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PDX Jazz 2011 Theme
Portland Jazz Festival (aka PDX Jazz) has announced their 2011 theme:
BRIDGES AND BOUNDARIES:
JEWISH & AFRICAN AMERICANS PLAYING JAZZ TOGETHERFESTIVAL HEADLINERS INCLUDE: ESPERANZA SPALDING, SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE featuring STEVIE WONDER’s catalog, REGINA CARTER, AND JOSHUA REDMAN
February 18 through 27
Past, present and future collaboration between African Americans and Jewish Americans is the message behind Bridges and Boundaries: Jewish & African Americans Playing Jazz Together, the theme of the 2011 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank. The festival, which annually selects a compelling musical and programming theme, will be held Friday, February 18 through Sunday, February 27 at venues throughout Portland. The complete festival lineup will be announced on October 13 when single show and special package tickets go on sale exclusively to PDX Jazz members. Tickets will become available to the general public on October 23.
A select few of this year’s culturally diverse headliners include Avishai Cohen, the Israeli trumpeter, one of the leading players in the new all-star SFJAZZ Collective, performing the work of African American pop icon Stevie Wonder. Cohen will also be joined by his siblings Anat Cohen and Yuval Cohen for a special performance of The 3 Cohens. Famed African American violinist Regina Carter will return to Portland, presenting her newest project, Reverse Threads, which traces the musical history of African cultures, including tribes of Ugandan Jews. And, Joshua Redman, son of African American saxophonist Dewey Redman and Jewish American dancer Renee Shedroff, leading his new James Farm Quartet that includes both African American and Jewish American musicians.
African and Jewish American community leaders, Portland Jazz Festival’s new Artistic & Community Ambassador Esperanza Spalding (who will lead her new Chamber Music Society in an exclusive Portland area engagement), and many other artists will participate and interact in panel discussions and “Jazz Conversations” focusing on artistic and social perspectives. National jazz journalists, writers, and critics-including Nat Hentoff-will also participate in these events.
For a complete schedule of events, please visit:
I’m excited about the SF Jazz Collective and their 2011 Stevie Wonder theme (though it won’t have Dave Douglas and Joe Lovano this year), but I’m mainly excited about Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. Holy cow, they’re good.
PDX Jazz Fest // Nellie McKay
Two unrelated news items…
PDX Jazz Fest is just over 6 weeks away… if you like live music and live anywhere near Portland, Oregon, you need to check this out. It’s a great festival. This year’s line-up is pretty darn excellent, if you ask me. I’m hitting three of them (Holland, Sanders & Douglas)…
Headliners
Thursday, February 25 – Luciana Souza
Friday, February 26 – Mingus Big Band
Saturday, February 27 (3pm) – Trygve Seim & Frode Haltli
Saturday, February 27 (7:30) – Dave Holland Quintet *
Sunday, February 28 (3pm) – Pharoah Sanders *
Sunday, February 28 (7:30) – Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy *
The whole week of Feb 21-28 (2010) is full of other great local and national jazz artists as well… all over town. For tickets and more information: http://www.pdxjazz.com/
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Nellie McKay has released a few 2010 tour dates on her webpage (very scattered so far). The Seattle date is with Garrison Keillor‘s A Prairie Home Companion… fuuuun. I’m planning to make the trek up to that show.
- 1/7/2010 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
- 2/18/2010 New York, NY The Allen Room at Lincoln Center
- 4/3/2010 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater – A Prairie Home Companion
- 4/10/2010 Delaware Water Gap, PA Deerhead Inn
- 6/1/2010 New York, NY Feinstein’s at The Regency
- 9/17/2010 Monterey, California, United States Monterey Jazz Festival
I’m sure more dates will trickle in throughout the year. Go to her tour page for more info.
Portland Jazz Fest 2010 – huzzah!!!
OYG! The headlining line-up for this coming year’s Portland Jazz Festival is rad.
Thursday, February 25, 7:30pm, Hilton Pavilion Ballroom, Luciana Souza
Friday, February 26, 7:30pm, Newmark Theater, Mingus Big Band
Friday, February 26, 9:30 pm, Norse Hall, In The Country
Saturday, February 27, 3:00pm, Norse Hall, Trygve Seim & Frode Haltli
Saturday, February 27, 7:30pm, Newmark Theater, Dave Holland Quintet
Saturday, February 27, 9:30 pm, Norse Hall, Christian Wallumrød Ensemble
Sunday, February 28, 3:00pm, Newmark Theater, Pharoah Sanders
Sunday, February 28, 7:30pm, Crystal Ballroom, Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy
I’m definitely going to the Dave Douglas show… and the other bold shows are definitely good possibilities. More acts to follow in the coming months. The festival runs February 22-28, 2010.
Tickets go on-sale October 27th at TicketMaster (or October 14th – 10am if you are a PDX Jazz member).
Find out more at:
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A totally unrelated sidenote… Texas band of rock siblings Eisley just released a new EP called Fire Kite (digital only, out Oct 9th). Album cover looks Jebus-y (or at least it’s geometrically-inclined with potentially religious ambivalence)… DL’ing now… we shall see…