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Welcome to the Jazz Society of Oregon's Website (Last
Update 06/04/2009)
We are proud to be part of a vibrant Jazz community in the Pacific Northwest. On this site, you will find original articles on local clubs, musicians, and events, as well as, reviews of Jazz recordings, a great calendar and information about Jazz Society activities. Dive in, enjoy the articles, give us some feedback. Become a member and you will receive the monthly JazzScene magazine containing features and articles not available on the website. Here is an excerpt from the June 2009 edition. Summer Jazz
Festivals in the Pacific Northwest
By Lynn
Darroch
The
Jazz Festival
that Works And it works. The 24th annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival, scheduled June 26-July 5 at more than 40 venues, indoors and out, in Vancouver, B.C., is one of the success stories in the shifting world of jazz festivals. It currently operates on a budget of $40 million, has a staff of 12-15 full-time positions. And it’s undergone no major changes in goals or vision since it was founded by a trio of native Vancouverites who had a passion for jazz. One of them, Media Director John Orysik, was in Portland last month to talk about this year’s festival (see highlights below) and what Vancouver has learned about presenting jazz in a market economy. Our conversation has been edited for space and clarity. Lynn Darroch: What’s made it possible for this festival to survive and grow? John Orysik: Our mission is to bring artists and audiences together through the transformative joy, passion and intellectual power of jazz. That has always been at the core of what we do. What has made us successful has been the benefit of other people’s experiences about what not to do, but also having our own clear path and vision of how things should happen. Building infrastructure incrementally and having this long-term plan and vision to reach your goal has been part of our success. Trying to create something big overnight has been the downfall of idealists as far as jazz is concerned; they’re in such a hurry to get the music out that they don’t have time and patience to create conditions that will allow you to be successful. What’s important to us is to build on our indigenous, creative jazz scene in Vancouver, and give those musicians an international platform on which to perform. Look at the those we’ve nurtured over the years – the biggest of course is Diana Krall, but you also have trumpeter Brad Turner. When he won the National Jazz Award in Canada, he said it was due in large part to the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society (which runs the festival) that he is able to raise his family and be a practicing artist in his hometown. That means a lot to us. And it acts as a stimulus to other musicians that it can be done –you can work and prosper in your hometown. Our outreach and education program has grown exponentially over the years. We have 60 concerts and workshops outside the festival every year. And those lecture/demos (like our Jazz 101 sessions in the Vancouver Public Library leading up to the festival) and workshops allow people to really discover what this music is and get to know the musicians. And that helps to extend our audience. ….
Continued in June Jazzscene ….
Cathedral Park Jazz
Festival (July 17-19)
….
Continued in June Jazzscene ….
Get your own copy of JazzScene magazine by becoming a Jazz Society member. Join now! For over 30 years, the Jazz Society of Oregon has had a simple mission: to promote "America's Original Art Form" by promoting jazz musicians, sponsoring jazz students and entertaining jazz audiences. As a non-profit organization, we sponsor shows and educational workshops. And we've helped hundreds of young musicians improve their skills by giving out tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships and grants. The Jazzscene magazine is Oregon's premier jazz magazine and keeps you in-the-know on who's playing with whom in the northwest, where you can find them, what they're up to, and more. Subscription is free with your paid membership in the Society. Ultimately, the JSO is a fellowship of jazz lovers: the musicians and their partners in the art form--their audiences. UNITED WE JAZZ
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