Brandee Younger photo by Daniel Sheehan
February 17–26
Multiple Venues
Portland, OR
$0-50
BY REBECCA JANE
Portland’s 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz festival will offer 11 days of a wide variety of performances. Like years past, this year promises a showcase of music innovation at its finest. Artists and Grammy Award-winning masters will pay tribute to African American history, celebrating the heritage of Black music, and honoring jazz’s roots. In Portland today, individual expressions and selfless collaborations exhibit jazz as a mature institution, America’s gift to world culture.
Art Blakey once said, “Jazz washes away the dust on everyday life.” These hard times we’re living through have kicked up plenty of dust. Let it be washed away by this festival’s marvelous line-up of music masters, ranging from the intimacy and lyricism of a solo piano performance by Brad Mehldau to the richly emotional clarinet of Angel Bat Dawid. Vocalist, Rebecca Kilgore will join pianist Darrell Grant for the inaugural PDX Jazz First Call showcase.
On day two of the festival, The Ron Carter Trio and Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra will offer legendary performances at the Newmark Theatre, and the eclectic and brilliant Diane Schuur will perform at the Winningstad Theatre. And, prepare to be confounded by the technique of Marc Ribot on solo guitar at the Jack London Revue. Don’t miss memorable performances by Gary Bartz, Max Ribner, MNDSGN, The Rare Pleasures, and Omari Jazz. They all promise to deliver energy, musicianship, and creative force directly to listeners’ hearts and souls at a variety of venues. All this, plus the spiritual, improvisational, space collages of Carlos Niños and Friends performing unreleased music with a DJ set dance accompaniment at Mississippi Studios.
Chicago-based “bleeding edge” drummer, producer, and beat scientist, Makaya McCraven, will perform two nights at the Star Theater. The festival welcomes Flor de Toloache, the all-female Mariachi sensation. Also, don’t miss the intriguing, fresh talent of Laufey who combines sophisticated jazz melodies with slow-burning R&B grooves at the Jack London Revue on February 20. February 21–25 offers performances by the highly anticipated Marquis Hill, Immanuel Wilkins, The Cookers, Brandee Younger, Sasha Berliner, Eric Krasno, The Mel Brown B3 Organ Group, and many more.
Bringing the festival to a close on February 28 is a free, all-ages album release show at the Alberta Abbey. Portland’s beloved Blue Cranes, who are never afraid to push music into new territory of collaboration and discovery, will present their latest record Voices.
PDX Jazz follows all COVID-19 health and safety guidelines as “issued by public authorities and the venues that host our events. Mandatory mask wearing, proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test and seating limitations will likely apply to performances”. Visit pdxjazz.org for tickets, as well as, an entire calendar of events, jazz education resources, interviews, podcasts, and more.
Sidebar
Discount for Earshot Jazz Members
PDX Jazz is offering an exclusive discount to Earshot Jazz Members for the upcoming Seattle Robert Glasper show at the Moore Theatre on February 27. Our members save $5 per each advance ticket purchased. The password is “earshot22”. This password will unlock the discounted pricing on the ticketing page, which can be purchased up to the day of show. Visit the following link for more details: stgpresents.org/calendar/12757/robert-glasper. This Event is presented by PDX Jazz and STG Presents.
