The 20th Annual Biamp Portland Jazz Festival

*NEA Jazz Masters Dave Holland and Hubert Laws to perform at the 2023 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival*

*GRAMMY® Award Winners Bill Frisell, Marcus Gilmore,
Dave Holland, Angélique Kidjo, Kiefer, Charlie Musselwhite
take the stage at the 2023 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival*
*2023 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival features 70th Annual
DOWNBEAT Critics Poll Honorees: Ambrose Akinmusire – Trumpet and Kris Davis – Piano + James Francies – Rising Star Keyboard*

The 2023 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival – Thursday, February 16 through Saturday, February 25 includes artists spanning the full breadth of jazz during the 20th consecutive edition of the Festival; artists who are driving the evolution of jazz figure prominently alongside NEA Jazz Masters and GRAMMY® Award-Winners.

The music begins on Thursday with an opening night performance by Bill Frisell Four featuring Jonathan Blake, Gerald Clayton & Gregory Tardy.

Opening weekend shows highlight the musical diversity of the Festival. Forbes Africa (September 2022) Top Titan of African Music, Angélique Kidjo, will perform “Remain in Light”; Daptone Records’ big band The Budos Band bridges musical universes; virtuoso, Ambrose Akinmusire, brings an intimate trumpet and piano performance to the Festival; George Colligan appears as the 2022 PDX Jazz “First Call” honoree; Yemen Blues provides music lovers with a blend of traditional Yemenite melodies, jazz, blues and funk; and late night fans will enjoy shows by renowned DJ and founder of NYC’s legendary Turntables On The Hudson, Nickodemus, and Sexmob led by slide trumpet master Steven Bernstein.

The first full-week includes a Portland Jazz Festival exclusive double bill show featuring piano performances by Kris Davis and James Francies; Melbourne, Australia’s Hiatus Kaiyote, winner of the 2022 AIR Award for Best Independent Jazz Album; Butcher Brown, whose tunes have been described by Pitchfork as having “the soul of a beat tape and the larger-than-life feel of big band jazz”; Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, Tord Gustavsen with drummer Jarle Vespestad and bassist Steinar Raknes; Shabazz Palaces led by Ishmael Butler a.k.a. Butterfly of Digable Planets; poet and musician Moor Mother; the multi-talented Taylor McFerrin with masterful drummer Marcus Gilmore; Storm Large’s Burlesque Big Band with Ne Plus Jass Orchestra: an exclusive Festival show pairing blues legends Charlie Musselwhite and Curtis Salgado; and Mark Guiliana’s Quartet and Beat Music projects highlighting the drummer’s expansive talent.

Closing weekend shows feature Dave Holland, one of the most prolific bassists in jazz history accompanied by Kevin Eubanks and Eric Harland; Dumpstaphunk with Jon Cleary celebrating the undeniable jazz heritage of New Orleans with “Take Me To the River”; San Diego based, Thee Sacred Souls, a Chicano Soul band with a modern twist; renowned flutist Hubert Laws is joined by Brian Jackson whose first solo project in two decades received 4 ½ stars in Downbeat Magazine; and jazz-hip hop-Neo soul artist Kiefer.

PDX Jazz Executive Director, Chris Doss states “the 20th Anniversary of the Portland Jazz Festival highlights our commitment sharing the full breadth of jazz, its roots, its future, music that has influenced jazz, and the music influenced by jazz.”

More shows and free community events will be announced soon!

For the latest information and tickets visit pdxjazz.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.