Portland Jazz Festival

Ron Thorne · January-26th-2007, 05:00 PM

I hope this isn't a duplicate, though I couldn't locate another. This young festival seems to really be putting things together nicely. And, Portland, Oregon is a pretty hip city to visit, too.

In this issue:
Don Byron's Rhythm and Blues
Sold Out Shows & Train
Discover! Maurice Brown
Travel Needs

Book you hotel today!
Tickets selling fast!
Wanna Volunteer?

Portland Jazz Festival 2007 - News 01.26.07
Don Byron's Rhythm & Blues
"Calling Don Byron a jazz musician is like calling the Pacific wet it just doesn't begin to describe it... Byron has carpentered an extraordinary career precisely by obliterating the very idea of category." - TIME Magazine

Don Byron has been consistently voted best clarinetist by critics and readers alike in leading international music journals since being named "Jazz Artist of the Year" by Down Beat in 1992. Continually striving for what he calls "a sound above genre", Byron has created a unique musical aesthetic in a wide range of contexts over the years.
In December 2005, Don Byron launched a new group dedicated to the music of soul legend, saxophonist and singer Junior Walker. Featuring Byron on tenor saxophone, Dean Bowman on vocals, guitarist David Gilmore, George Colligan on Hammond B-3 organ, bassist Brad Jones , and Rodney Holmes on drums, the group recently recorded a new album, Don's sixth for Blue Note Records.. Singer/guitarist Chris Thomas King appears as special guest on several tracks. Entitled "Do The Boomerang," the new CD contains covers of several of Junior Walker's biggest hits, including "Shotgun," "Roadrunner," and "What does it take to win your Love," as well as a version of James Brown's "There It Is."
Born and raised in the Bronx, Byron was exposed to a wide variety of music at home by his father, who played bass in calypso bands, and his mother, a pianist. His taste was further refined by trips to the symphony and ballet and by many hours spent listening to Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Machito recordings. Byron formalized his music education by studying classical clarinet with Joe Allard while playing and arranging salsa numbers for high school bands on the side. He later studied with George Russel in the Third Stream Department of the New England Conservatory of Music and, while in Boston, also performed with Latin and jazz ensembles.
His artistic collaborations include performances and recordings with Mario Bauza, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, John Hicks, Tom Cora, Marc Ribot, Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen (performing at the Portland Jazz Festival Sat. Feb. 17 at 1:00 PM), Reggie Workman, Craig Harris, Leroy Jenkins, Bobby Previte, Gerry Hemingway, DD Jackson, Brandon Ross, Steve Coleman , David Murray, Living Colour, Ralph Peterson, Uri Caine, Mandy Patinkin, Steve Lacy, the Kansas City Allstars, the Bang On A Can All-Stars, Angelique Kidjo Carole King, Joe Henry, and many others.

Clarinetist and composer Byron has a knack for addressing varied genres in both celebratory and extended ways. Whether dealing with klezmer, cartoon music, or, arias he is full of brainy delights. – Entertainment Weekly

… a smoking slab of greasy soul with a jazzman's sense of adventure." - All Music Guide, Billboard.com

LISTEN TO DON BYRON'S "Do The Boomerang"

BUY TICKETS TO DON BYRON – SAT. FEB. 17 – 7:30 P.M.

LISTEN TO DON BYRON on NPR's FRESH AIRE

SOLD OUT SHOW & TRAIN

Reserved seats this year have created an incentive to buy early. And three weeks out from the Festival starting - Branford Marsalis has sold out. Other great news on that front is the KPLU Jazz Train coming down from all points north, originating in Bellingham, Washington, has also sold out. Don't miss your chance to see the top artists coming to the 2007 Portland Jazz Festival – BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Discover! - Maurice Brown
"Maurice Brown is one of the most exciting young trumpeters in jazz be it New Orleans or New York. His improvisations are fresh, his chops dynamic and he's writing what could very well become a new generation of hard-bop-meets-new-grooves standards," wrote Jason Koransky, DownBeat Magazine.

