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Portland’s most adventurous jazz festival enters its second decade with more than 30 concerts and events across 12 venues.

Portland’s most adventurous jazz festival enters its second decade with more than 30 concerts and events across 12 venues.

Photos are available. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland’s most adventurous jazz festival enters its second decade with a three-day village-style celebration of local, world-class artistry with more than 30 concerts and events across 12 venues. 

PORTLAND, Ore.—With more than twice the number of performances than the previous year, the 2024 Montavilla Jazz Festival will run August 30–September 1, 2024, with concerts across the city. The festival lineup celebrates the rising stars and creative, forward-thinking artists connected to Portland with locally-raised and internationally-lauded saxophonist Nicole Glover bringing her trio to her hometown for the first time. On Sunday, September 1st, Glover’s group will perform selections from her latest release Plays. Saturday, August 31st, violinist, vocalist, and storyteller, Joe Kye journeys through lineage and emotion in collaboration with Seattle’s Civic Poet, Shin Yu Pai. The festival’s geographic footprint continues to expand with the number of concerts, and this year features a nexus of activity in the heart of Montavilla. 

The twenty-nine East Portland neighborhood events include free concerts and conversations in the plaza in collaboration with SoundsTruckNW, a co-presentation with the Driveway Jazz series, performances at Portland Metro Arts and Beer Brats & Beats, DJ sets at multiple establishments, three student stages, and a return to Mt. Tabor Park’s Caldera Amphitheater for two free concerts on Friday, August 30th. Outside the neighborhood, listeners can venture to Alberta Rose Theatre to see the festival headliners, to The 1905 for three of Portland’s top pianists, and Strum for adventurous guitar-centered performances.

Montavilla Jazz Festival is the only Portland festival focused on the original music of the city’s jazz artists, and this year’s lineup is the first crafted by an artist-driven curation process. Montavilla Jazz Executive Director Neil Mattson shares, “We asked the artists to tell us what they would love to present but might not have been able to without support, and they dreamed big. Every year, we are astounded by the way these musicians take risks and innovate. This year, we’re excited to invest in even more artist-centered programming that represents a wide breadth of jazz’s creative spirit. It’s a great way to usher in Montavilla Jazz’s second decade.”

DATES:
Friday, August 30–September 1, 2024

VENUES

  • Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater 
  • Portland Metro Arts (9003 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216)
  • Montavilla Plaza (SE 79th Ave. at SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216)
  • Beer Brats & Beats (8826 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216)
  • The 1905 (830 N Shaver St, Portland, OR 97227)
  • Alberta Rose Theatre (3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211)
  • Strum (1415 SE Stark St #C, Portland, OR 97214)
  • Driveway Jazz (1524 SE 51st Ave, Portland, OR 97215)
  • Montavilla Brew Works (7805 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215)
  • Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottle Shop (7835 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215)
  • Threshold Brewing & Blending (403 SE 79th Ave, Portland, OR 97215)
  • Beer Bunker (7918 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215)

TICKETS:
$5-45 per live concert with discounts for advance purchases, students, and Arts for All available for some concerts. On Sale Now: Alberta Rose Theatre single tickets & Portland Metro Arts single tickets. Discounted student tickets ($10) and Arts for All tickets ($5) are available.

Find ticket details and information at montavillajazz.org.

The 2024 Montavilla Jazz Festival events include:

