Jazz in Portland
by Lynn Darroch
Maybe it’s something in the water — or just all the water everywhere — that makes jazz in Portland as distinct as its landscape and culture. Whether the style is gypsy swing or avant-garde, chamber, funk or straight-ahead, this rainy city has shaped its music just as Southern California or the Mississippi Delta influenced music made there.
Jazz in Portland grew up far from centers of influence and power, in a deepwater port with rough and tumble origins, a small African-American population, and an economy shaped by the water and mountains that surround it. The scene developed slowly in the 1930s, then exploded in the 1940s, when work in the shipyards and other wartime industries brought thousands of African Americans to the area and the entertainment district they created along Williams Avenue became the catalyst for a distinct Portland approach — a cooperative scene where craft is respected and history honored, young talent nurtured, and nice guys often finish first.
Over time, a certain kind of artist has chosen to settle or remain here, often those who value the isolation and independence it offers, the do-it-yourself attitude it encourages, and the easy access to the natural world. Of course artists in Portland are influenced by music made elsewhere and work within a tradition that originated in other places. And musicians who migrated to the city have also brought outside influences.
But not everyone chooses to come. And those you work with everyday leave the deepest mark. So whether they are immigrant or native born, it’s the values Portland artists share that have determined the character of this jazz scene.
“You can’t stay here if you’re ever going to make it big,” said trumpeter Floyd Standifer, who grew up in Gresham and later worked with Quincy Jones. “But if you’re looking for someplace where life can mean something, you come here.”
Photo by Kathryn Elsesser.
Credits
Board of Directors
Neil Mattson—Executive Director
Marcia Hocker—Vice President
Nancy Mitchell—Secretary
Steve Mitchell—Treasurer
Kim Harrison
Katherine Sharp
Resource Council
Douglas Detrick—Substrate Arts Consulting
Darrell Grant—PSU
Fritz Hirsch—Founder
Amy Maxwell—Ticket Tomato
Pancho Savery—Reed College
George Thorn—RACC
With support from:
Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation
Ron & Jean Boesl
Oregon Cultural Trust
Malarkey Family Foundation
Portland Events & Film
Accelerator Design Studios, Inc.
Regional Arts & Culture Council
Metro Regional Government
Mr. Plywood
Oregon Community Foundation
Joan & Jerry Mattson
State of Oregon
Oregon Arts Commission
US Small Business Administration
James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation
Washman LLC
Katherine Mattson
Autzen Foundation
New Music USA
Montavilla Sewing Centers
City of Portland
Sami Khawaja
OnPoint Community Credit Union
Elizabeth Booher
East Glisan Pizza Lounge
Riverview Bank
Fix Auto
Truman Heartland Community Foundation
Portland State University
Randy P. Lifshotz
Douglas Detrick
Vestal Elementary
Barbara Newell
Bipartisian Cafe
Eric Busch
Joel Newman
Mt. Tabor Middle School Foundation