Friday, February 16 at Jimmy Mak's, raising star, trumpeter Maurice Brown will perform with his group here from New Orleans as the first of a series of concerts titled - the Discover! Series. Born on January 6, 1981, in the south suburb of ChicagoHarvey, Illinois, Maurice showed a remarkable affinity for the trumpet at an early age. Brown was invited to perform with composer/pianist Ramsey Lewis at the Symphony Center in Chicago while still attending Hillcrest High School. Following graduation, he was awarded a full music scholarship at Northern Illinois University.
In 2001 Brown won first place in the National Miles Davis Trumpet Competition. He later continued his studies at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he worked with famed clarinetist, educator and mentor, Snug Harbor. And consider thisthe only other names that hold down a coveted weekly spot at Snug are Marsalis and Neville.
Maurice has played with numerous jazz veterans, including Ellis Marsalis, Clark Terry, Johnny Griffin, Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Billy Taylor, Mulgrew Miller and others. He has also recorded with many artists, including Curtis Fuller, Fred Anderson, and Roy Hargrove, (performing at the Portland Jazz Festival – Fri. Feb. 23 at 8 PM among many others most recently with Portland's own Devin Phillips recent release Wade in the Water.
In 2004, Maurice self-produced his debut album, Hip to Bop. After Hurricane Katrina, Maurice relocated to New York City. Currently, he is scoring the film, "House of Malik."
An equally masterful trumpeter, composer, producer and bandleader at just 25 years old, Maurice Brown is sure to make an influential mark on jazz and the world beyond for many years to come. As trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard stated, "Maurice Brown is one of the most talented of his generation. He has the vision to bring a new voice, not only to his instrument, but to jazz in general."
Tickets are available at all TicketsWest outlets or by phone at 503-224-TIXX (8499)/ 800.992.TIXX (8499). Maurice will perform at two separate performances, 9 PM and 11 PM. For reservations at Jimmy Mak's call 503-295-6542. Plus don't miss the three additional Discover! Series artists, Sophie Faught (2/17), Monnette Sudler (2/23)or Amina Figarova (2/24).

BUY TICKETS TO MAURICE BROWN

LISTEN TO MAURICE BROWN

Last Minute Travel
Premiere Travel Agency - Azumano Travel at your service

Just realizing February starts next week and you need to make travel arrangements to Portland - no worries! The friendly, customer-service oriented specialists at Azumano Travel are happy to help with airline tickets and hotel accomodations. Their experts can help create the best packages for you! Call Azumano Travel at 503-294-2000 at be sure and mention you are traveling in conjunction with the Jazz Festival. (Portland Jazz Festival events are held within Downtown Portland). For more informatoin on Azumano Travel visit azumano.com

Ron Thorne · February-9th-2007, 01:31 AM

Update from an e-mail today.

In this issue:
Dave Douglas
Trygve Seim
Umpqua Bank
Royton's Rant

Book you hotel today!
Tickets selling fast!
Wanna Volunteer?

Portland Jazz Festival 2007 - News 02.08.07
Dave Douglas
Will this award winning trumpeters well of inspiration never run dry?