  • Nicole Glover Trio featuring Tyrone Allen and Kayvon Gordon
    Sunday, September 1, 8:00 PM – Alberta Rose Theatre – Tickets $5-45.
    Festival headliner Nicole Glover brings her trio to her hometown for the first time to perform selections from their latest release Plays
  • Joe Kye’s The Well Sessions featuring Shin Yu Pai
    Saturday, August 31, 8:00 PM – Alberta Rose Theatre – Tickets $5-45.
    Joe Kye takes listeners on a transcendent personal journey, recollecting lineage and love through looping violins, vocals, and traditional Korean instruments interwoven with the poetry of Shin Yu Pai.
  • Dan Balmer Trio featuring Gary Versace and Mark Ferber
    Saturday, August 31, 7:00 PM – Strum – Tickets $25-35, available soon.
    Dan Balmer performs music from his latest album When The Night which The New York Times called one of the best albums of 2023.
  • Unearthing the Extraordinary: PJCE featuring Christopher Brown
    Friday, August 30, 7:30 PM – Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater – FREE!
    Christopher Brown’s new compositions illuminate the extraordinary acts of leadership that have helped shape Portland as a city and a community and offer a guiding light for the challenges to come.
  • Julana Torres’s La Colorá featuring Carmelo Torres
    Friday, August 30, 6:00 PM – Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater – FREE!
    La Colorá is a fiery Latin Jazz ensemble presented by Julana and Carmelo Torres highlighting the rhythmic legacy of the Torres family.
  • Jasnam Daya Singh Trio with String Quartet
    Saturday, August 31, 5:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-40.
    Latin Grammy-nominated Jasnam Daya Singh braids the traditions of jazz, classical, and traditional Brazilian music into a universal jazz language.
  • Bryn Roberts Trio meets Justin Copeland
    Saturday, August 31, 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM – The 1905 – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    Bryn Roberts’s internationally traveled trio makes its Portland debut to celebrate its forthcoming album with special guest trumpeter Justin Copeland.
  • Randy Porter Trio
    Friday, August 30, 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM – The 1905 – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    The Randy Porter Trio grooves with inventive harmony, sophistication, and a refined improvisational approach creating a wealth of sonic textures.
  • Kerry Politzer Quartet
    Sunday, September 1, 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM – The 1905 – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    Pianist Kerry Politzer and her quartet perform music from her new release Ruminations.
  • DaMiNo with filmmaker Devin Febbroriello
    Sunday, September 1, 2:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-40.
    Playing with conventions of sight, sound, and narrative structure, DaMiNo will be improvising to a film by Devin Febbroriello with an audio-reactive A/V element.
  • Integer Quintet
    Sunday, September 1, 5:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-40.
    Integer Quintet is a brass-centric modern jazz ensemble focusing on melody, groove, and the fire of the creative spirit.
  • DoubleDash
    Sunday, September 1, 4:00 PM – SoundsTruckNW @ the Montavilla Plaza –  FREE
    DoubleDash fuses elements of electronic music and jazz, seamlessly blending together medleys of original compositions and improvisations.
  • Chris Shuttleworth Chicago Quartet
    Sunday, September 1, 10:00 PM – Beer Brats & Beats – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    With a sound born in Chicago’s jazz scene and grounded in an unabashed search for beauty and melody, this quartet bridges the Windy City and the Pacific Northwest, creating something unified that is both entirely fresh and completely approachable.
  • Adriana Wagner Quartet
    Saturday, August 31, 4:00 PM – SoundsTruckNW @ the Montavilla Plaza – FREE
    Adriana Wagner presents her original compositions, playing with vulnerability and a dedication to the music that has no limits.
  • Chris Lee Sextet
    Friday, August 30, 10:30 PM – Beer Brats & Beats – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    The Chris Lee Sextet will be performing music from their latest PJCE Records release Green In Grey.
  • Pablo Rivarola Quartet
    Saturday, August 31, 10:00 PM – Beer Brats & Beats – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    Pablo Rivarola’s newest works eschew many of jazz’s conventional idioms in a personal dialog on loss, grief, and healing.
  • Ross Garlow’s Big Water
    Saturday, August 31, 12:00 PM – SoundsTruckNW @ the Montavilla Plaza – FREE
    A musical dedication to Oregon’s great rivers, the importance of abundant fish migration, and protecting nature by giving land back.
  • Sound Creation Trio
    Friday, August 30, 7:00 PM – Strum – Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    Sound Creation Trio plays daring original music that stretches from free jazz and post-rock to Americana and art pop and back again.
  • Battle Hymns & Gardens + James Powers & Dan Duval
    Sunday, September 1, 7:00 PM – Strum –  Tickets $5-35, available soon.
    Battle Hymns & Gardens + James Powers & Dan Duval bridge a vibrant free-jazz sensibility with a landscape of moody, evocative compositions.
  • The Blue Butler Big Band
    Saturday, August 31, 2:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-40.
    The Blue Butler Big Band’s composer’s collective was formed by Paris Blue Butler and Quinn Walker to express a range of sounds varying from the deep end of obscurity to more traditional jazz forms.
  • Rivkah Ross Quartet
    Sunday, September 1, 12:00 PM – SoundsTruckNW @ the Montavilla Plaza – FREE
    The Rivkah Ross Quartet plays original jazz inspired by jazz giants like  Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Kenny Barron, and Steve Swallow.
  • Olivia Fields Quartet
    Friday, August 30, 4:00 PM – Driveway Jazz –  FREE
    The Olivia Fields Quartet is a group of some of Portland’s finest young musicians playing a curated set of original compositions.
  • MJF Student Stages
    Friday, August 30–Sunday, September 1 – times & venues to be announced – FREE
    Breakout university students take center stage.

Additional events will continue to be announced. The festival lineup and schedule are available at https://montavillajazz.org/.  

Contact:

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About Montavilla Jazz: The mission of Montavilla Jazz is to support and strengthen local music culture and enrich our community by showcasing the best of Portland jazz. Montavilla Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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Portland’s most adventurous jazz festival turns 10 with a three-day event spanning five venues and 11 concerts showcasing the city’s world-class musicians.

Portland’s most adventurous jazz festival turns 10 with a three-day event spanning five venues and 11 concerts showcasing the city’s world-class musicians.

Photos are available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland’s most adventurous jazz festival turns 10 with a three-day event spanning five venues and 11 concerts showcasing the city’s world-class musicians. 

PORTLAND, Ore.—At the leading edge of Portland’s jazz scene, Montavilla Jazz’s 10th Annual Festival will run September 1–3, 2023 with concerts across the city featuring original jazz by world-class local artists. This year, the festival highlights some of Portland’s jazz scene-makers with internationally-acclaimed drummer Alan Jones headlining the festival Sunday evening with his quartet featuring Grammy Award-winners Tivon Pennicott and Kevin Hays. Pianist Darrell Grant performs Saturday night with a one-night-only project: Piano in the Dark with special guest, and another Grammy winner, Billy Childs, as well as four local keyboardists of note. The 2023 festival’s footprint continues to expand with two concerts at the Alberta Rose Theatre, three at The 1905, and, for the first time, two free outdoor concerts at Mt. Tabor Park while maintaining a home base at the Montavilla neighborhood’s Portland Metro Arts.

