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Portland Jazz Festival musicians also visiting Seattle this month

KNKX File
Bill Frisell is one of many musicians at the Portland Jazz Festival who will also play concerts in Seattle.

Portland, Ore. will see many visitors cross the border from Washington this month for the Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, Feb. 16-25. For those who can't make the trip, many of the festival's performers will visit the Seattle area in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, Afrobeat diva Anjélique Kidjo, Daptone Records stars Budos Band, emerging pianist James Francies, blues great Charlie Musselwhite, and legendary flutist Hubert Laws will not be visiting Puget Sound this time. Most of the headliners, though, will journey north.

In Portland, guitarist Bill Frisell plays a Feb.16 festival concert at the Reser Center for the Arts. That show is sold out, so the Seattle performance Feb. 17 at the Moore Theatre might see a few Oregonians in the crowd.

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire teams with pianist Gerald Clayton at Portland's Old Church, Feb. 18. Though Clayton won't be joining him, Akinmusire's quartet opens for Frisell in Seattle.

Trumpeter and arranger Steven Bernstein's SexMob plays Feb.18 with Budos Band at Portland's Roseland Theater. Though Budos Band moves on to Vancouver, B.C., Seattle audiences have two chances to see SexMob before their Portland show. They're playing two sets at the Royal Room Feb. 16.

Future soul singer and producer Christian Kuria released his debut album in 2020 and plays at Holocene in Portland, Feb. 19. Crocodile-adjacent club Madame Lou's welcomes Kuria Feb. 21.

Slide trumpet player Steven Bernstein brings his SexMob to the Portland Jazz Festival and to Seattle's Royal Room this month.
Greg Aiello
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Steven Bernstein
Slide trumpet player Steven Bernstein brings his SexMob to the Portland Jazz Festival and to Seattle's Royal Room this month.

Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen will play Seattle's Town Hall Feb. 18, then heading for the festival to play Feb. 21 at the Old Church in Portland.

Australian modern soul jazz outfit Hiatus Kaiyote hits the festival Feb. 21 at the Arlene Schnitzer Auditorium, and their Seattle concert at the Moore Theater follows the next night. Both shows feature opening band Butcher Brown, so don't be late.

Modern jazz multi-instrumentalist and singer Taylor McFerrin co-leads a trio with drummer Marcus Gilmore Feb. 22 at the Old Church at the Portland Jazz Festival. Bassist Derrick Hodge completes the trio who will be at Seattle's Nectar Lounge Feb. 23, and he's leading his own trio in Portland opening for Dave Holland's trio Feb. 24.

Drummer Mark Guiliana hits Seattle with his acoustic quartet Feb. 22 at the Triple Door before heading south for the festival for a concert at the Old Church the following night. Guiliana plays a late show Feb. 24 with his electronic trio Beat Music at Portland's Jack London Review.

Likewise, NEA Jazz Master bassist Dave Holland leads his trio with Kevin Eubanks and Eric Harland on guitar and drums Feb. 22 at Jazz Alley. Portland's Newmark Theatre hosts the three Feb. 24.

Jon Cleary teams up with New Orleans favorites Dumstaphunk at Portland's Aladdin Theater Feb. 24. Make your plans to catch them at the Edmonds Center for the Arts Feb. 25.

A trip to visit our neighbors in Portland is always a special time. But if your schedule doesn't have room for the drive down to the Rose City, you can enjoy many of these fantastic artists in the Emerald City (and Edmonds) this month.

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Abe grew up in Western Washington, a 3rd generation Seattle/Tacoma kid. It was as a student at Pacific Lutheran University that Abe landed his first job at KNKX, editing and producing audio for news stories. It was a Christmas Day shift no one else wanted that gave Abe his first on-air experience which led to overnights, then Saturday afternoons, and started hosting Evening Jazz in 1998.