their own musical voice.

Mt. Tabor Middle School Jazz

Mt Tabor Middle School Jazz

We partner with Mt. Tabor Middle School to help sustain their jazz education program and give students a way to explore their musical creativity.

Behind the Scene

  

Behind the Scene

On every first Sunday at The 1905, we give high school musicians the opportunity to advance their musicianship by watching and learning from the Christopher Brown Quartet.

Meet our team

Our team carries the everyday work that keeps Montavilla Jazz in motion.

Executive Director
Neil Mattson
Assistant Festival Director
Jesi Robison
Festival Operations Manager
Juniper Anderson
Festival Production Manager
Lori Trephibio
Volunteer Manager
Bentley Worthy

Our board of directors

Our board of directors helps push our work forward so we can keep showing up for artists and audiences.

President
Neil Mattson
Vice President
Marcia Hocker
Secretary
Nancy A. Mitchell
Treasurer
Steve R. Mitchell
Director
Kim Harrison
Director
Leontyne Morrell-Wilson
Director
Pancho Savery
Director
Katie Sharp

festival

Come for the tunes

A full weekend of local legends and new voices filling the streets of Montavilla with the kind of fresh, original jazz only Portland could dream up. Discover the lineup and secure your tickets.

Montavilla Jazz Festival

get involved

Play a part

Montavilla Jazz Festival is a neighborhood effort with a wider circle around it. That’s where you come in. Volunteer, sponsor, or partner with us to shape the weekend from the inside out.

Ways to get involved

donate

Support the scene

Your contributions help us invest in homegrown artists, expand free programming, and keep Montavilla Jazz Festival open to the entire community.

Make a contribution
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