New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Blue Note Records) - Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by The Oregonian A&E will present Somethin' Else: Blue Note Records @70, celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Blue Note Records, as the primary thread through the 2009 Portland Jazz Festival, February 13-22. All festival ticketed concerts feature current Blue Note headliners and Blue Note heritage artists who have passed through Blue Note at some point in their legendary careers. The thematic package of events will include performances, plus jazz conversations with Blue Note officials and artists, panel discussions with jazz writers, journalists & thinkers, and archival Blue Note film screenings. In addition, Portland Jazz Festival will also feature free showcase performances around town with regional jazz artists, midnight jam sessions, and approximately 50 jazz education & outreach events.
Current Blue Note artists, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, sax man Joe Lovano, vocalists Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, and Patricia Barber, and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba will headline the 10-day event, which will also feature Blue Note Heritage artists McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson, Lou Donaldson, and Pat Martino.
The 6th annual series of jazz events begins with a rare performance of Grammy & Oscar Award-winning Terence Blanchard performing his A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) with jazz quintet and full orchestra, written as a film score for Spike Lee's When The Levees Broke. The dozen selections emotionally recall the days after Hurricane Katrina in lower New Orleans. The beautiful melodies mourn the useless loss of life while a tension builds over and through the music, and will be played by an orchestra of prominent Portland musicians conducted by Paul Mazzio. Cuban piano master Gonzalo Rubalcaba and quintet will open this first night performance, Friday, February 13, 7:30 pm.
Double-bill concerts are the norm this year throughout the festival schedule with the new Joe Lovano Us5 plus French pianist Jacky Terrasson playing Saturday, February 14, 2:00 pm, Portland Art Museum. On Sunday, February 15 there is another double-bill of jazz master McCoy Tyner forming a quartet with Joe Lovano in tandem with clarinetist Don Byron's Ivey-Divey tribute to Lester Young opening. Later that day, South-African guitarist Lionel Loueke plus vocalist Judi Silvano close the first weekend's concerts (Sunday, February 15, 6:30 pm, Hilton Pavilion Ballroom). On the second weekend, several more double-bills feature vocalist Cassandra Wilson and the eclectic Jason Moran & The Bandwagon (Friday, February 20, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall). Blue Note heritage artists, bluesy saxophonist Lou Donaldson and vibes man Bobby Hutcherson perform Saturday, February 21, 2:00 pm, Crystal Ballroom. Later, on Saturday at 7:30 pianist/vocalist Patricia Barber performs with Blue Note's newest signing, Seattle pianist Aaron Parks, and on Sunday, February 22, jazz guitar wizard Pat Martino headlines with Jane Bunnett & The Spirits of Havana opening.
Interspersed are single concerts with 4-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves with the Oregon Symphony (Saturday, February 14, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) and long time Blue Note guitarist John Scofield (Saturday, February 14, 9:30 pm, Portland Art Museum).
The complete Portland Jazz Festival headline concert schedule:
� Friday, February 13, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, A Tale of God's Will (Requiem for Katrina) Terence Blanchard Quintet with full orchestra plus Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet
� Saturday, February 14, 2:00 pm, Portland Art Museum Ballroom, Joe Lovano's Us5 plus Jacky Terrasson
� Saturday, February 14, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Dianne Reeves w/Oregon Symphony
� Saturday, February 14, 9:30 pm, Portland Art Museum Ballroom, John Scofield � Sunday, February 15, 2:00 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, McCoy Tyner + Joe Lovano Quartet plus Don Byron Ivey-Divey Trio
� Sunday, February 15, 6:30 pm, Hilton Pavilion Ballroom, Lionel Loueke plus Judi Silvano
� Thursday, February 19, 7:30 pm, Old Church, Portland Jazz Orchestra
� Friday, February 20, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Cassandra Wilson plus Jason Moran & The Bandwagon
� Saturday, February 21, 2:00 pm, Crystal Ballroom, Bobby Hutcherson plus Lou Donaldson
� Saturday, February 21, 7:30 pm, Newmark Theater, Patricia Barber plus Aaron Parks
� Sunday, February 22, 2:00 pm, Crystal Ballroom, Pat Martino plus Jane Bunnett & The Spirits of Havana
Tickets on Sale November 10! Special festival ticket packages are now available only at the PDX Jazz office, 133 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 420, or by calling 503-228-5299. Single tickets are also now on sale through TicketMaster outlets or at pdxjazz.com.
