Doors at 7:30 | Show at 8:00
All ages are welcome.
Join us for a night of incredible music celebrating Portland’s legendary female vocalists performing classic Jazz, Soul, and Gospel. See the iconic Shirley Nanette alongside her long-time friends and contemporaries in a rare, once-in-a-lifetime performance of Portland's Hall of Fame Music Royalty.
Featuring Portland’s own Jazz Hall of Fame vocalists: Shirley Nanette, Julianne Johnson, and Lilla De Moane, backed by the PDX Jazz Allstar Band with:
Ron Steen – Drums
Tom Grant – Piano
Ed Bennett – Bass
Mel Brown – Percussion
Plus, surprise special guests!
Tickets:
GA Donation: $23 / Reserve: $28 + seat
VIP Reserve: $45 (includes dinner + seat)
VIP Ticket + Dinner Includes:
Bourbon St. Chicken / Smoked Pulled Pork
Garlic Green Beans / 7-Cheese Creole Mac
Alberta Abbey features a full bar and amazing Creole Cajun cuisine by Southern Grill Catering.
This is a benefit show for our local nonprofits Elevate Unity Inc. and the Alberta Abbey Foundation.
SHIRLEY NANETTE
Shirley has appeared as a guest soloist in concerts throughout the United States and Canada on commercial and public television. She has performed at many of Oregon’s musical events, including the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz, Cascade Music Festival, Sunriver Music Festival, and at Oregon Art Museum’s “Museum After Hours” Gospel Meets Jazz concert each year. Shirley was honored by the Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade with her float for two consecutive years, from which she sang through the entire parade length. She has been the opening act for Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons, Billy Eckstine, Diane Schuur, Lou Rawls, and Eddie Harris, and substituted for Tony Bennett with the Spokane Symphony when he became ill. Shirley performs with the Woody Hite Big Band and the George Reinmiller Big Band each year, usually in outdoor summer concerts.
Shirley Made her debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1981, conducted by Norman Leyden. She appears as one of the “Pops” concert favorites. She has also appeared as a guest soloist with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Seattle, Spokane, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Tucson, San Diego, Honolulu, Long Beach, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. In 1983, competing against several thousand contestants throughout the United States, she won the First “Star Search,” aka “Fantasy” national talent competition on NBC Television. Shirley was recognized as “Best Female Vocalist in Portland” from 1981 to 1991.
Shirley has been inducted in the Oregon Music Hall of Fame for her dedication to jazz and her long career.
JULIANNE JOHNSON
Actress, Producer (documentary films), Stage Director, Grammy Nominated Recording Artist, Award- winning composer/songwriter and Educator. As well as, Associate Artistic Director of Stumptown Stages Portland’s Own Musical Theatre Company.
Since graduating from U of Portland, Julianne has been a celebrated professional entertainer, nationally and internationally. Her credits include Film, Television, Touring with the USO to Korea, Japan, Okinawa with Concert performances in Spain, Rome and Cruise-headliner (national and international) touring theMediterranean, Commercial Voice-over Artist, Director of Theatre for ESOL Otemae student Exchange Program with Portland State University (16 years) in collaboration with the extension in Osaka, Japan and recently Faculty Department Chair of the Music and Theatre programs for Portland Community College.
As an Actress and singer Julianne’s has graced numerous stages both locally and regionally as a tour-de-force since the late 80’s. Her starring roles include Effie in Dreamgirls, Charmaine in Ain’t Misbehavin and in the Dolores Winningstad Performing Arts Center, the role of Ella Fitzgerald in the original play “Soul Harmony” and has also played Justice in the Broadway musical Rock of Ages. Other star turns with Julianne playing the leading/title roles include Hello Dolly, Gypsy, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Black and Blue, and an acclaimed regional tour of “Once on this Island “.
LILLA D'MONE
It’s an exciting time for Lilla! The Portland, OR, native has made her mark in the music world. Combining R&B, Soul, Jazz and Funk, to create a fusion of her own. Lilla’s single “Don't Stop The Music” charted at #34 on Billboard and was the top 10 song of the year on the UK charts.
