The Jazz Society’s Cathedral Park Jazz Festival is free, open to the public, and held over three days in mid-July at Cathedral Park under the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland. Now in its 38th year, the festival is the longest running jazz and blues festival west of the Mississippi River featuring the region’s best local jazz and blues musicians

The Festival begins Friday, July 20 with dynamic Blues, R&B, and Soul. Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22 will feature multiple styles of Jazz in all their glory. The stage is situated in a natural amphitheater with a backdrop of the beautiful Willamette River to the west and the mighty St Johns Bridge overhead. The lush, green, and beautifully-maintained festival grounds are the perfect place to bring a picnic or to purchase delicious offerings available from our food vendors. You are welcome to spread a blanket or set up low-profile beach chairs in the grassy bowl in front of the stage.

The Jazz Society recognizes the growing hunger problem in our area, so a Food Drive to benefit area food banks is an integral part of the Festival. Barrels to collect donated non-perishable food items will be placed throughout the grounds.

Friday, July 20^th:

5:00pm – Timothy James & the Portland Blues Revival
6:00pm – Reggie Houston
7:30pm – NW Women Rhythm and Blues
9:00pm – Norman Sylvester Band

Saturday, July 21:

1:00pm  Roosevelt HS Jazz Band
2:30pm – Becky Kilgore & the Cowhands
4:00pm – Jessika Smith Big Band
5:30pm – Catarina New & Brazilian Touch
7:00pm – The Quadraphonnes
8:30pm – Tahira Memory

Sunday, July 22:

1:00pm – Enzo Irace
2:30pm – Under the Lake
4:00pm –  Randy Porter Trio with Nancy King
5:30pm – David Evans Quartet
7:00pm – Remembering Ray (A Celebration of Ray Charles)

The 10th Annual Blues Build Benefit Concert for the Junction City/Harrisburg/Monroe Habitat for Humanity will be taking place at Bennett Vineyards & Wine Company, 25974 Highway 36, Cheshire, OR (near Eugene) on Sunday, July 22. Curtis Salgado returns to headline this three band event that showcases our best local blues musicians – and this year’s line-up is amazing!

There will be plenty of awesome raffle and auction items to bid on, including a vacation to Hawaii! The event includes delicious food options from the best food trucks around, including Vinnie’s Smokin’ BBQ and Taco Intrusion.

Tickets are only $30 advance, $35 at the gate and can be purchased online at Eventbrite, at the Tasting Room at Bennett Vineyards & Wine Company, or at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Junction City!

The event begins at 2:30 pm, with music starting at 3:00 pm with Lisa Mann, followed by Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager at 4:30 pm, and closing with Ty Curtis from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.

You’re welcome to bring your own lawn chairs and blankets, but please leave your pets at home, and no outside alcohol.

Too Slim & the Taildraggers came out of Spokane in 1986 like a man with hellhounds nipping at his heels. Thirty-two  years  and  numerous  albums  later  the  band  is  still  going  strong,  hot  on  the  heels  of  their  newest  release,  High  Desert  Heat. Tim  “Too  Slim”  Langford  is  not  only  a  master  of  slide  guitar,  he’s  also  a  composer  of  the  highest  regard and a supremely  talented  performer  and  composer  who  ranks  with  the  best blues/rock  has  to  offer.  When  you  see  him  perform  live,  there  is  not  question  why  he  has  been  inducted  in  multiple  Northwest  blues  societys’  Hall  of  Fames.

Too Slim & the Taildraggers will  be  coming  to  Billy  Blues  Bar  &  Grill,  7115  Hazel  Dell  Ave.,  in  Vancouver,  on  Thursday,  July  19,  for  an  8:00  pm  show.  Admission  is  $5.00.

Then on Monday, July 27, Too Slim & the Taildraggers will be performing a rare, intimate storytellers acoustic show at The Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State Street in Lake Oswego at 7:00 pm. This is an all ages event, with tickets are $15.00 advance at laketheatercafe.com. VIP Table with seating for four, located in lower section closest to stage available for $80.00.

Dave Kahl has worked his magic on the bass for many years in Portland, performing in such groups as Robbie Laws, Duffy Bishop, Paul deLay Band, Ty Curtis Band, weekly gigs with the Bayou Boyz and Soul Cookin’, and many more. He is always the first person to jump in whenever a benefit for others is needed and has often put together such himself. And speaking of magic, he has been behind the brainstorming of such projects as MyGigNet.com and the Creative Community Cooperative promoting a vision for community recognition of our local music and arts scene that he has presented before our government leaders.

Yes, Dave Kahl has been a guiding force in our music community, aiding those in need many times over. Now, Dave needs our help. On July 19 he will undergo open heart surgery. As we know, musicians often struggle to make ends meet and having major health issues compounds that struggle. To give a hand to Dave a benefit show called Musicians Coming Together has been put scheduled to be held on Sunday, July 22 at Mekong Bistro, 8200 NE Siskiyou Street Suite 107, going from noon until 7:00 pm. Admission for this all ages event is $15.00 with a line-up still in the works, but already confirmed for the day are Duffy Bishop & Chris Carlson, Lloyd Jones, Ken DeRouchie Band with Arietta Ward, Mitch Kashmar, Rae Gordon, Margo Tufo, Brian Foxworth, Ben Jones, Steve Kerin, Don Worth, Julie Amici & Dean Mueller, Ed Neumann Band, AC Porter, with more to be announced.

Please come out and show your support for Dave Kahl.