International Jazz Day
Part I: 1 p.m.
The Incredible Journey of Jazz Interactive History Program
Learn about the history of jazz, from its beginnings in Africa to its development in the United States and current role in global culture, through this special Museum edition of The Incredible Journey of Jazz. Developed and presented by PDX Jazz, this interactive program features a narrator and jazz ensemble who together demonstrate characterizations of historical figures and musical illustrations from different eras and styles to provide the audience with a living experience of jazz. This program will be kicked off by honoring Darrell Grant with the 2017 Portland Jazz Hero Award presented by the national Jazz Journalists Association.
Part II: 3 p.m.
The Sound of Identity performance with Darrell Grant and the MJ New Quartet
Like the visual artists represented in the Museum’s special exhibition Constructing Identity, African-American jazz artists contributed to black identity. Jazz both drew on and was inspired by the work of African-American visual artists. At the same time, jazz performers and composers like Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and others continually explored their own expressions of Black American identity.
This project, which Grant has titled, The Sound of Identity seeks to highlight the connections between the visual and musical arts through pairing compositions by historic African-American jazz artists with selected works from the Constructing Identity exhibit. The works will be arranged and performed by the chamber-jazz quartet MJ New, featuring Darrell Grant, piano, Mike Horsfall, vibes, Marcus Shelby, bass and Carlton Jackson, drums.
Spotify playlist of music to be presented as part of The Sound of Identity.
Also, while you are at the Museum be sure to stop into the Andree Stevens Room to see a collection of exceptional art created by students who participated in the PDX Jazz: Jazz in the Schools education outreach program. This show of select works will be on view April 28 – 30.
Presented in collaboration with PDX Jazz.
Admission to the Museum is included with program ticket.
Purchase ticketsAccessibility
The Portland Art Museum is pleased to offer accommodations to ensure that our programs are accessible and inclusive. All spaces for this program are accessible by wheelchair. Assistive listening devices are also available for lectures. All restrooms have accessible stalls but no power doors. There are single-stall all-gender bathrooms available. Please ask staff for directions.
We will do our best to accommodate your needs when you arrive, however, we need 2-3 weeks advance notice for some specific requests. Please email requests to access@pam.org, or call 503-226-2811.