The locally-based jazz festival begins at Mt. Tabor Park with a world premiere of Views of an Urban Volcano, a three-part commission inspired by the concert’s location on Portland’s beloved extinct cinder cone-turned-greenspace. The concert also celebrates Montavilla Jazz’s decade of partnership with Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble which will perform the new works. Opening the event will be Vestal Stories: Mary-Sue Tobin Sextet, a project developed collaboratively during Tobin’s tenure this spring as Montavilla Jazz’s artist-in-residence at Vestal Elementary School. 

Montavilla Jazz Festival is the only local festival focused on Portland-based musicians’ original compositions. Headliner Alan Jones shares, “It’s really a great honor to be a headliner at the festival. The festival is something the Portland community can be very proud of — it’s really a special situation, especially for us local musicians.”  

Montavilla Jazz Executive Director Neil Mattson shares, “It is incredible how far we have come in 10 years of making space for Portland’s local jazz artists. Montavilla Jazz’s formula has always been simple — we invest in local artists and invite them to carry out their dream projects. It’s a simple idea, but we continue to be astounded by the way these musicians take risks and innovate. This year’s artist-centered programming represents the dynamism and diversity of our community’s creative spirit. We can’t wait to see what happens over the next ten years as Montavilla Jazz continues to push artists to dream big and welcome new listeners into the jazz fold.”

DATES:
Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3, 2023

VENUES:
Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater
Friday, September 1 ONLY

The 1905* (830 N Shaver St, Portland, OR 97227)
Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3

Portland Metro Arts* (9003 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216) ON SALE NOW
Saturday, September 2 & Sunday, September 3

Alberta Rose Theatre (3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211)
Saturday, September 2 & Sunday, September 3

Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottle Shop (7835 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215)
Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3

*The concerts at Portland Metro Arts and The 1905 will also be live-streamed.

TICKETS:
$5-45 per live concert with discounts for advance purchases, students, and Arts for All available for some concerts. On Sale Now: Portland Metro Arts single tickets ($25-30) and limited weekend passes for Saturday and Sunday performances at Portland Metro Arts and full festival passes ($80-197). Livestreams will be offered for free with a suggested donation of $5.

Find ticket details and information at montavillajazz.org.

The 2023 Montavilla Jazz Festival events include: 

  • Alan Jones Quartet featuring Tivon Pennicott, Kevin Hays and Joe Martin
    Sunday, September 3, 2023, 8:00 PM – Alberta Rose Theatre – Tickets $5-45
    Festival headliner Alan Jones assembles a dream team of award-winning talent for a concert of original music designed to inspire and challenge. 
  • Darrell Grant’s Piano in the Dark with special guest Billy Childs
    Saturday, September 2, 2023, 8:00 PM – Alberta Rose Theatre – Tickets $5-45
    Chasing the magic of the unexpected, Darrell Grant curates ephemeral encounters at and beyond the keyboard melding tradition and innovation.
  • Views of an Urban Volcano with Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble
    Friday, September 1, 2023, 7:30 PM – Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater – FREE!
    Composers Cyrus Nabipoor, Kirsten Volness, and James Powers premiere new jazz inspired by Portland’s beloved greenspace and extinct cinder cone, Mt. Tabor Park, performed by Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble’s 12-member band.
  • Vestal Stories: Mary-Sue Tobin Sextet
    Friday, September 1, 2023, 6:00 PM – Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater – FREE!
    Celebrating where we come from and the joy around us, this project is the culmination of a collaboration between Montavilla Jazz, Portland State University’s Artist as Citizen Initiative, and Vestal Elementary.
  • Tim Willcox Quartet featuring Chuck Israels
    Sunday, September 3, 2023, 5:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-30
    Tim Willcox’s saxophone “sings and, at times, broods passionately and inventively” into the original works of his ensemble of local heavyweights.
  • Ryan Meagher, Ralph Alessi, Peter Epstein, and Mark Ferber
    Saturday, September 2, 2023, 5:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-30
    Prominent Portland guitarist Ryan Meagher assembles a team of eminent improvisers to mine their decade-long creative relationships.
  • Domo Branch and Branchin’ Out
    Sunday, September 3, 2023, 2:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-30
    Branch and company are on a mission to heal, motivate, and inspire through the trance of original and arranged music.
  • George Colligan: The Phyllis Wheatley Project featuring Zyanna
    Saturday, September 2, 2023, 2:00 PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-30
    Phyllis Wheatley was the first African American poet to be published in the United States. George Colligan sets her poetry to music.
  • Nicole McCabe Quartet
    Saturday, September 2, 2023, 11:30 PM – The 1905 – Tickets $15, available soon
    McCabe’s Los Angeles-based band plays music from her recent album Landscapes released on the Spanish label Fresh Sounds New Talent.
  • Charlie 3rown Quartet
    Friday, September 1, 2023, 11:30 PM – The 1905 – Tickets $15, available soon
    Riding the edge of multiple genres, the Charlie 3rown Quartet’s creations use their diverse experiences and influences to take listeners to the brink.
  • Frank Irwin’s Aurora Septet
    Sunday, September 3, 2023, 11:00 PM – The 1905 – Tickets $15, available soon
    Blending chamber orchestration with improvisation and modal groove, Aurora Septet paints a beautiful landscape of self-discovery.
  • MJF Student Stage
    Friday, September 1, 4:00 PM; Saturday, September 2 & Sunday, September 3, 2023, 4-6 PM – Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottle Shop – FREE
    Breakout university students take center stage. 

The complete festival lineup and schedule is available at https://montavillajazz.org/.  

