Portland’s 2023 Cathedral Park Jazz Festival | Longest-running Free Jazz Festival West of the Mississippi

The Cathedral Park Jazz Festival is both the longest-running free annual jazz festival west of the Mississippi. The free event features local jazz, blues, soul, and Latin artists.

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Cathedral Park FREE Jazz Festival
July 14-16, 2023
More info: jazzoregon.org

The free Cathedral Park Jazz Festival [CPJF] featuring local jazz, blues, soul, and Latin artists will take place in Cathedral Park under the historic St Johns Bridge in North Portland for the 43nd year of the festival on Friday, July 14, Saturday July 15, and Sunday July 16, 2023.

Oregonians Credit Union and the Jazz Society of Oregon [JSO] are this year’s presenting sponsors.  The festival is organized by the Jazz Society of Oregon), which is currently seeking sponsors, donations, and volunteers.

CPJF is the longest-running free annual jazz festival west of the Mississippi – and Portland’s longest-running annual community event, according to organizers. Future announcements will provide the full lineup and times of each performance. There is no admission charge.

Preliminary performance lineup – stand by for updates

Friday, July 14 is dedicated to the Blues, starting at 4:30 pm. Among the featured artists:

• Singer, songwriter, guitarist Mary Flower, considered a world-class finger-style guitarist and lap slide player, who combines blues, folk, ragtime, swing and hot jazz;
• Terry Robb Trio, with drummer Gary Hobbs, bassist Dave Captein, and virtuoso blues guitarist Terry Robb, who is also a composer, singer, and producer. Robb has released 15 albums and has toured with Buddy Guy, Steve Miller, Robin Trower, and John Fahey, and won the Muddy; Captein has performed with Larry Coryell, Mose Allison, Wynton Marsalis and Tom Grant, among others; Hobbs has played with the Stan Kenton Orchestera, Bud Shank, Anita O’Day, the Woody Herman Orchestra, to name a few.

Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 will feature a mix of jazz, soul and Latin performers starting at 1pm on both days. Artists include:

• Chuchito Valdés – Cuban-born pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader Valdes has performed for large audiences in South America, Europe, and the U.S. He is a master of Cuban music (mambo, danzon, timba/salsa, and guaguanco) with a passion for American jazz and classical music.
• 3 Leg Torso – Originally a trio, now a quintet with an original, eclectic sound that resists definition, 3 Leg Torso has released six CDs and composed music for films, TV and symphony orchestras. Calling themselves “modern chamber pop music”, the quintet says its music is influenced by tango, Eastern European folk music, other world music, chamber music, and rock and roll. Quintet members: Béla Balogh (violin, trumpet, piano, octave mandolin), Courtney Von Drehle (accordion, tenor sax, slide guitar), T.J. Arkko (percussion), and Bill Athens (double bass).
• Ural Thomas and the Pain – Thomas topped the soul charts in the 1960s and was brought back to the live music scene by a group of young Portland musicians. A showcase for vintage soul and funk, this group always gets the audience dancing.

Keep it free: volunteers, sponsors, donations needed

“To help keep the festival free, the CPJF planning committee is seeking sponsors, donations, and volunteers,” noted Yvonne Lerch, CPJF Managing Director.