The 19th Annual Biamp PDX Jazz Festival | February 17th – 26th, 2022
NEA Jazz Masters RON CARTER, DONALD HARRISON, JR. and BILLY HART to perform at the 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival*
*GRAMMY® Award Winners RON CARTER, ROBERT GLASPER, GARY BARTZ, DIANE SCHUUR, BRAD MEHLDAU, and FLOR DE TOLOACHE take the stage at the 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival*
*2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival features Rising Stars MAKAYA MCCRAVEN, LAKECIA BENJAMIN, BRANDEE YOUNGER, DEZRON DOUGLAS, ANGEL BAT DAWID, SASHA BERLINER, JAMES BRANDON LEWIS, CHAD TAYLOR, IMMANUEL WILKINS, and GERALD CLAYTON*
The 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival * Thursday, Feb 17 through Saturday, Feb 26 includes artists spanning the full breadth of jazz during the 19th consecutive edition of the event; artists who are driving the evolution of jazz figure prominently alongside GRAMMY® Award-Winning masters.
The music begins with shows on Thursday by Angel Bat Dawid, whom Chris Richards, The Washington Post proclaims, “will bring you to tears” and a special solo piano performance by Brad Mehldau, 2020 GRAMMY® Winner – Best Instrumental Jazz Album ‘Finding Gabriel’.
Opening weekend shows set the tone for the coming musical journey featuring NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter, the most recorded jazz bassist in the world; jazz steward and pioneer Diane Schuur …Stan Getz once said about Schuur “she’s taking from the tradition, and what comes out is her own conception and advancement of the tradition”; guitarist Marc Ribot performing solo who as Rolling Stone points out helped Tom Wait’s refine a new Americana on ‘Rain Dogs’; Carlos Niño and Friend seaturing Nate Mercereau and Surya Botofasina weaving free jazz-ambient-new age-hip hop-contemporary classical-and beat music; beat scientist, cutting edge drummer, producer, and sonic collagist Makaya McCraven; the R&B psychedelia jazz of MNDSGN accompanied by a free beat making workshop; jazz legend Gary Bartz whose indelible playing influenced hip hop and reshaped the trajectory of jazz; Flor de Toloache, the GRAMMY® Winning all-female Mariachi group whose members hail from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Australia, Colombia, Germany, Italy and the United States; Icelandic-Chinese Gen Z singer-songwriter Laufey bringing to life a modern-day Ella Fitzgerald; and Max Ribner’s unique classical and improvisational jazz blend on flugelhorn and trumpet.
Additional layers unfold during the first full-week with trumpeter Marquis Hill who tirelessly breaks down barriers that divide musical genres – contemporary and classic jazz, hip hop, R&B, Chicago house, and neo soul, are essential elements woven into his work; Immanuel Wilkins whose debut ‘Omega’ was named NPR Music’s ‘Best Debut Jazz Recording of 2020’ and the The New York Times’ number one Jazz Recording of 2020; jazz supergroup The Cookers, featuring Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Billy Hart, and Donald Harrison, Jr.; genre defying harpist Brandee Younger and bassist Dezron Douglas; and vibraphonist Sasha Berliner hailed as “a young mallet master” by JazzTimes; five-time GRAMMY® nominated Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah featuring Weedie Braimah; and keyboardist-composer-producer John Carroll Kirby.
During the final weekend of the Festival a high energy musical kaleidoscope emerges, The Soul Rebels affectionately coined ‘New Orleans finest brass ensemble’ Vice and ‘the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong’ Village Voice share the stage with Nate Smith + KINFOLK’s blend of jazz, R&B, pop, and hip hop; our hometown drum prodigy Domo Branch brings his trio to town featuring four-time GRAMMY® nominated Gerald Clayton and emerging bassist Ben Feldman; James Brandon Lewis “a saxophonist who embodies and transcends tradition” The New York Times is joined on stage by percussionist Chad Taylor; charismatic and dynamic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin shares a fusion of jazz, hip hop, and soul; Lady Blackbird will blow listeners away “the jazz she sings is timeless – her voice is timeless” NPR Music; and Robert Glasper whose Black Radio was the first album in history to debut in the top 10 of 4 different genre charts simultaneously: hip hop, R&B, Urban Contemporary, and Jazz and Contemporary Jazz, closes out the Festival with the third installment of Black Radio.
Evolution of jazz and celebration of ‘live’ jazz lay at the heart of the PDX Jazz mission. The 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival embraces the most progressive jazz artists connecting the music to multiple generations. “These cats aren’t ‘blending’ jazz and hip hop; for them, these genres are inseparable. They can’t play one without playing the other.” Word is Bond
PDX Jazz Executive Director, Chris Doss states “the Festival has been crafted to revitalize Portland’s downtown music scene with shows by the most exciting figures in jazz today, we can’t wait to welcome ‘live’ audiences back to the 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival. Our team and music venue partners have taken extensive measures to ensure that audiences, artists, and staff have a safe gathering environment to celebrate ‘live’ music.”
Our team and music venue partners have taken extensive measures to ensure that audiences, artists, and staff have a safe gathering environment to celebrate ‘live’ music.”
Additional shows and events to be announced.