Contact:

    .

About Montavilla Jazz: The mission of Montavilla Jazz is to support and strengthen local music culture and enrich our community by showcasing the best of Portland jazz. Montavilla Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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Two jazz organizations explore the cultural, civic, and ecological history of Mt Tabor Park in Views of an Urban Volcano

Two jazz organizations explore the cultural, civic, and ecological history of Mt Tabor Park in Views of an Urban Volcano

; 713-854-6162

Two jazz organizations explore the cultural, civic, and ecological history of Mt Tabor Park in Views of an Urban Volcano

(Portland, OR) — Montavilla Jazz and Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble are opening up a community-guided creative process to the public as three composers craft new music inspired by Mt. Tabor Park and the stories that surround it. Three public events for Views of an Urban Volcano will take place Sunday, March 5th at 2 pm Oregon Historical Society; Saturday, March 18th at 4 pm at Taborspace’s Copeland Commons; and Saturday, April 15th at 10:30 am at Mt. Tabor Park, inviting participants to learn more about Mt. Tabor’s history in relationship to marginalized communities past and present and its significance as a greenspace in the city.

Three composers that are currently being selected through panel review will attend each of these community events to build a shared understanding of this iconic park’s role in the city. Their new works for the 12-member Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE) will be presented as part of the 2023 Montavilla Jazz Festival in a free, public concert at Mt. Tabor Park on September 1, 2023. The concert represents the culmination of 10 years of partnership between Montavilla Jazz and PJCE. Views of an Urban Volcano is presented in partnership with Friends of Mt. Tabor Park and the Oregon Historical Society with support from Oregon Cultural Trust and Regional Arts and Culture Council.

Community Event Details: 

  • Views of an Urban Volcano: A discussion on Mt. Tabor Park
    March 5th, 2023, 2–3:30 pm at Oregon Historical Society *FREE*
    1200 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR 97205
    (503) 222-1741
    Find more information and RSVP here.
    The event features a panel discussion on the history and impacts of Mt. Tabor Park from the perspectives of Portland’s Chinese, Black, and Indigenous communities from 1896–2020. Light refreshments will be available. 

Panelists include Hap Pritchard, Board Member, Friends of Mt. Tabor Park; David Harrelson, Cultural Resources Department manager and member of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Darrell Millner, Professor Emeritus of Black Studies at Portland State University; and Dr. Marie Wong, Professor Emerita, Seattle University Institute of Public Service, Asian Studies, and Public Affairs.

  • Views of an Urban Volcano: Community Forum
    March 18th, 2023, 4–5 pm at Taborspace’s Copeland Commons *FREE*
    5441 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215
    (503) 954-2610
    Find more information and RSVP here.
    An open forum for lovers of Mt. Tabor Park to share their own stories about its significance with the composers. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the selected composers and project leads, and contribute to the community-driven creative process.  
  • Views of an Urban Volcano: Guided Tour of Mt. Tabor Park
    April 15, 2023, at 10:30 am at Mt. Tabor Park Visitor Center *FREE*
    SE Salmon Way and, SE Park Dr, Portland, OR 97215 Map
    Find more information and RSVP here.
    Led by Friends of Mt Tabor Park, this 90-minute guided tour of the park will begin at the Mt. Tabor Visitor Center and highlight historical and cultural points of interest and the park’s impressive vistas. Participants should dress for the weather and bring their questions. 

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March 5th Event Speaker Bios: 

David Harrelson is the Cultural Resources Department manager for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde where he is also a tribal member.  David is active in his community and currently serves as an Oregon Arts Commissioner.  Working for over ten years in the field of Cultural Resources, David has championed the protection of archaeology sites, maintenance of ancestral lifeways, and proliferation of indigenous art forms throughout his Tribe’s homelands in Western Oregon.

Dr. Darrell Millner graduated in 1975 from the University of Oregon with a doctorate in Education and was then hired by Portland State University to teach Afro-American Literature and History in the Black Studies Department. Dr. Millner served as Department Chair of Black Studies from 1984-1995, and is currently Professor Emeritus and continues to teach as an adjunct faculty member in the department. He serves on numerous local, regional, and national boards and organizations. Dr. Millner is an expert on the history of African-Americans in the western movement with a special focus on the Oregon and California trail experiences, early Oregon and California black history, and the history of the Black Buffalo soldiers in the Indian wars.

Hap Pritchard and his wife moved to the Portland area in 2004 to be close to their two children and their grandchildren. The move coincided with his retirement from a career at the EPA and a final three-year stint at the Danish National Environmental Research Laboratory where he was a senior research fellow.

Dr. Marie Rose Wong is a Professor Emerita with the Institute of Public Service at Seattle University. Wong’s research investigates urban planning and policy, housing, and land use with a focus on Asian American settlements.  Her presentations and publications center on Asian American history and urban development that include several articles, a book on Portland, Oregon’s first Chinese communities entitled Sweet Cakes, Long Journey: The Chinatowns of Portland, Oregon (2004, 2012), and the history of Seattle’s Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino settlement entitled Building Tradition: Pan-Asian Seattle and Life in the Residential Hotels (2018). She is currently working on book projects that chronicle the histories of Seattle’s Japanese American community baseball, and Seattle’s Luck Ngi Chinese Music Club.