Dave Douglas is widely recognized as one of the most important and original American musicians to emerge from the jazz and improvised music scene of the last decades. Come and see why Saturday, February 17 at 9:30 PM at the Hilton Pavilion. His collaborations as a trumpeter read like a who's who of important contemporary artists: John Zorn, Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, Don Byron, Fred Hersch, Andy Bey, Tim Berne, Tom Waits, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Misha Mengelberg, Chris Potter, Uri Caine, and many others. Douglas' work as a composer, performer, educator, and organizer includes an astonishing array of artistic activities:
… Since 1993 Dave has recorded and released 21 albums of original music, and has appeared on over one hundred recordings.
… In March 2003 Dave celebrated his 40th birthday with a New York retrospective at the Jazz Standard that presented 10 of his different ensembles.
… Since 2003 Dave has served as artistic director of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, collaborating in performances and master classes with John Abercrombie, George Lewis, Jason Moran, Mark Turner, and many others.
For the past half decade Dave Douglas has repeatedly been named trumpeter, composer, and jazz artist of the year by such organizations as the New York Jazz Awards, Down Beat, Jazz Times, and Jazziz, .
Born March 24, 1963, in Montclair, New Jersey, Douglas grew up in the New York Metropolitan area. He started playing piano at age five and trombone at seven before discovering the trumpet two years later. He learned jazz and classical harmony in high school and began playing improvised music as an exchange student in Barcelona, Spain in 1978. From 1981 to 1983, Douglas studied in Boston at the Berklee School of Music and the New England Conservatory. He cites Igor Stravinsky, John Coltrane, and Stevie Wonder as primary influences on his music. Moving to New York City in 1984, he attended New York University, studying trumpet with Carmine Caruso, and performed around the city with jazz, funk and experimental music groups.

LISTEN TO DAVE DOUGLAS' LATEST ALBUM, Meaning and Mystery
BUY TICKETS TO DAVE DOUGLAS, SAT. FEB. 17, 9:30 PM at the Hilton Pavilion.
WATCH DAVE DOUGLAS on YOUTUBE

Trygve Seim
"In this age of rhythm, Seim's music takes an almost contrary stance, dedicating itself to melody, timbre and the utmost refinements of tone and weight....

If you're looking for that one show, something extra special during the Festival – this is the one concert you will not want to miss . As part of the series of events titled Crystal Silence – The Story of ECM Records, this Saturday, February 17 North American Premiere in the 1st Congregational Church of Trygve Seim with his 10-piece ensemble, sans piano and bass and with only minimal percussion is going to be pure bliss.

One of the new leaders of contemporary European jazz, Trygve Seim describes his orchestral work as Sangam which means "coming together", "confluence of a learned gathering," or literally "the meeting point of three rivers" in Sanskrit. Interpret that literally in Trygve Seim's case and the different rivers might symbolize the cross-referencing of jazz, contemporary composition and diverse world folk traditions in his work. On Sangam, , the second ECM album issued under his name, the Norwegian saxophonist draws inspiration from musical and non-musical sources both local and far-flung, bringing these influences to bear on compositions and arrangements that are uniquely personal.

"Destined to be one of ECM's classic," John Fordham predicted in The Guardian. "At times Trygve Seim sounds like no sax player you've ever heard – more like wind in the trees, or wooden flutes... An extended band delivers a remarkable sequence of tone trances, at times faintly suggestive of Carla Bley and Gil Evans, but based on small melodic motifs, given strength and mesmeric fascination by progressive harmonic overlays and tonal variation". "An astonishing ECM debut," Richard Cook concurred in Jazz Review.

The compatible match between Seim's musical values and the label's is not coincidental. "ECM's productions have been a huge influence on me," Seim stated in the Scanorama. A central figure in the 'second generation' of Norwegian musicians who have taken their artistic lead from the directions ECM signposted in the 70s and 80s, Seim was just 13 when he experienced a musical awakening upon hearing Nordic sax legend Jan Garbarek: "I couldn't believe a saxophone could sound like that!" He immediately began playing sax – taking up (like Garbarek) both the tenor and the curved soprano – but was soon quickly moving beyond his initial inspiration. If the now-characteristic "Nordic" cry is part of his sound, many other elements have been assimilated. The jazz of Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler had a major liberating impact while he was studying in Trondheim. Seim also acquired a passion for the music of the Far East, especially the flute traditions of Asia (the duduk, the shakuhachi) and Eastern vocal music generally. An interest in Buddhism, too, has left its imprint on his music – the idea of breath is central to his compositions. For all its sensitive arrangements, the music is strong, not fragile, as European audiences enthusiastically confirm and American's are savor. Trygve Seim's performance is proudly supported by ECM Records and Lufthansa.

