Photo by Fran Kaufman

If you’re a jazz fan in Portland, you almost certainly made it to at least one of the many events that were part of this year’s Portland Jazz Festival.  The festival, although shorter than it has been in past years, brought a number of both national and international acts to Portland, including the Dave Holland Quintet, Pharoah Sanders, and three different Norwegian Groups (Trygve Seim and Frode Haltli, In the Country, and the Christian Wallumrod Ensemble) and sold out seven of their eight headlining shows.  On Friday and Saturday nights, locals and out-of-towners mixed company for the late-night jam sessions hosted by Darrell Grant.

To read coverage of the festival, head over to:

• Oregon Music News
• The Oregonian

Each year, the Portland Jazz Festival hosts late-night jam sessions during the festival where local and touring musicians meet up and play late at night when the other gigs have ended.

This year, the sessions are taking a different direction.  Rather than the typical ‘call a standard and play it the same way it is always played’ approach, Darrell Grant (the leader of this year’s sessions) has decided to try to push for new directions and different material.  To facilitate the sessions, he’s set up a website where musicians and listeners can learn about the theme of the sessions and the material.  Everyone is free to leave comments on the site, either reacting to the plan and goals of the sessions or answering a series of questions that Darrell has posed to the musicians that will be participating.

More information at sessions.jazzpdx.org

The Oregonian has a nice piece on this on OregonLive.  Be sure to take a look at the comments as well.

The Portland Jazz Festival’s PDXJazz is starting a new series at the ArtBar featuring local talent.  For the next three months, a wide variety of groups (everything from the Blue Cranes to Dave Frishberg) will take the stage on select Friday and Saturday nights.

Good news for frugal audience members – the series is free with no food or drink minimum.

The series starts this Saturday (9/19) with the David Friesen trio featuring Dan Balmer and John Gross.

More information below.

Select Fridays and Saturdays
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM*
September 19 – December 12

Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Main Lobby Rotunda, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland

Saturday, 9/19 – David Friesen/ John Gross/ Dan Balmer Trio
Friday, 10/2 – Barbara Lusch
Friday, 10/16* – Stephanie Schneiderman (*8:30-11:30)
Saturday, 11/7 – Blue Cranes
Saturday, 11/21 – Shelly Rudolph
Friday, 12/4 – Bryant Allard Quartet
Saturday, 12/12 – John Gross/ Dave Frishberg/ Charlie Doggett Trio

From their press release:

Continuing a successful partnership started in 2008, PDX Jazz @ RiverPlace presents the second Fall Series of regional jazz at the RiverPlace Hotel’s Three Degrees Lounge, right on Portland’s waterfront. Every Friday and Saturday patrons get a serious taste of Portland’s jazz scene with no cover charge and no minimum (priced right for a recession), plus tasty food and drinks from the lounge. Most acts are presented as solo or duo for an intimate experience.

WHAT: PDX Jazz @ RiverPlace Fall Series

WHEN: Every Friday and Saturday
September 11 – October 31
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
FREE + no drink minimum

WHERE: Three Degrees Lounge at RiverPlace Hotel
1510 SW Harbor Way

WHO:

• Friday 9/11 – H Duo
• Saturday 9/12 – Barbara Lusch
• Friday 9/18 – Bill Beach
• Saturday 9/19 – Mark Simon Trio
• Friday 9/25 – Kane Mathis & Andrew Oliver*
• Saturday 9/26 – Jessie Marquez & Clay Giberson*
• Friday 10/2 – Mayfield Four
• Saturday 10/3 – Marcus Reynolds
• Friday 10/9 – Belinda Underwood
• Saturday 10/10 – Dan Balmer
• Friday 10/16 – Tony Pacini
• Saturday 10/17 – Mitzi Zilka
• Friday 10/23 – Toni Lincoln
• Saturday 10/24 – Matt Tabor
• Friday 10/30 – George Mitchell
• Saturday 10/31 – Mary Kadderly

This weekend, the Portland Jazz Festival makes a special August appearance to present PDXJazz at RiverFest on Saturday, August 22nd.  Here’s what the press release has to say:

PDX Jazz presents fine local musicians at RiverFest 2009, the biggest free summer celebration honoring the Willamette River. The lineup, during Saturday’s events of the four day festival, features music handpicked by PDX Jazz Artistic Director Bill Royston for a unique take on jazz within a scenic setting.

Here’s the lineup you’ll find out Saturday:

12:00-1:00 PM   Mary Kadderly
1:15-2:30 PM    Darrell Grant & On The Territory
2:45-4:00 PM    Stephanie Schneiderman
4:15-5:30 PM    Tom Grant w/Shelly Rudolph

About RiverFest
As part of the four day RiverFest event in Portland, South Waterfront’s activities take place on Saturday, August 22. This free, family-friendly festival celebrates life on the river with live music, food and drink, attractions and fun activities. Festivities (inc. PDX Jazz @ RiverFest, an open-air marketplace, River Education Center, art exhibitions and more) take place throughout the day beginning at 11:00 AM on the expansive South Waterfront greenway. See all four days of RiverFest activities at www.portlandriverfest.org.

WHAT: PDX Jazz @ RiverPlace Summer Series

WHEN: Every Friday and Saturday

June 12 – September 5

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM*

* 7/3 and 7/4 shows are 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM

WHERE: Three Degrees Lounge at RiverPlace Hotel 1510 SW Harbor Way

WHO:

• Friday 6/12 – Andrew Oliver
• Saturday 6/13 – Brooklyn Street Jazz
• Friday 6/19 – Lynn Darroch’s Jazz Stories
• Saturday 6/20 – Barbara Lusch
• Friday 6/26 – Robert Moore
• Saturday 6/27 – Marcus Reynolds
• Friday 7/3 – Kate Davis (9PM-12AM)
• Saturday 7/4 – Bryant Allard Quartet (9PM-12AM)
• Friday 7/10 – Grant Richards
• Saturday 7/11 – Heather Keizur
• Friday 7/17 – Matt Tabor
• Saturday 7/18 – Ben Medler Trio
• Friday 7/24 – Chance Hayden
• Saturday 7/25 – Anson Wright
• Friday 7/31 – John & Yuko Keyser
• Saturday 8/1 – Tony Pacini
• Friday 8/7 – Ezra Weiss
• Saturday 8/8 – Mia Nicholson
• Friday 8/14 – Mary Kadderly
• Saturday 8/15 – Mirage
• Friday 8/21 – Shelly Rudolph
• Saturday 8/22 – Gordon Lee
• Friday 8/28 – Michelle Medler Trio
• Saturday 8/29 – Ben Darwish
• Friday 9/4 – Eddie Parente
• Saturday 9/5 – Nancy Curtin

All performances are 8-11pm, except for July 3-4 (9-12), with no cover/no minimum

Here’s a collection of blogs with coverage/reviews of this years Portland Jazz Festival.  Have more?  Leave a comment!

• All About Jazz – Portland Jazz Festival
• KPLU Groove Notes – Portland Jazz Festival Escape – 2009 Review
• Oregonian Coverage tagged Jazz Fest 2009
• Nortwest Reverb – Review: Terrance Blanchard
• Shows and Events – PDX Jazz 2009