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Biamp Portland Jazz Festival
The annual festival celebrates the rich local jazz scene and attracts international stars.
The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival (from the local music organization PDX Jazz) includes artists spanning the full breadth of jazz. Artists who are driving the evolution of jazz figure prominently alongside NEA Jazz Masters and Grammy Award Winners.
Dedicated to preserving America’s indigenous art form by presenting internationally recognized jazz masters alongside local musicians, this annual festival usually includes education and outreach programs extending into Portland’s schools and neighborhoods and a generous offering of free performances, film and jazz conversations.
2025 Biamp Jazz Festival
The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, taking place across the city, is a ten-day multi-venue celebration of jazz. The 2025 lineup includes incredible performances, such as two-time Grammy winner Erykah Badu at the Moda Center, eight-time Grammy winner Terence BlanchardBiamp Portland Jazz Festival: Terence Blanchard at Newmark Theatre and eight-time Grammy winner Christian McBride and Ursa Major at Revolution Hall.
Want even more jazz in your life? PDX Jazz hosts special events and concerts year-round (visit pdxjazz.org to learn more).
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival Events
Explore Portland's Jazz scene at these upcoming Jazz Festival events.
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Andrew Cyrille Quartet ft. Bill Frisell
Master drummer and composer Andrew Cyrille, began studying science at St. John's University while playing jazz in the evenings. He began formally studying drums and composition first with Philly Joe Jones in 1958, and later at The Juilliard School and Hartnett School of Music. At that time, he also performed with artists ranging from Mary...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: David Friesen's Circle 3 Trio
David Friesen, an acclaimed jazz bassist, has recorded over 80 CDs as a leader/co-leader and featured on more than 100 recordings. He has worked with jazz legends such as Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker, and Chick Corea. Known for his captivating solo performances, Friesen has toured extensively across North and South America, Europe, Asia,...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Larry Goldings + Melinda Sullivan
Larry Goldings is a Grammy-nominated pianist and composer. His organ trio with Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart has been recognized as "among our presiding paragons of the modern Hammond B-3 organ trio tradition" (Nate Chinen, New York Times). Goldings' musical inspirations draw from a lifetime of absorbing jazz, pop, funk, R&B, electronic and classical music....
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Maurice 'Mobetta' Brown
Trumpet sensation Maurice “Mobetta” Brown orbits simultaneously through three worlds: contemporary jazz, blues-rock and cutting-edge hip hop. He’s a mastermind as a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and producer. When Maurice picks up his horn, his soulful melodies soar into a rarefied space that uniquely marries be-bop to hip-hop and rock, producing his distinctive sound. The Chicago area...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Christian McBride & Ursa Major
Christian McBride is an eight-time Grammy-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth and serves as Artistic...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Lizzie No
After a dizzying five-year span that saw the release of two stunning, eclectic albums (Hard Won and Vanity, which drew praise from the likes of Billboard and Rolling Stone) — followed by appearances at AmericanaFest, the Newport Folk Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and SXSW, and tours with Iron and Wine, Son Little, and Adia Victoria...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Jimmie Herrod
With “a voice like a beacon of hope” (Seattle Times), vocalist Jimmie Herrod brings singular power and expressivity to his globe-trotting career as a singer, songwriter, and entertainer on stage and screen. Herrod first came to worldwide prominence as a finalist on the NBC nationally broadcast television show, “America’s Got Talent,” earning the rare “Golden...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Jazzmeia Horn
Jazzmeia Horn, named by her jazz-loving grandmother, was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1991. She grew up in a close church-going family, singing gospel music. Horn graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, attended by other great artists such as Roy Hargrove, Norah Jones, and Erykah Badu. In 2009,...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Rogê
Latin Grammy nominated & Brazilian Music Awards granted artist, songwriter, composer and musician in his own right, considered to be a principal part of the Brazilian popular music scene revival (MPB), Rogê has released 7 solo albums and 2 collaborations - with samba legend Arlindo Cruz (Na Veia, 2016, Warner Music) and with Seu Jorge...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Nik Bärtsch's RONIN
With the zen-funk quartet RONIN, founded in 2001, Nik Bärtsch continues working on his RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC together with Kaspar Rast (drums), Jeremias Keller (he replaced Thomy Jordi in 2020, who replaced Björn Meyer on the bass in 2011) and Sha (bass/contrabass clarinet). Percussionist Andi Pupato joined the band from 2002 to 2012. Their music...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: JD Simo
JD Simo’s talent has no boundaries. His love of music is just that - a love of ALL music - and he has mastered every genre he’s explored. His remarkable talent and versatility has led to recording sessions with artists including Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Tommy Emmanuel, Jack White, Joe Bonamassa, The War and Treaty, Chris...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto
Three-time Latin Grammy nominee Jovino Santos Neto, a master pianist, composer and arranger, is among today's top Brazilian musicians. Currently based in Seattle, Washington, he has, throughout his career, been closely affiliated with the Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal. He was an integral part of Pascoal's group from 1977 to 1992, where he fine-tuned his artistry,...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Immanuel Wilkins
Alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins burst onto the musical scene in 2020 with the release of his Blue Note recording debut, Omega, featuring his longstanding quartet. Although just 22 at the time of its release, his quartet had already been together for over four years, and their cohesiveness and musicality are reflected in both...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: The Altons + Thee Sinseers
How would you characterize the sound of Southeast LA? The Altons, natives of the region, combine dust kicked up from backyard parties with evening Art Laboe listening sessions, evoking a sound far from the shadows. The Altons curate a ballad of retro-indie-soul that has captivated local audiences for several years, quickly driving them to become...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Orions Belte
Some places and moments tie people together forever, whether it be a place, a song or something you can't quite define through words. The origins of Orions Belte stemmed from one of those mystical moments in time which spawned a lasting creative connection. The first time all three members, Øyvind, Chris and Kim, met up...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: The Philharmonik
The Philharmonik’s musical beginning started in Cleveland, Ohio where he was born. He began taking classical piano at the age of 6 after he attended a concert with his mom. When he returned home from the concert, he began to play songs he heard note for note on the piano. He began lessons the next...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Vijay Iyer Trio
By overwhelming consensus, the VIJAY IYER TRIO has become one of the pivotal jazz bands of the twenty-first century. Described as “the best piano trio in jazz today” (Der Spiegel), “the great new jazz piano trio” (The New York Times), “truly astonishing” (NPR), and “the best band in jazz” (PopMatters), the trio makes “cutting-edge music,...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Parlor Greens
Perhaps one of the most exciting and anticipated projects in heavy instrumental music is Parlor Greens, a fresh organ trio on Colemine Records! You could say that Parlor Greens are greater than the sum of their parts…however, the individual parts are simply stellar on their own. Tim Carman (GA-20) on drums, Jimmy James (True Loves,...
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival: Translinear Light
Ravi Coltrane is a Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader, and composer with a 20+ year career. He has recorded notable albums, performed with legends like McCoy Tyner and Jack DeJohnette, and co-founded the independent label RKM. The son of jazz icons John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was instrumental in bringing his mother back to music, producing her...
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