Cathedral Park Jazz Festival July 14-16, 2017 Unveils Lineup of Performers

PORTLAND, Ore. - May 2, 2017 - PRLog -- The Jazz Society of Oregon's Cathedral Park Jazz Festival [CPJF]  has announced the lineup of jazz, blues, R&B and soul performers set to appear on two days, Saturday July 15 and Sunday July 16, of the three-day festival this year, to be held July 14-16, 2017 in Portland's Cathedral Park under the St Johns Bridge in Portland.

         "This festival was started 37 years ago by a group of volunteers looking to commemorate the construction of spectacular Cathedral Park – one of the city's most beautiful settings," said Rita Rega, chair of the CPJF Progamming Committee. "It has evolved into a celebration of Portland's diverse music scene. It's an 'old Portland' hang where everyone is welcome because it's still free and still run by volunteers. It is the longest-running community event in the Greater Portland area."

Rega noted that volunteers and donations are still needed. A subsequent announcement will be made listing performers for Friday, July 14.

Saturday and Sunday performers include:

·       Manuel Valera Trio:  Cuban pianist-composer Valera, based in NYC, brings his sophisticated blend of Latin and jazz, called Forma Nueva, to the Cathedral Park stage Saturday night.

·       Veteran Portland vocalist Shirley Nanette pays tribute to the late Ernestine Anderson in a quartet featuring tenor star Renato Caranto

·       Harmonica wizard and international Tango artist, Joe Powers, celebrates the music of his mentor Toots Thielemans

·       A first for Portland audiences: the long-awaited reincarnation of the funk/soul band Pleasure and the first performance of their new vocalist Michael Beatzilla Whitmore. A horn- driven blend of jazz, rock, soul, funk and R&B, this music is eminently danceable. Pleasure will be the Sunday night closer.

·       Saturday night's closer: Ural Thomas and the Pain. Ural Thomas topped the soul charts in the 1960s, and a group of young Portland musicians brought him back to the live music scene in Portland. A showcase for vintage soul and funk that will get the audience dancing.

·       The hot, retro swing group, the Midnight Serenaders. Something different from your grandparents' swing, the Midnight Serenaders have added a Hawaiian tinge with a ukulele and Hawaiian steel guitar.

·       The Ezra Weiss Big Band – Composer-pianist Ezra Weiss leads some of the best players in town in Portland's most popular homegrown big band

·       The Bylines: Marianna Thielen is the sultry song stylist and Reece Marshburn is the lyrical pianist  bringing sophisticated, jazz inspired, story-driven tunes to the bandstand.

·       Clay Giberson Quartet: One of the most sought-after sidemen in Portland, composer-pianist Clay Giberson showcases his sensitive style of jazz.

·       Two youth groups – one to open Saturday and one Sunday  - stand by for an announcement.

Background on the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival

         This year marks the 37^th consecutive year of the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, which has been managed for the past four years by the Jazz Society of Oregon.

"This is a free, non-profit festival that provides the best jazz, blues, R&B and soul music from around the region to the greater Portland/Vancouver community," said Margie Smith, managing director of the festival. "In fact, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival is both the longest-running free annual jazz festival west of the Mississippi – and Portland's longest-running annual community event."

         The CPJF planning committee is still looking for community sponsors and volunteers to fill a variety of positions. Sponsors may contact the festival planning committee at sponsor@jazzoregon.com.

About the Jazz Society of Oregon

         The Jazz Society of Oregon is an all-volunteer non-profit organization (501c-3) whose mission is to promote jazz music in the Pacific Northwest.  The Society supports jazz education as well as fostering a greater appreciation of this thoroughly American art form.

         Information on the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, including news on sponsorships, poster contest, volunteer opportunities and talent, can be found at  http://www.jazzoregon.com/cpjazz/ .

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