BUY TICKETS TO TRYGVE SEIM, Saturday, February 17 at 4:30 PM at the 1st Congregational Church.

READ ALL ABOUT JAZZ – VANGUARD OF A NEW WAVE

LISTEN TO TRYGVE SEIM

Umpqua Bank
Discover! Local Music an extention of their philosopy

The largest independent community bank in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, offers Discover Local Music, a music-on-demand project and online music store, Umpquamusic.com . Umpqua's Discover Local Music project identifies high-quality independent musicians throughout the West Coast and makes their music available online and in Umpqua's more than 100 stores. Continuing in their support of local music, Umpqua Bank is sponsoring Discover! Local Jazz - a series of 15 performances at no charge taking place at various venues, spotlighting Northwest jazz artists. Artists slated for this series include More Zero (Seattle), October Trio (Vancouver), Jeff Baker (Boise), Mood Area 52 (Eugene), plus such diverse Portland artists as Stephanie Schneiderman; Farnell Newton; John Gross/Dave Frishberg/Charlie Doggett Trio; PDXV featuring Dick Titterington, Rob Davis, Greg Goebel, Dave Captien and Charlie Doggett; The H Duo; Mary Kadderly; Jesse Young; Tom Sandhal; Stolen Sweets; and a series of performances by a new Portland jazz collective of young artists, nextgenjazz.
Don't miss these Discover! Local Jazz performances being held at the Daily Grill at the Portland Westin, Riverplace Hotel's Three Degrees Bar & Restaurant, Paramount Hotel, 5th Avenue Suites, Shula's Steakhouse at the Portland Marriott on Broadway, Hilton Portland, and the Rogue Ales Public House & Distillery. But if you have to, you can still make your custom CD at Umpquamusic.com.

In addition to the regional offerings, the Discover! Concerts will spotlight 4 international, emerging artists, including Maurice Brown (New Orleans), Sophie Faught (Indiana), Monnette Sudler (Philadelphia) [pictured left], and Amina Figarova (The Netherlands). Each concert has 2 separate performances at 9:00 & 11:00 PM at Jimmy Mak's. Tickets are available at TicketsWest.com.

Royston's Rant
Just days away.....
PDX Jazz is just one week away and I'm trying to slow down long enough to collect some thoughts and send them on to you for our next e-newsletter. It's getting harder to slow down in order to compose, so in the spirit of the music, please accept these short improvisations… I don't realize how much I miss New York until I'm back there. The IAJE jazz convention last month drew nearly 5,000 students, musicians, and jazz industry types from around the world. As always, it's great to see old friends and experience new music, but the deaths of Mike Brecker and Alice Coltrane put a pall over the whole affair. Much later that evening, Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra did a musical eulogy that was almost too emotional to witness… Earlier, got to hear the Mingus Legacy at the Iridium with two smoking sets from a 10-piece bandlarger than the more swinging Mingus Dynasty and smaller, but far more potent, than the Mingus Big Band. I've always thought that the Dave Holland Big Band sounds more like a Mingus Big Band than the Mingus Big Band… Also, saw great sets with Steve Wilson's quartet and a truly memorable set with Nancy King & Geoff Keezer both at the Jazz Standard showcasing the MaxJazz label stalwarts. Seemed strange to go all the way to NY from PDX to see Portland's jazz treasure Nancy King… She also sat in with Thara Memory at a performance a rousing performance by the Mt. Hood Community College Jazz Band… Saw the first set at the Vanguard with "Fly," ( hear FLY new piano-less trio with under-rated sax man Mark Turner with Jeff Ballard and Larry Grenadierthink Brad Mehldau's new rhythm section without Brad and replaced by Mark on sax. Some enterprising jazz recording company should think of signing and recording this very cerebral trio… The highlight of the trip, however, was getting to meet

