There is news from Portland, Oregon, that Jimmy Mak’s jazz club will permanently close at the end of 2016. A leading west coast club for 20 years, Mak’s has been a primary outlet for the talents of musicians in Oregon’s active jazz community and for touring national artists. Owner Jimmy Makarounis told The Oregonian that a chronic health problem forced the decision:
As many of you know, I have been battling larynx cancer for these past four years, and I simply need to step away from the business to focus on healing and beating this disease, once and for all.
The Portland PDX Jazz Festival announced that Jimmy Mak’s bookings planned for the 2017 festival in February have been moved to other locations.