FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The 5th Anniversary Montavilla Jazz Festival Spotlights Musicians at Forefront of Portland’s Jazz Scene
Explore new frontiers in jazz with the most innovative and influential local artists
August 18–19, 2018, at Portland Metro Arts, day passes $15
PORTLAND, Oregon—August 8, 2018—What is jazz? More importantly, where is it headed? At the Montavilla Jazz Festival (MJF), the future of the art form is at the forefront of the experience. With Portland artists from across the spectrum of expression, attendees will hear musical pioneers exploring new frontiers in jazz.
Now in its fifth year, MJF 2018 takes place at comfortably air-conditioned Portland Metro Arts, 9003 SE Stark Street, Portland, Oregon on August 18–19, 2018. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, MJF’s mission is to support local artists while creating an accessible cultural experience for all. The full festival lineup, schedule, and ticketing information is available at www.montavillajazzfest.com.
Festival Details
- Location: Portland Metro Arts, 9003 SE Stark Street, Portland, Oregon, on August 18–19, 2018. Both days the doors and box office open at 1:00 pm, with the festival starting promptly at 1:30 p.m..
- Day Passes: General admission day passes will be available for purchase only at the box office during festival hours. General Admission Day Passes are $15, and a portion of ticket sales benefit the Montavilla Schools Music Fund. Youth 12 and under are admitted free.
- Presale Tickets: Limited Reserved ($25) and VIP Stageside tickets ($50) for individual concerts available for purchase online at: https://www.tickettomato.com/event_group/233/montavilla-jazz-festival-18
- Limited Reserved and VIP Stageside tickets also provide General Admission access to all other shows on the same day.
- Parking: To help meet our urban sustainability goals, attendees are encouraged to use public and alternative transportation options. On-street parking is available in the neighborhood surrounding Portland Metro Arts.
Montavilla Jazz Festival 2018 Features Local Artists with World-Class Talent
“The artists featured at this year’s festival are truly creating new frontiers in jazz,” said Ryan Meagher, programming director of MJF. “Our goal is to support local jazz artists and provide a wonderful cultural experience for the community while shining a light on the need for music education. With the support of the Montavilla community, donors, festival sponsors, and the work of many volunteers, we are honored to present a dynamic music festival that is as unique as the city of Portland.”
Several extraordinary local musicians will perform new compositions as well as host visiting world-class musicians in their ensembles at MJF 2018. Check out the full artist schedule below and visit montavillajazzfest.com for more information on the artists performing at MJF 2018.
Festival headliner, jazz pianist, Randy Porter has a refined understanding of improvisation and the spontaneous communication among musicians. Jazz writer and radio host Lynn Darroch stated, “Porter has built a reputation as a musician’s musician, a knowledgeable, inventive, and sophisticated player with a remarkable sense of time and gorgeous keyboard facility.”
Nominated for the 60th Grammy Awards, Porter’s recent release Porter Plays Porter with vocalist Nancy King is a mix of swing, harmony, and lyrical adventure. In the spirit of Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson, King’s vocal stylings are interspersed with instrumental tracks featuring the Randy Porter Trio. John Wiitala on bass will be joined by guest Portland legend Alan Jones (replacing Todd Strait) on drums for Porter’s MJF 2018 performance.
Nancy King has been called everything from a “cult figure” and an “uncompromising artist” (Earshot Jazz) to “the greatest living jazz singer” (Herb Ellis). As one of the few improvisers in vocal jazz to master the vocabulary, King has “indefatigable scat chops and a remarkably elastic range” (the Oregonian).
Additionally, top artists on the Portland jazz scene will be performing throughout the festival. Highlights include Nicole Glover Quartet; Dmitri Matheny and Darrell Grant; Farnell Newton; and James Miley with the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE).
“Artistic expression is the foundation of a free-thinking and culturally rich society,” said Douglas Detrick, executive director of PJCE. “What we love about the Montavilla Jazz Festival is the encouragement from the community to take risks, explore new territories, and express ideas that can resonate across boundaries.”
PJCE will perform with award-winning composer James Miley and unveil his new composition, Watershed Suite. Miley’s new work honors Oregon’s diverse waterways, from the mighty Columbia to the serenity of Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge.
Schedule of Artists: Montavilla Jazz Festival 2018
Saturday, August 18, 2018 (doors open at 1:00 pm)
- 1:30 p.m. – Shao Way Wu: Salting
Lineup: Shao Way Wu, bass; Randy Porter, piano; Jason Palmer, drums. - 2:50 p.m. – George Colligan: Other Barry
Lineup: George Colligan, keyboards; Enzo Irace, guitar; Micah Hummel, drums. - 4:10 p.m. – Ryan Meagher’s Evil Twin
Lineup: Ryan Meagher and Mike Gamble, guitars; Tim Willcox, tenor sax; Lee Elderton, woodwinds; Charlie Doggett and Tim DuRoche, drums. - 5:30 p.m. – PJCE featuring James Miley: Watershed Suite
Lineup: Ian Christensen, soprano sax; Idit Shner, alto sax, clarinet; Tim Willcox, tenor sax; Andy Rayborn, bari sax, bass clarinet; Thomas Barber, trumpet; Douglas Detrick, trumpet; Matt Hettwer, trombone; Denzel Mendoza, trombone; James Miley, composition, piano; Ryan Meagher, guitar; Andrew Jones, bass; Jonas Oglesbee, drums. - 6:50 p.m. – Farnell Newton: Evolution
Lineup: Farnell Newton, trumpet; Kyle Molitor, trombone; Charlie Brown III, piano; Peter Knudsen, bass; Tyrone Hendrix, drums. - 8:10 p.m. – Nicole Glover Quartet
Lineup: Nicole Glover, tenor sax; George Colligan, piano; Jon Lakey, bass; Alan Jones, drums.