Manfred Eicher, founder-visionary of ECM. Manfred had come to New York to appear for the first time at the convention, but had to abruptly return to Germany for an emergency. Lucky for us, he graciously took an hour before his departure to meet with Sarah and I about our upcoming project Crystal SilenceThe Story of ECM Records. Sitting in the green room at Avitar Studios, Manfred is one of the most intriguing people that I've ever metintrospective, assertive, fully aware of every detail and every decision, and it's obvious that he really is a visionary. His vision extends throughout all of the artistic senses. Speaking with Manfred, you quickly realize that he determines the look, the feel, and the complete sound of ECM. It's not a coincidence that ECM is a European label. Manfred is a modern maestro--seeing, feeling, and completely believing in the artistic picture. My hour with Manfred reaffirms my personal belief that democracy doesn't belong in the arts. Call it "old school," but artistic decisions are made by artists. The rest of us are only there to support the artistic vision and its eventual process and product… Came back to Portland and discovered that Branford Marsalis is sold out.
Will Calhoun, best known as the industrial-strength percussive wizard from In Living Colour, will be sitting in the drum chair when Don Byron comes to town to "Do The Boomerang" with the music of Junior Walker… Ticket updates and storm warnings: Beside Branford, I'd expect to face advance sellouts for Dave Douglas, Tomasz Stanko, and Kurt Elling & Patricia Barber. If these are must-see shows on your list, don't wait to get these tickets… The same is true if you want good seats to be able to both see and hear Chick Corea & Gary Burton. The Schnitzer Hall seats over 2,500, but (for a jazz concert in Portland!) we're getting close to 2,000 sold!... If it was me, and I was filling out my festival schedule, nothing would make me miss either Diego Ramirez or Trygve Seimboth on Saturday afternoon of the first weekend. Sarah and I literally discovered Diego playing an old, beat-up Roland electric keyboard on the beach at Cabo when we were producing a Cabo Jazz Festival. We're always looking for new, regional talent when we travel, but we were warned that there was no local jazz in Cabo. Well, we found jazz at the Office, which is a little club located right in the sand on the Sea of Cortez. I invited Diego to perform months later as an opening act in Cabo for Regina Carter. When Diego saw an acoustic piano on the stage he was ecstatic, and I must admit that I wasn't too excited about the quality of grand pianos in Cabo! It was one of his first opportunities to play a ‘real' piano, and when he sat down everything stopped. The technicians paused, the surfers behind us did double-takes, and even the distant "Booze Cruises" out in the distance seemed to less rowdy Diego knocked our socks off! Even Regina and her New York band watched in awe. During her performance, Regina invited Diego up to do a duo, which turned into a jam session, which lasted well beyond midnight. At the end of the night, Regina came up to me and whispered, "He's the real deal. You've got to bring him to the States!" We are, Saturday, February 17, 1:00 PM, at the Hilton Pavilion Ballroom, opening for Geri Allen. It's obviously a US PremiereDiego has never been to the United States before! Don't miss it, you'll be talking about Diego for years to come… In the same vein, Trygve Seim is not a household name, not even in jazz households, and most people still can't figure out how to say his name. This 10-piece Scandinavian ensemble consists of tenor & soprano sax (Seim, a composer and improviser in the Jan Garbarek tradition), bassoon & contra-bassoon, violin, cello, clarinet & bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba, bass saxophone, and accordion. This is absolutely exciting, beautiful music being presented in a non-traditional performance space. T-R-I-G-V-E (the E is soft, but not silent) and S-I-M-Esay it 3 times, and definitely make this North American Premiere!... Where's Waldo! Search out this riff, and discover who will be an unannounced guest with Kurt Elling on February 24… No apologies, but please excuse the neo-Joycean, Kerouac benzedrine-like rant, but it's a little busy right now… See you in two weeks at PDX Jazz!