You can now purchase tickets to the 2010 Alaska Airlines/ Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by U.S. Bank, February 22-28; tickets to shows like the legendary sax player, Pharoah Sanders, contemporary jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, innovative Norwegian group In The Country, and more. Tickets start as low as $20 and packages as low as $50. New this year: Students can become PDX Jazz Members for only $25 and receive great benefits like no ticket fees and an introductory $5 subscription to Jazz Times. Go to the PDX Jazz website for more information or call the PDX Jazz Box Office (503-228-5299) to order your tickets today with reduced handling charges.

 

Whether it's about the new PDX Jazz Managing Director, Don Lucoff, or the theme of the 2010 Portland Jazz Festival showcase (Is Jazz Dead - or has it moved to a new address? ­- New Music From Norway), the writers have been weighing in. Read the Oregonian article by Ryan White and the subsequent discussion about the theme; Barry Johnson's two follow-ups on his Oregonlive blog here and here; and an article in the online version of national jazz magazine Jazz Times.

PDX Jazz @ The ArtBar presents the Blue Cranes, 8:00 -11:00 PM this Saturday, November 7. Featuring one of Portland's hottest new jazz ensembles, the ArtBar is an intimate club-like venue, plus it's all-ages and free, with no drink minimum. Check out the Blue Cranes at the PCPA ArtBar, 1111 SW Broadway in Portland. Shelly Rudolph comes to the ArtBar on November 21.

The Portland Jazz Orchestra, which emerged from PDX Jazz a couple of years ago, begins its third annual Concert Series Friday, December 4 (7:30 pm in PCPA's Newmark Theater, 1111 SW Broadway), with "Linus, Lucy and the Duke" - PJO's holiday tradition of the deliciously witty "Nutcracker Suite" (arranged in 1960 by the dream-team Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn duo). For the first time they'll pair brand new arrangements of Vince Guaraldi's "Peanuts"-with numbers like "Christmas Time is Here" and "Linus and Lucy." PJO gives this festive, instantly recognizable classic a makeover with arrangements for varying ensemble size (solo to big band) by Darrel Grant, Charley Gray, Dan Gaynor, Lars Campbell and Andrew Oliver. More info at www.portlandjazzorchestra.org.