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Contact: Jeffrey Morgan (Morgan@pdx.edu)
A proclamation from Oregon’s governor and Portland’s mayor, a weeklong musical tribute to the jazz bass, the introduction of new educational and outreach initiatives and a residency with celebrated bassist Dave Holland are highlight the public unveiling of Portland State University’s Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute on Friday, April 30 at Portland City Hall.
Established with the support of the Estate of Leroy Vinnegar and the jazz and arts community, the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute (LVJI) is an independent, self-supporting institute housed within the Department of Music in PSU's School of Fine & Performing Arts. The Institute both celebrates jazz’ origins as an American art form that embraces individuality, and honors diversity, and draws on the power of jazz to bridge cultures, reach across barriers, and build community.
The Institute is named for the late Portland resident and seminal jazz bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and is directed by jazz pianist and PSU Associate Professor of Music Darrell Grant. The mission of the Institute is to preserve and promote the art form, cultural heritage, and social history of jazz music in the Northwest through education, outreach, and historical documentation.
To mark the launch of the Institute, and to pay tribute to the continuing cultural significance of jazz in Oregon, Governor Ted Kulongoski will proclaim the week of May 1 through 7, 2004 as Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Week in Oregon. Mayor Vera Katz has issued a similar proclamation on behalf of the City of Portland.
Celebrating the Jazz Bass
LVJI will mark the occasion with six nights of bass-led and bass-inspired groups at Portland jazz club Jimmy Mak's, 300 N.W. 10th Ave. The event, “Celebrating the Jazz Bass,” will be a fundraiser for the Institute. Performers scheduled to appear include The Dave Friesen Quintet, The Andre St. James/Roger Woods Nonet, Oregon bassist Glen Moore, and a reunion of the Leroy Vinnegar Quartet with Mel Brown, Dan Faehnle, Jof Lee and special guest bassist Chuck Israels. Drummer Alan Jones will lead his sextet in a performance of his “Leroy Vinnegar Suite,” on Friday, May 7th.
The week will conclude with a residency by legendary bassist Dave Holland. One of the best-known bassists in jazz, Holland recorded seminal albums with Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Betty Carter, Sam Rivers and others. He will present a master class at Portland State University on Friday, May 7, and will perform with Portland musicians Darrell Grant, Alan Jones, John Gross and Seattle trumpeter Jay Thomas at Jimmy Mak's on May 8. Information on the master class is available at 503-725-5828. Advance tickets for Holland’s performances are available through the PSU Box Office at 503-725-3307.
The programs and partnerships developed by the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute are aimed at filling the void in arts education left by budget cuts in school funding; providing opportunities for gifted young people to interact with world-class artists; encouraging participation in the music making, and increasing the understanding and appreciation of our shared cultural heritage.
In February 2004, LVJI, in partnership with the Jazz Society of Oregon, delivered several educational and outreach programs for the inaugural Portland Jazz Festival. These included the “The Incredible Journey of Jazz,” an education program presented to more than 2,000 Multnomah County middle school students. LVJI also co-hosted a workshop with violinist Regina Carter and helped present a series of “Jazz Dialogues,” in which artists interacted with jazz audiences.
Oregon Jazz History and ‘New Griot Project’
This May, LVJI will inaugurate two new programs. “The Northwest Jazz Oral Histories Project,” funded in part by a grant from the Oregon Council for the Humanities, will document the history of jazz in the Northwest through interviews with musicians, club owners, journalists, and others who have shaped the art form, the industry, and the culture of jazz in the region.
“The New Griot Project,” is an arts outreach initiative that uses the shared musical, cultural and artistic heritage of jazz and hip-hop to inform and empower youth. The program will bring together 25-30 selected students in grades 8-12 to work with professional artists in an intensive 10-day, after-school workshop, culminating in a public concert.
Steps from the city’s museums, concert halls and theaters, the School of Fine & Performing Arts at Portland State University is located along the tree-lined South Park Blocks of downtown Portland. The School’s location in the heart of Oregon's cultural center enables PSU students and faculty to apply classroom theory to the real-world challenges of working artists, musicians, actors and architects. Portland State University, Oregon's only urban university, is the largest and most diverse in the state system. PSU serves more students and confers more master's degrees annually than any other Oregon university.
LEROY VINNEGAR JAZZ WEEK EVENTS
“Celebrating the Jazz Bass” Jimmy Mak's, 300 N.W. 10th Ave
May 3: Dave Friesen Quintet featuring Dan Balmer, John Gross, Rob Thomas, Alan Jones
May 4: Andre St. James/Roger Woods Nonet
May 5: Glen Moore Ensemble
May 6: Jazz Legend Chuck Israels with Mel Brown, Dan Faehnle, Jof Lee
May 7: Alan Jones Sextet plays “The Leroy Vinnegar Suite”
May 8: Jazz Legend Dave Holland with Alan Jones, Darrell Grant, John Gross & Jay Thomas
(Dave Holland will play two ticketed shows at 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. The 8 p.m. show is advance purchase only, limited seating)
Tickets:
Advance tickets for May 6, 7 & 8 available at PSU Box Office at 503-725-3307
All other tickets available at the door
For show times, prices & info call 503-725-5828
Other Events
Master class with Dave Holland
Friday, May 7
PSU Lincoln Recital Hall, Rm. 75
Tickets: $5 adults; Free to students with ID
PSU Jazz Alumni Concert
7:30 p.m. Friday, May 14
PSU, Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom
Tickets: $10 adults; $5 students
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Sources: |
Darrell Grant,503-725-5828 |
Release Number: 04-EXT
Date:
Apr 30, 2004