The PDX Jazz Festival in Portland, Oregon last week began to garner good reviews for its programs, many of which celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Blue Note Records. Yet as the first major jazz festival of 2009, it may be the canary in the coalmine regarding effects of the economic downturn. Last fall Alaska Airlines rescued the fest from folding after its major funder, Seattle-based Qwest Communications, pulled out, having been one of the decade’s 25-worst performing S&P 500 Index stocks. Now, according to PDX Jazz artistic director Bill Royston, severely disappointing ticket sales forced his cancellation of a major show scheduled for Friday 2/20 headlined by singer Cassandra Wilson, with pianist Jason Moran‘s band as an opening act.




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Hi, just wanted to note that it was the Master Musicians of Jajouka (not Joujouka)who played in Portland. The link to their site is actually http://www.jajouka.com not joujouka.net
The site you linked to is a rival group led by an Irishman who has often tried to sabotage and discredit the group led by Bachir Attar. Attar is regarded by most as the inheritor of the traditions of the ancient masters. My father,Rolling Stone critic Robert Palmer, first visited the village of Jajouka in 1971 and firmly believed in Bachir’s talent, ability, dedication, and legitimacy as the leader of the Master Musicians.
HM: Right, right right — I heard Bachir Attar and the Master Musicians of Jajouka last night at Roseland Theater, and will report thoroughly on their incredible music and it’s connections to jazz and beyond when I get back from the Portland jazz fest. But I intended no slight to the Jajoukans — Bachir did a lecture demonstration to my NYU class in World Music last summer, and certainly the ensemble he leads practices a fascinating ancient heritage at full force in the here and now.