Dear Patrons,
I’m happy to announce that the 4th Annual Vanport Jazz Festival is a “GO” for Saturday August 7, 2021 at Colwood Golf Center in Portland, Oregon! We’re excited and look forward to seeing all of you for a fun filled weekend of smooth jazz. Our original lineup only has one change, Rick Braun had scheduling issues, so he’ll be replaced. I’ve talked with the headline artists, (Gerald Albright, Marion Meadows and Sheila E), and as you can imagine, they’re excited to get back on stage.
According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), as of June 2021, 68% of Oregonians have be vaccinated. The OHA communicates that Oregon is on a trajectory to vaccinate more than 70% of residents by the end of June. According to the President of the United States, the supply of vaccines will be sufficient to vaccinate the entire nation by early summer. This is great news for an “outdoor” festival being held in August! The venue for the Vanport Jazz Festival is large enough for us to socially distance, and still enjoy a day of music, wine, food, and sun! However, despite all this good news, we still will be taking safety protocols to insure everyone’s health concerns are met.
Please read our Covid-19 policy for new festival protocols under the Covid-19 Tab.
Thanks for your patronage and we’ll see you in August!
James Taylor
Executive Producer
Saturday, August 7, 2021
12 p.m. to 8 p.m
2021 Tickets on Sale Now!
2021 Artists
Sheila E.
Sheila E. became a touring musician before the age of 20, performing and/or recording with George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, Patti LaBelle, and Steve Nicks among others. Her producing, arranging, and performance talents have been showcased throughout the music and film industry with appearances on The Academy Awards, The Latin Grammy Awards, BET Awards, The American Music Awards, The Kennedy Center Honors, and The Summer Olympics, just to name a few. Her current single, “No Line,” with the legendary Snoop Dogg, is her continued contribution to the music industry. The Queen of Percussion plans to release new music later this year.
Gerald Albright
Albright launched his solo career in the infancy of what became the smooth jazz format, with Just Between Us in 1987 and has been a core part of the genre with chart-topping albums, countless radio hits, and as a member of many all-star tours, including Guitars & Saxes and Groovin’ For Grover. In the late 90s, he fronted a big band for and toured with pop star Phil Collins and did a dual recording with vocal great Will Downing called Pleasures of the Night. Between his last two Grammy-nominated solo albums Pushing The Envelope (2010) and Slam Dunk (2014), he enjoyed hit collaborations with “24/7” with guitarist Norman Brown and “Summer Horns” by Dave Koz and Friends, which were also Grammy-nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Albums. Gerald’s latest effort, 30, released in 2018, is an anniversary project reflecting on some of Albright’s favorite music that he has written over the past three decades.
Tahirah Memory
Ever relevant soul singer/songwriter Tahirah Memory is a Portland, Oregon native. Described as having “…a beautiful instrument, a truly warm and gorgeous sound…” audiences have been inclined to feel as though they come away from a performance post an intimate conversation rather than crowded venue. Born to a musician father, who would later win a Grammy, the musical influence was present from inception. The 2015 release, of Tahirah’s debut album “PRIDE”, created huge buzz amongst soul and jazz music lovers in Europe, with frequent radio play in the UK, topping the UK Soul Chart and garnering support internationally, along with support from famed music outlet Soul Brother Records. Chris Wells of Echoes Magazine says her “depth of tone and easy elasticity is glorious to behold.” In April, 2019, she was nominated by SOULTRACKS for Best Female Vocalist, Best Album, and Best Song of 2019,
Marion Meadows
Marion Meadows first hit the airwaves in 1991 with For Lovers Only, and after establishing himself as a staple of the smooth jazz format with his subsequent recordings, Keep It Right Here (1993), Forbidden Fruit (1994) and Body Rhythm (1996), Meadows has recorded or performed with Brook Benton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, The Temptations, Michael Bolton, Angela Bofill, Will Downing among many others. In 1999 Meadows released Another Side of Midnight, considered by critics to be his strongest work to date. His follow-up, Next To You (2000), featured a mix of R&B-influenced jazz coupled with sensual Latin rhythms, and In Deep (2002), a neo-soul blend of jazz, R&B and hip-hop, brimmed with sophisticated arrangements. All three discs have been well received by his ever-growing, always loyal fans.
Vanport Jazz
All-Stars
A collective of rising jazz stars and northwest legends bringing you the best in jazz. Artists to be announced!
Thank You to our
2021 Sponsors!