About Montavilla Jazz: Montavilla Jazz is a nonprofit community organization that engages an inclusive cross-section of musicians, collaborative artists, students, music lovers, neighbors, and businesses, promoting forward-thinking artistry and offering platforms for risk-taking, experimentation, and the creation of new works, adding to the diversity and strength of our community.

About PJCE: Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create original jazz music that engages and supports our community’s diverse artists, cultures, and place. In operation since 2008, PJCE is the only organization dedicated to commissioning and performing original music by Portland musicians, building a broad audience through unique, collaborative and community-oriented programming that builds bridges between communities in this vibrant city. 

Call for Composers: PJCE Concert @ Mt. Tabor Park for the 10th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival

Call for Composers: PJCE Concert @ Mt. Tabor Park for the 10th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Call for Composers: PJCE Concert @ Mt. Tabor Park for the 10th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival

Montavilla Jazz and Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble launch a search for three composers to create place-inspired works for the 10th Festival PJCE concert in Mt. Tabor Park in September, 2023.

PORTLAND, ORMontavilla Jazz and Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE) celebrate a nearly 10-year partnership with a new collaborative project for the 2023 season and the upcoming 10th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival. The Mt. Tabor Project supports an expansion of the festival with an outdoor concert at the beautiful Mt. Tabor Park Caldera Amphitheater on September 1st, 2023. At this concert Montavilla Jazz and PJCE will present three world premieres by local artists in celebration of ten-years of collaborative programming. 

Montavilla Jazz and PJCE will convene a diverse panel of community stakeholders with input from Friends of Mt. Tabor and other relevant community groups to select three composers from the submissions received. The selection panel will score each applicant based on the substance and creativity of their Statement of Interest & Qualifications, their work samples, and their readiness to achieve the project’s goals. This project is made possible with support from Oregon Cultural Trust.

APPLICATION DATES: Monday, November 21, 2022–Friday, January 6, 2023

Complete application details at https://forms.gle/NUV1utG4QpF4kxxr7.  

Contact:

    .

About PJCE: The Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble is a 12-piece jazz chamber orchestra which commissions and performs original works by its members and by other jazz composers in the Portland music community and beyond.

About Montavilla Jazz: The mission of Montavilla Jazz is to support and strengthen local music culture and enrich our community by showcasing the best of Portland jazz. 

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Kerry Politzer to Headline Ninth Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival August 19–21

Kerry Politzer to Headline Ninth Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival August 19–21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kerry Politzer to Headline Ninth Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival August 19–21

Montavilla Jazz Festival returns as a three-day event spanning four venues and 12 new jazz concerts by local artists. 

PORTLAND, OR—After creating spaces for jazz around the city throughout the pandemic —on the big screen, in parks, on the playground, and in driveways—Portland’s Montavilla Jazz Festival 2022 returns for its ninth season August 19–21 with concerts by an array of emerging and established local artists at Portland Metro Arts and expands its footprint to four venues across the city. Pianist/composer Kerry Politzer headlines the festival with LA-based guest trumpeter Alex Norris joining her Quintet Sunday, August 21, and Saturday night adventurous saxophonist Rich Halley is joined by NYC’s Matthew Shipp Trio. This year, Montavilla Jazz Festival includes two late-night sets at The 1905 and presents at Alberta Rose Theatre, kicking off the festival with Portland Jazz Composer Ensemble’s The Heroine’s Journey, a double-bill of newly commissioned works from veteran vocalist Marilyn Keller and alt-jazz singer-songwriter Rebecca Sanborn.

DATES: Friday, August 19–Sunday, August 21, 2022

LOCATIONS: Alberta Rose Theatre (3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211)
Friday, August 19 ONLY 8PM

Portland Metro Arts (9003 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216)
Saturday, August 20 & Sunday, August 21, 2022, 2PM, 5PM, and 8PM
The six concerts at Portland Metro Arts will also be live-streamed.

The 1905 (830 N Shaver St, Portland, OR 97227)
Friday, August 19 & Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:30PM

Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottle Shop (7835 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215)
Friday, August 19–Sunday, August 21, 2022, 6PM

TICKETS: $5-35 per concert with discounts for advance purchases, students, and Arts for All available for some concerts. Limited day passes for Saturday and Sunday performances at Portland Metro Arts for $50-60 and full festival passes for $155-185 are available. 

Find ticket details and information at https://www.tickettomato.com/event_group/338/montavilla-jazz-festival-22

The 2022 Montavilla Jazz Festival features debuts as bandleaders by Marilyn Keller, Barra Brown, James Powers, Noah Simpson, and Andrew Oliver. Festival events include:

