Hot ‘N’ Jazzy

The Jazz Station turns 10 while July hits jazzy and world music notes ’round town

Cindy Scott
Cindy Scott

One of the city’s most valuable music institutions, The Jazz Station, is entering its second decade of giving Eugene a real center for jazz and other improvised sounds. The three-day 10-year anniversary celebration begins Thursday, July 23, with New Orleans singer Cindy Scott and guitarist Brian Seeger joining Portland piano star Randy Porter in a highly recommended vocal jazz show.

On Friday, July 24, the Station hosts local sax master Joe Manis, drummer Jason Palmer and B-3 organ virtuoso George Colligan, who’s been tearing up the Portland jazz scene on piano, organ, drums and more since he arrived from New York a couple years ago to join the Portland State University faculty. If you’re missing last week’s heat wave, catch this incendiary trio.

But if it’s the cool sounds of Brazilian jazz you favor, Saturday, July 25, brings Brazilian pianist and composer Marvio Ciribelli to town from Rio to jam with another great Oregon saxophonist Tom Bergeron, who’s been embracing Brazilian sounds for more than a decade. Ciribelli’s music is influenced by that country’s great traditions like choro, samba and others. See thejazzstation.org for details.

The Jazz Station isn’t the only place to catch sizzling jazz this month. Halie Loren, the young jazzer whose new Butterfly Blue album might push her to as much acclaim around America as she’s earned in Asia (especially Japan, where her concerts sell out and her albums top the jazz charts), is playing at Springfield’s Wildish Theater this Friday, July 17 (see “Winged Victory” this issue).

Two more young jazzers, New York trumpeter Josh Deutsch (a UO alum) and Italian-born guitarist Nico Soffiato, are also touring the West Coast with a new CD release, Reverse Angle, which they’ll celebrate here at 7:30 pm Saturday, July 18, at one of the intimate Broadway House (911 W. Broadway) concerts. The duo’s music draws on a wider-than-usual palette of influences, including classical (one of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédie”) and pop of different eras (“Someone to Watch Over Me,” for example). Bring a dessert or beverage for the potluck intermission. Call 686-9270 for details.

Also Saturday, July 18, the WOW Hall hosts an 8 pm benefit for the victims of the Nepal earthquake featuring sitarist-flutist-guitarist-harmonica-singer Matura and flamenco guitarist Deva Priyo (from Lost at Last and Gypsy Moon), jazz saxophonist Benjamin Crandall, percussionist Ken Sokolov, raga singer Gurunam Atwal and flutist Brooks Blanchard. The life-affirming reggae rocker I-chele and reggae Afro-funker Fantuzzi open this wide-ranging world music show.

July 18 is also the night of the Eugene Symphony’s concert in the park at the Cuthbert, but the free tickets are all snapped up. However, you might be able to score a returned one (perhaps from a patron still recuperating from this month’s heat wave) at the Hult Center or at the Cuthbert’s ticket gate at 6 pm. Or head down to Roseburg’s Stewart Park Sunday or over to Cottage Grove’s Bohemia Park on Monday night for the same show.

Celtic music fans might instead head over to 755 River Road at 7 pm Sunday, July 19, for an intimate garden concert featuring the veteran Celtic ensemble Golden Bough. Contact mmeyer@efn.org for details.