Upcoming PDX Jazz Festival Events

The last weekend of February -- and the last of the Alaskan Airlines/Horizon Air PDX Jazz -- looks like it's going to be an epic one. February 27 and 28 offer a slew of conversations, jams, and performances worth checking out. I'm overall pretty bad with posting about upcoming events on this blog, so pardon if these listings often seem sporadic. The festival hosts dozens of workshops, discussions, and performances that should cater to any breed of jazz fan. Catch their whole schedule of both free and ticketed events here.

• February 27 offers a Conversation with Dave Holland at 12pm, and a Conversation with Pharoah Sanders at 6:30pm. Both of those take place at PCPA's Art Bar.
  
• Also on the 27th, the Dave Holland Quintet performs at 7:30pm at the Newmark Theater.
  
• An event that I guess takes place on both Saturday and Sunday is a PDX Jazz Jam hosted by Darrel Grant. This starts Saturday at 11:59pm on the ground floor of Norse Hall.


• On Sunday the 28th catch a performance by the great Pharoah Sanders at 3pm. Also at the Newmark Theater.

I always try to catch a handful of educational talks and conversations each year, unfortunately my work situation has changed drastically since last and not sure if I'll be able to make any of the events. Financially I can only probably make it one performance this year, so it's still a toss up between Holland and Sanders. It's a rough choice, Holland is legendary with his early ECM recordings, the Circle Band, his work with Anthony Braxton on Arista Records, and even contributions to Miles Davis sessions. But how can I pass up the opportunity to see someone who has performed with Coltrane, on such ground breaking records as Meditations & Ascension, and has developed outstanding recordings on labels like Esp-Disk and Impulse.

Also, a recent newsletter by the Festival organizations mentioned that the discounted package deals are running out fast with a handful remaining, and if you purchase tickets at the PDX Jazz office, not only will you received cheaper rates for fees, but you'll also receive a free jazz CD -- while supplies last of course. Please check their website for office hours and ticketing information.