  • PJCE’s The Heroine’s Journey Feat. Marilyn Keller with Darrell Grant and Rebecca Sanborn
    Friday, August 19, 2022, 8PM – Alberta Rose Theatre – Tickets $5-35
    Lyricists and songwriters Sanborn and Keller each debut their new songs honoring the power of dreams to change our waking lives, performed with Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.
  • George Colligan and Jazz Millenium
    Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:30PM – The 1905 – Tickets $15-20
    Virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and mentor George Colligan showcases four young Portland jazz artists.
  • Tunnel Six performs the Columbia River Suite
    Saturday, August 20, 2022, 2PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-20
    A musical pilgrimage following the Columbia River’s winding banks is the creative framework for this suite for sextet and spoken word. 
  • Idit Shner and Mhondoro
    Saturday, August 20, 2022, 5PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-20
    Mhonodoro, meaning the lion spirit in Shona, a language of Zimbabwe, formed spontaneously, melding Zimbabwean folk and American jazz traditions. 
  • Rich Halley with Matthew Shipp Trio
    Saturday, August 20, 2022, 8PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-30
    Dynamic tenor saxophonist Rich Halley performs in-the-moment improvisations with the New York City-based Matthew Shipp Trio to create a powerful emotional experience. 
  • Barra Brown Quintet
    Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:30PM – The 1905 – Tickets $15-20
    A rare performance by drummer/composer Barra Brown’s melody-driven improvisational ensemble of inventive original music.
  • James Powers Relativity Ensemble
    Sunday, August 21, 2022, 2PM – Portland Metro Arts – Ticket $5-20
    A genre-bending 13-piece instrumental ensemble, playing new compositions exploring social issues, Identity, science fiction, and modern myth.
  • Noah Simpson Quartet
    Sunday, August 21, 2022, 5PM – Portland Metro Arts – Tickets $5-20
    Noah Simpson’s energetic, attentive, and dynamic quartet strives to create forward thinking music rooted in Jazz.
  • Kerry Politzer Quintet featuring Alex Norris
    Sunday, August 21, 2022, 8PM – Portland Metro Arts – Ticket $5-30
    2022 Festival Headliner, pianist/composer Kerry Politzer premieres original music from her album, In a Heartbeat, coming out this fall on PJCE Records.
  • MJF Student Stage
    Friday, August 19–Sunday, August 21, 2022, 6PM – Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottle Shop – FREE
    Breakout university students take center stage. 

 

“Montavilla [Jazz] is doing so much for the music right now, really cultivating that community-driven aspect,” 2019 Festival artist Charlie Porter told NPR’s Jazz Night in America. “There are so many crushing musicians in Portland, and they should have more opportunities to play… It’s a problem of having a place for them to go do it.” Executive Director Neil Mattson shares, “Montavilla Jazz has been focused on turning the ‘issue’ of venues into an opportunity to look at spaces creatively. If people haven’t been to the festival before, they may be surprised at the high-quality, intimate venues right here in Montavilla. Portland has an embarrassment of riches: world-class jazz from straight-ahead to out, right outside your front door, and we’re proud to be creating space and a platform for these artists.”

Find the complete festival lineup and schedule at https://montavillajazz.org/.  

 

Contact:

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About Montavilla Jazz: The mission of Montavilla Jazz is to support and strengthen local music culture and enrich our community by showcasing the best of Portland jazz. Montavilla Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

 

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Montavilla Jazz premiers collaborative film and live concerts for 8th annual festival on August 20–22

Montavilla Jazz premiers collaborative film and live concerts for 8th annual festival on August 20–22

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montavilla Jazz premiers collaborative film and live concerts by local artists at the organization’s 8th annual festival on August 20–22

Montavilla Jazz Festival returns as a 3-day hybrid event featuring live-streamed concerts by local artists, and the world premiere of Call + Response: A collaborative film project pairing local jazz composers and filmmakers.

PORTLAND, OR—If local icons like Mel Brown, Tom Grant, Nancy King, David Friesen, Ron Steen, and Leroy Vinegar ushered in a resurgence of jazz in Portland that blossomed in the 1980’s, a new group of influential artists were handed the torch in the new millenium. One of the most influential of those artists in Portland over the past decade and a half, Farnell Newton, will headline the 8th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival running August 2022 live-streamed from Portland Metro Arts and screened for in-person viewing at select locations in Montavilla and around Portland. For the first time ever the Montavilla Jazz Festival is entirely FREE. This year’s festival is bolstered by the world-premiere and repeated screenings of a new music-meets-film project, Call + Response, presented in collaboration with Portland Art Museum, Open Signal and Mobile Projection Unit. Festival information can be found at https://montavillajazz.org/

Events include: 

Our four musical sets will be live-streamed, with limited in-person tickets available, details TBA:

Farnell Newton Quintet – Sunday, August 22, 2021 7PM – FREE
Newton performs music off “Rippin’ & Runnin’” his second leader album for Posi-Tone Records. Personnel: Farnell Newton, trumpet and compositions; Kyle Molitor, trombone; George Colligan, organ; Ryan Meagher, guitar; Andres Moreno, drums.

Rebecca Sanborn – Saturday, August 21, 2021 7PM – FREE
Sanborn explores new material supported by long time mentor pianist Randy Porter and fellow Blue Cranes drummer Ji Tanzer and bassist Jon Shaw. Personnel: Rebecca Sanborn, voice and compositions; Randy Porter, piano; Jon Shaw, bass; Ji Tanzer, drums.

George Colligan: Fredson the Jeffy – Sunday, August 22, 2021 4PM – FREE
Colligan presents original works mixing 20th century European classical techniques with jazz and improvisation in a unique collaborative and genre defying set. Personnel: George Colligan, piano and compositions; Lisa Lipton, clarinet; Micah Hummel, drums.

Ryan Meagher: AftEarth – Saturday, August 21, 2021 4PM – FREE
Meagher writes music inspired by the line-art of visual artist Tina Granzo resulting in a collaborative exploration of the world we live in now and the world we will leave future generations. Personnel: Ryan Meagher guitar and compositions; Tim Willcox, tenor saxophone; Andrew Jones, bass; Charlie Doggett, drums; Tina Granzo drawings and animation.

