Owen Broder and Darrell Grant perform at the Alberta Abbey
- Owen Broder Quartet 12:45-1:45 pm
- Darrell Grant Trio 2-3 pm
This event is in support of Swingin’ Sounds: Music Program.
Darrell Grant: Since the release of his debut albumBlack Art, one of the New York Times' top ten jazz CDs of 1994, Darrell Grant has built an international reputation as a pianist, composer, and educator who channels the power of music to make change. He has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe in venues ranging from Paris’s La Villa jazz club to the HavanaJazz Festival. Dedicated to themes of hope, community, and place, Grant’s compositions include Step by Step: The Ruby Bridges Suite honoring the civil rights icon,The Territory which explores Oregon’s landscape and history, andSanctuaries, a jazz chamber opera exploring gentrification. Since moving to Portland, Oregon, he has been named Portland Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalist Association, received a Northwest Regional Emmy, and received a MAPFund grant and the Governor’s Arts Award. He is a Professor of Music at Portland StateUniversity where he directs theArtist as Citizen Initiative.
Owen Broder: Owen Broder is a member of the GRAMMY® nominated Anat Cohen Tentet and has performed with internationally respected artists such as Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project, Miho Hazama, the Ulysses Owens, Jr. Big Band, and YouTube sensation Postmodern Jukebox. He earned the title 2018 Debut Artist of the Year from NPR’s Francis Davis and was included on DownBeat Magazine’s 2023 Critics Poll as a Rising Star Alto Saxophonist. His six albums as a band leader have received national recognition. An award-winning composer and arranger, Broder has received commissioned projects from the U.S. Air Force Band in Europe, the Airmen of Note, two off-Broadway shows, and the Winchester Symphonic Winds. A resident of Portland since 2021, Broder teaches core jazz courses at Portland State University and saxophone lessons at Pacific University, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.
Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater: Rejoice! is a Portland-based contemporary dance ensemble led by the bold vision and artistic direction of Oluyinka Akinjiola. Inspired by the folklore of the great African diaspora, Rejoice’s performance repertoire boldly weaves stories of adversity and hope, captivating audiences with their outspoken calls for social change. We see art as activism; the stage our canvas. Our ensemble a diverse palette of color and personality. We confront themes of injustice and oppression head-on and unapologetically. With intention in every step, gesture, and rhythm, our movements ignite a movement. Audiences immerse in our revelation, leaving wide-eyed and full of hope for the tomorrow that lies ahead. We believe, as Maya Angelou did, “if we are bold, love stickers away the chains of fear from our souls.” Together, we Rejoice!