Sunday, August 19, 2018 (doors open at 1:00 pm)
- 1:30 p.m. – Alan Jones: Social Music
Lineup: Alan Jones, drums; Joe Manis, tenor sax; Randy Porter, piano; Jon Lakey, bass. - 2:50 p.m. – Christopher Brown: Art of the Dialog
Lineup: Christopher Brown, drums; John Nastos, alto sax; George Colligan, piano; David Captein, bass. - 4:10 p.m. – Creative Music Guild: Sound Foundry
Lineup: Jimmie Herrod, vocals; John Savage, reeds; Mike Gamble, guitar; Andrew Jones, bass; Chris Johnedis, drums. - 5:30 p.m. – Tim Willcox: Superjazzers
Lineup: Tim Willcox, tenor sax; David Goldblatt, piano; Bill Athens, bass; Charlie Doggett, drums. - 6:50 p.m. – Dmitri Matheny and Darrell Grant
Lineup: Dmitri Matheny, trumpet, Darrell Grant, piano; Eric Gruber, bass; Michael Raynor, drums. - 8:10 p.m. – Randy Porter Trio with Nancy King
Lineup: Randy Porter, piano; Nancy King, vocals; John Wiitala, bass; Alan Jones, drums.
Back in 2018! Jazz Lounge & PROWUS Student Stage
With the support of our generous Jazz Lounge and Student Stage sponsors PROWUS, East Glisan Pizza Lounge, Montavilla Brew Works, and Teutonic Wine Company, Montavilla Jazz Festival 2018 is excited to present performances by talented rising young local musicians. Student performances will be scheduled throughout both days of the festival inside Portland Metro Arts in our air-conditioned Jazz Lounge!
Enjoy handcrafted pizza by East Glisan Pizza Lounge and award-winning beer brewed by Montavilla Brew Works while listening to the next generation of local jazz artists perform between Main Stage sets.
Beverages are permitted in the air-conditioned Main Stage theater performance space and the Jazz Lounge.
Saturday Night After-Hours Jam Session at East Glisan Pizza
To celebrate the community spirit of the festival, we continue the tradition of hosting an after-hours jam session at East Glisan Pizza Lounge on Saturday (8/18) evening from 9:00 pm to midnight.
The session will be hosted by the Alan Jones Academy of Music as part of the acclaimed AJAM series of jam sessions and educational events. Musicians from across the city are encouraged to participate, with many festival performers participating on stage and hanging out in the audience.
East Glisan Pizza Lounge is located at 8001 NE Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97213.
Arts for All and Work for Art Programs Make the Festival Accessible to Everyone
As one of America’s original art forms, jazz music has a strong legacy of being created by the people, for the people. It is important for the Montavilla Jazz Festival to continue the tradition by helping to make the festival accessible to everyone.
The Montavilla Jazz Festival is proud to be a member of the Arts for All program, administered by the Regional Arts and Culture Council. Everyone enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is eligible to purchase up to two (2) Montavilla Jazz Festival passes for $5 per pass when they present their SNAP Oregon Trail Card at the box office.
Work for Art is a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region. Work for Art’s Arts cardholders can get 2-for-1 General Admission Passes (subject to availability).
TICKETS: Passes at the box office during festival hours with Arts Card and Photo ID. Re-entry is not guaranteed. No refunds.
Community Support for Arts and Education
We are delighted that Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association is a lead sponsor of Montavilla Jazz Festival 2018. Our shared vision of community building and support for youth education initiatives, like our Montavilla Schools Music Fund, is a perfect match for the festival and provides critical support for local budding artists. Together, we are supporting a thriving, diverse community. We thank the Montavilla business community for their support, along with more than 75 sponsors of the festival, including our lead partners, KMHD Jazz Radio (89.1 FM), The Skanner, Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, and our Main Stage sponsors, Portland Piano Company, Sound Doctor PDX, and Revival Drum Shop.
In addition to an incredible lineup of emcees to support the event onsite, we are honored to have former NAACP Portland Branch president, Jo Ann Hardesty; Oregon House Member, Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer; Matt Fleeger, Programming Director, KMHD Jazz Radio (89.1 FM); and Stephen Rice, President, Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, join us at the festival as special guest speakers. The broad support from both the public and private sector, along with individual donors, volunteers, sponsors, and partners is a strong indication of the overwhelmingly positive support and sense of community in East Portland.
Get Involved and Stay Connected
If you are interested in getting involved in the festival for sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, please use the contact information listed below. A healthy artistic community creates a vibrant and open society. Please join us at the festival and support local jazz!
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- For more information: www.montavillajazzfest.com and www.facebook.com/montavillajazzfestival.
- Purchase Limited Reserved and VIP Stageside tickets: https://www.tickettomato.com/event_group/233/montavilla-jazz-festival-18
About Montavilla Jazz Festival
The Montavilla Jazz Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports and strengthens local music culture and enriches the community by showcasing the best of Portland’s originally composed, progressive jazz.
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