Montavilla Jazz Film Night: Call + Response plus Blue Cranes film premieres August 20, 2021 9PM – FREE outdoor screening by Mobile Projection Unit at Portland Art Museum Courtyard

Montavilla Jazz presents: Call + Response is a collaborative effort pairing three local jazz artists with three local filmmakers. In early 2021, musicians Micah Hummel, Noah Simpson, and Idit Shner, each composed, performed, and recorded seven to ten minutes of original music. Filmmakers Jeff Oliver, Shilpa Sunthakar, and Deejuliano Scott responded with visual “scores” with access to production facilities and the Independent Filmmaker Kit provided by project partner Open Signal. The result: three entirely original short works of art-music-film. The shorts will premiere at an outdoor screening produced by Mobile Projection Unit at Montavilla Jazz Film Night at the Portland Art Museum’s courtyard (1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR) on Friday, August 20 at 9PM. The event will also include world-premiere screenings of Portland post-jazz quintet Blue Cranes’s music-films from their upcoming VOICES album produced by filmmakers Sarah Whelden, Rachel Blumberg, and Jim Bashfield

Call + Response will also be available for viewing following the live-streamed Festival performances Saturday and Sunday.

The Call + Response shorts include:

  • The Beast of Torpor with music by Micah Hummel and film by Jeff Oliver
  • A Day in Color with music by Noah Simpson and film by Shilpa Sunthankar
  • Last Signs of June with music by Idit Shner and film by Deejuliano Scott

Contact:

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  • For more information, please visit montavillajazz.org and www.facebook.com/montavillajazz

About Montavilla Jazz: The mission of Montavilla Jazz is to support and strengthen local music culture and enrich our community by showcasing the best of Portland jazz. Montavilla Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

About the Artists:
Montavilla Jazz Festival ‘21 Headliner Farnell Newton is one of the most versatile musicians & educators in the Northwest, playing straight ahead jazz, smooth jazz, Latin music, soul, hip hop, funk and more. When he is not working as marketing coordinator at Marmoset, trumpeter for Portland Cello Project, creator of Funklandia, producer and trumpeter #LofiJazzSoul (Lo-fi Hip-Hip), and jazz trumpeter at Posi-tone Records, he is touring, recording, and sharing the stage with Skerik, Lettuce, Slightly Stoopid, Karl Denson, Galactic, Nigel Hall, sax man Mike Phillips, the Doo Doo Funk All-Stars, and many more. In the last few years, Farnell has been touring with three-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter Jill Scott and with the Legendary rhinestone rock-star bassist Bootsy Collins. In previous years, Farnell has performed with musical artists including Lalah Hathaway, Ron Isley, R. Kelly, Cee Lo Green, Fantasia, Gladys Knight, Charlie Wilson, Chaka Khan, Najee, Will Downing, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire and many more.

Rebecca Sanborn began writing songs at six, starting an early pattern of creative straying from sheet music. The love affair with stories and music continued and at eighteen, she left her native Portland to study at the Contemporary Music Program at The College of Santa Fe, in New Mexico. Upon returning to the Northwest, Rebecca met her husband and musical partner, drummer Ji Tanzer. They are both members of the adventurous jazz quintet, Blue Cranes, the art pop trio Swansea, and Portland’s veteran indie group Loch Lomond. Rebecca also plays in the all-female, cape-wearing, fog-machine-loving synth trio, Eccoh Eccoh Eccoh with Kyleen King and Jenny Conlee-Drizos. When she is not playing music or teaching, she can be found chasing after her disco-obsessed three-year-old daughter or trying to get some sleep.

George Colligan is one of the great jazz pianists of his generation, earning an international reputation as multi-instrumentalist (drums, trumpet, organ, keyboards), composer, accompanist, teacher, bandleader, and blogger (jazztruth.blogspot.com). Winner of the 2015 DownBeat magazine Critics Poll (Keyboard), Colligan has had a long association with living jazz legend Jack DeJohnette; his recent tour took Colligan around the U.S. with An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover. He also toured the US and Canada as a leader with his trio featuring legends Buster Williams and Lenny White. With over 130 albums to date as an accompanist, Colligan has worked with a long list of jazz greats, including John Scofield, Buster Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, and many others. Colligan, a New York resident for 15 years, now lives in Portland, Oregon where he is an associate professor at Portland State University. He recently won the PSU College of The Arts Dean’s Council Award for Research, Scholarship and Creativity in 2020, and also won the Researcher of the Year Award from the PSU College Of The Arts in 2021. His latest album, Theoretical Planets: Long Term Goals (PJCE Records), is his 34th as a bandleader and features PSU faculty and alumni.

Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) is a jazz guitarist and composer who grew up in San Jose, California. Perhaps best-known for his compositional acumen, he is also well-known for his flexibility and range as guitarist. He is truly in his own space when exploring thought-provoking original material with exciting and sensitive collaborators. While living in New York, Meagher launched his debut album, Sun Resounding, which announced his arrival on the modern jazz scene. After the release of his second album, Atroefy, on Fresh Sound New Talent Records, Meagher relocated to Reno, Nevada in pursuit of his master of music degree from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). His third album, Tone, recorded in NYC in between semesters at UNR, received international critical acclaim. After completing his masters degree, Meagher relocated to Portland, Oregon where he quickly became a recognizable force in the creative music community. Meagher’s fourth album, Tango In the City of Roses, was released shortly after his move to Portland, and ever since he has been instrumental in expanding the local jazz scene. Meagher is a co-founder and the programming director of the Montavilla Jazz Festival. He is the director of operations for the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE), the director of PJCE Records, was previously the editor of the Jazzscene Magazine, and teaches at a number of institutions in the Portland metropolitan area. His fifth album, Mist. Moss. Home., was released in 2016 on PJCE Records. His two most recent albums, Lost Days, and Evil Twin were both released in 2018.

