Now for Oregon Jazz News: Yes, the people are hungry for it. Oregon Hall of Fame Jazz Guitarist Dan Balmer will release a new album on PJCE Records, a local label offshoot of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.
With his new album, When the Night, Oregon Hall of Famer Dan Balmer chose to elevate a local label, PJCE Records—an offshoot of Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble doing interesting things. For instance, to go with Balmer's release show PJCE commissioned five composers to expand Balmer's tunes with new arrangements. Read Ben Salmon's profile of the artist and the event.
6 things to do this week: Tom Grant Band reunion, Valentine’s drive-in, and poet Ross Gay
Updated Feb 12, 2021;
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and love is in the air, or on the air, due to coronavirus restrictions. For the days ahead, we’ve gathered both love-themed, and non-holiday events, including a poetry reading, sappy movies, and the reunion of an 1980s-90s iconic Portland jazz band.
Cast photo of My Funny Valentine - left to right: Alan Anderson, Debbie Hunter, Tim Smith, Joan Freed, and Norman Wilson.Photo courtesy of Lakewood Theatre
“My Funny Valentine”
Lakewood Theatre Company’s offers a look back at a one-night, sold-out fundraising performance filled with comic love songs from stage musicals. The musical revue was recorded on the Lakewood mainstage in 2014 and stars Lakewood performers in an evening of songs filled with clever lyrics, theatrical mishap stories, and audience participation games.
February 08 2021 A Long Distance Affair
Tracy Francis of Boom Arts and local actor Barbie Wu are involved in A Long Distance Affair, a Zoom immersive play as part of a series that started before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through 10-minute plays, held Feb. 11-21, the audience learns about people from around the world; the latest version features 18 artists from Portland, Beirut (Lebanon), Lagos (Nigeria), Mumbai (India), Los Angeles and Mexico City.
It s produced by Juggerknot Theatre Company ( Miami Motel Stories ) and PopUp Theatrics.
Francis directs the Beirut play, about a dance class and connection, and the Portland play, which fittingly is a sci-fi piece about protest and unrest and a woman stuck in a time loop (in which the old version kills the young version).