She has toured throughout the world and performed on festival main stages, connecting people through music globally. From Kingston, Jamaica, to Beijing, China, Lilla has performed with an impressive array of artists, including Trombone Shorty, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Willie Nelson, Karl Denson, Bill Summers, Talib Kweli and more. She has also opened for artists such as Mos Def, Damian Marley, Christian Scott, Ciara and has recorded with Esperanza Spalding, Talib Kweli and more. With her dynamic band and soulful originals, she brings remarkable storytelling, musicianship, presence, energy, depth and talent to the stage.
TOM GRANT
Tom Grant has been a fixture on the Portland music scene since the early 80s, having toured with jazz greats Such as Joe Henderson, Charles Lloyd, and Tony Williams. He has produced 30 record albums and is still busily performing in Portland venues.
RON STEEN
Veteran bandleader and drummer Ron Steen is one of the Northwest’s top rhythm keepers and a leader of the Portland jazz scene. He is also the Godfather of Jazz Jams in Portland, having hosted ongoing jam sessions since 1980, including the famed jam at Produce Row. Notable international jazz stars who come through town stop in to Steen’s jams for impromptu music, led by one of the best in the business. In addition to hosting five jam sessions, Steen is also a sought after bandleader and session musician, who his peers hold in high regard for his solid and versatile rhythms and his engaging personality. Steen’s ability to bring together the top musicians in town and around the nation makes him one of the city’s most valuable assets.
ED BENNETT
Ed has long been considered one of the West Coast's premiere string bassplayers. Living in Portland, Oregon since 1990, Ed's work has taken him virtually everywhere in the world. He has worked with, toured internationally, or recorded with many legendary jazz figures, including: Dizzy Gillespie, Curtis Fuller, Terell Stafford, Claudio Roditi, Jeremy Pelt, Joe Henderson, Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson,Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, Pete Christlieb, Bud Shank, Charles McPherson, Hadley Caliman, Bobby Watson, Harry Allen, Pete Jolly, Don Abney, Joe Albany, Dave Frishberg, James Williams, Mike Wofford, Pete Malinverni, Bill Mays, Dick Berk, Lawrence Marable, Frank Butler, Gene Stone, Joey Baron, Chuck Redd, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Witherspoon, Anita O'Day, Nancy King, Ernistine Anderson, Marlena Shaw, Karrin Allyson, Mary Stallings, Dee Daniels, Bill Henderson, The Modernaires, Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabakin Big Band and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.A dedicated, working professional, Ed also majored in music, first attending Los Angeles Valley College. The following year, Ed was accepted to the Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1971.
In 1974, Ed toured with Jimmy Witherspoon. Between 1976 and 1979 he backed Carmen McRae, making his recording debut on "Carmen McRae at the Great American Music Hall" in San Francisco which was nominated for a GrammyAward in 1977.
MEL BROWN
Mel is an American jazz drummer was born in 1944. He is one of the most well-known jazz musicians in Portland, Oregon since 1973. Brown worked as a session musician with many Motown Records artists, including Martha and the Vandellas and Stevie Wonder. It wasn’t Motown’s policy at the time to list the names of the backing musicians, so he isn’t credited on many of his albums. Brown was introduced to Motown by Martha Reeves, who hired him to join her band in 1967 at the suggestion of comedian Redd Foxx. Brown was a member of the Vandellas and Reeves bands for a few years before Motown hired him as a studio musician. He also traveled with other Motown artists. Reeves and Brown were reunited when Martha was booked to perform at "Jimmy Mak‘s", a Portland nightclub. Brown also recorded the drums for the George Harrison song “My Sweet Lord”, which was released on the album All Things Must Pass in 1970. Brown continues to perform live with some the most well-known jazz, funk, and soul musicians in the Pacific Northwest. Brown also organizes and teaches at Western Oregon University’s summer camp for jazz music.
NOAH SIMPSON
Energetic, attentive, and dynamic define Noah Simpson's trumpet playing. Joined by fellow west coast transplants, the band strives to provide a fresh set of ears to Black American music. Cory Limuaco provides consistent, intricate grooves that compliment Cary Miga's strong melodic bass lines. Matt Sazima guides the band harmonically creating a platform for Noah to lead the band with his contemporary approach to the trumpet.