Call + Response featured artists:
Portland, Oregon-based drummer, composer, and educator Micah Hummel has established himself as an essential player in the creative music scene in the Pacific Northwest. After moving to Portland in 2013, he has become a first-call collaborator with artists including George Colligan, Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, Barra Brown, Machado Mijiga, Moorea Masa, Coco Columbia and others. Honing his craft throughout the last decade, he is known for his specialty in cross-genre sounds and contemporary jazz. He has performed in venues from Toronto and Beijing to Amsterdam, Berlin, and Vienna. He regularly performs with local projects including Sama Dams, Integer, and the Micah Hummel/Alex Mltzer Duo. Hummel is endorsed by Canopus Drums and Sunhouse Technologies. 

Jeff Oliver is a media educator, filmmaker, writer, and former stand-up comedian. He has appeared at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, on NPR’s Tell Me More, and once as a question on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me. Since 2012, he has been a teaching artist using PBL (Project Based Learning) to create short films with youth. In the Portland area, he has worked with: Open Signal, The Hollywood Theatre, Portland Center Stage, OMSI, Open School North, The Emerson School, Art4Life, and at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn. He spent seven summers teaching at Buck’s Rock Performing & Creative Arts Camp in New Milford, Connecticut. His documentary about the camp, A Summer To Discover, premiered in 2017. He is currently in pre-production for Redline, a Black horror film about gentrification.

Pacific Northwest performer, composer, and forward-thinking improviser Noah Simpson’s approach to the trumpet is modern, energetic, dynamic, and attentive. Early in his career, he performed in The Young Sounds of Arizona, The Paradise Valley Community College Monday Night Big Band, and many Scottsdale Community College combos. Later he attended Portland State University, studying with his mentors George Colligan and Darrell Grant. Simpson has worked with George Benson, Lewis Nash, Bernard Purdie, Alex Acuna, Ralph Peterson III, Jaleel Shaw, Sean Jones, and Dennis Rowland. He has toured the US with Ron Artis II, Climbing Poetree, The Polyphonic Spree, and Dirty Revival and has performed at The Nash, The 1905, Montavilla Jazz Festival, PDX Jazz Festival, Jack London Review, and the Creative Music Guild Outset Series. His recent work includes a feature on Barra Brown’s new single release, NOAH, and arranger credit on the PDX Jazz educational presentation, The American Refrain: Jazz and Modern Music.

Shilpa Sunthankar is a screenwriter, director, and producer with an affinity for stories about different cultures in coexistence, thanks to her background as an Indian-American woman raised in the “cowboy country” of Colorado. She graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts after interning for BBC London and attending the 35mm Filmmaking Master Class at FAMU in Prague. Her recent short film, Working Lunch (2018), inspired by the proliferation of hate graffiti after the 2016 US presidential election, premiered at the Toronto South Asian Film Festival and received a Regional Arts & Culture Council project grant. Her other short films, The Company of Thieves (2011) and Biography of an American Hostess (2004), have won awards including “Best Director” at the Los Angeles FirstGlance Film Festival, and have been licensed by the ShortsHD Channel, IndieFlix, and the CBC. Her feature script Seeta’s Demon (in production) was showcased at the C3 Conference at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Film Festival. She was awarded the SAGindie Fellowship to attend the 2019 Stowe Story Lab for developing her first feature film, Continental Divide, an outdoor thriller taking place on the US-Mexico border. 

An active performer of both jazz and classical music, Idit Shner has performed at The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center as well as The Diet Coke Woman in Jazz Festival (New York), the Belleayre Festival (New York), and the New Trier Jazz Festival (Illinois). Currently she performs and records with her quartet in Eugene and Portland, Oregon. Her debut jazz release, Tuesday’s Blues featuring nursery melodies from Jewish liturgy received critical acclaim from JazzTimes, All Music Guide, and Jazz Review. Her latest jazz release, 9 Short Stories, earned a 4-star review in Downbeat Magazine. As a classical saxophonist, she has commissioned and recorded new music and performed solo recitals in the US and Israel. Her third release, Le Merle Noir, featuring music by Messiaen, Bozza, Partos, and Glass, was released on Origin Classics in August 2013. Her recording, FISSURES: 20th Century Music for saxophone and Harp with renowned harpist Yumiko Schlaffer, was played on NPR’s All Things Considered. Her latest classical release is entitled MINERVA.

Deejuliano Scott is a self-taught filmmaker, editor, and producer based in Portland, Oregon. He manages Desert Island Studios, a film and photo studio that supports underserved members of the Portland arts community. His film credits include production work on Love, Cheryl (2018), film editor of the short film L’Ortolan (2020)–winner of “Most Original Concept” at the 2020 Portland Short Fest, film editor of the documentary Staying Connected (2021), and uncredited assistant editor on The Speed Cubers (2020) which made the Oscar Shortlist in 2021. Scott won “Best Editor” for the short film Vent (2020) at the Asian American Film Lab 72-Hour Shootout.

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