Like jazz, life in the time of the pandemic is about improvisation.  For the first time since its inception in 1980, the swinging sounds of the 40th annual...
Jul 07, 2020
A message of hope As the first wave of the coronavirus passes over us, people are yearning to "get back to normal." But, as experts from all fields of endeavor...
Apr 25, 2020
Like jazz, life in the time of the coronavirus pandemic is about improvisation.  We sincerely hope you are staying safe and well during this unprecedented,...
Apr 22, 2020
Review by Tree Palmedo The instrumental jazz concept album can be a tricky undertaking. With no lyrical content to make the music’s meanings clear, the message...
Feb 14, 2020
CD Review by Tree Palmedo —  Now in its third decade, the quartet Echoes of Swing has made a trademark of lending a spare, swinging approach to 1950s-style...
Dec 11, 2019
CD Review by Tree Palmedo —  Australia has produced a number of formidable musicians, especially in recent years, and yet the massive country still remains a...
Oct 30, 2019
North Willamette Valley Friends of Music presentsFriends of Music Jazz Festival September 15th, 12 pm – 6 pmVilla Catalana Cellars, Oregon City$25, Free for...
Sep 13, 2019
What is jazz? More importantly, where is it headed? At the Montavilla Jazz Festival (MJF), the future of the art form is at the forefront of the experience....
Aug 08, 2019
Jack London Revue | 8:00pm$25 Advance, $30 Day of ShowPurchase Tickets Online Now! “Kendrick Scott has become the Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams of...
May 01, 2019
24 years ago, Oregon State Senator Margaret Carter and the late Senator Bill McCoy co-sponsored House Joint Memorial 10 which honors jazz master bassist, Leroy...
Apr 18, 2019
Randy Brecker and the NDR Bigband - Rocks by Tree Palmedo While Randy Brecker’s most enduring legacy in the public eye may always be his work as co-leader (...
Apr 10, 2019
PORTLAND, February 26, 2019 - Kerry Politzer, a pianist on the adjunct jazz faculty at Portland State University, has received a Regional Arts & Culture...
Feb 28, 2019
PJCE Records announces new showcase series at Portland jazz club, the 1905. Original Portland Jazz. First Sundays. No Cover. 6 pm to 9 pm. (PORTLAND, OR) -...
Dec 14, 2018
Tonight! Ezra Weiss Big Band - We Limit Not the Truth of God December 8 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm World Premiere and Live Recording - Ezra Weiss Big Band! Don't...
Nov 17, 2018
You might not expect a group of college administrators to produce an exploratory, freely improvised record like this self-titled record by Oregon's Trio Untold...
Sep 17, 2018
Had trumpet legend Clifford Brown not passed away, tragically, in 1956, he might have ended up sounding something like Charlie Porter. At times, Porter, who...
Sep 11, 2018
The sound of a B-3 organ trio is a distinctive one, instantly calling to mind the cozy soul-jazz sound of Jimmy Smith and his stylistic descendants. But the...
Sep 07, 2018
With big-budget adaptations like The Handmaid's Tale catching the public eye, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood doesn't exactly need more publicity. But with...
Aug 24, 2018
Ryan Meagher is hard to miss on the Portland scene these days. In addition to his hand in the Montavilla Jazz Festival and various educational efforts (and, it...
Aug 20, 2018
Since joining the faculty of Portland State University, pianist/multi-instrumentalist George Colligan has made a mission out of collaborating with his students...
Aug 15, 2018
It's probably safe to say that John Coltrane did not intend for this unreleased session to become his highest-charting record ever. Indeed, there was most...
Jul 24, 2018
Saxophonist Bryan Smith's second release of 2018 shares the same personnel as his first, save one important addition. In addition to showcasing his serene...
Jul 23, 2018
Portland native Bryan Smith returned to town from Seattle three years ago, and has hit the scene running as a player and composer, releasing two albums under...
Jul 21, 2018
If you've seen the Roy Hargrove Quintet sometime in the last half-decade or so, you've probably heard the monstrous piano work of Sullivan Fortner, a virtuoso...
Jul 20, 2018