One of Portland’s most dynamic singer-songwriters joins the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble’s twelve-member band for an evening of original songs arranged by Portland’s best jazz composers. Vazquez’s journey as an artist has taken her from her foundations in traditional Mexican folk music to her most recent release, Sola Soy, which combines jazz and rock with Mexican music for a unique perspective on what music from Portland can sound like. That she makes deep connections with English and Spanish-speaking audiences even though the majority of her songs are in spanish is a testament to her brilliance as a performer. Joining the PJCE is a perfect realization of Vazquez’s musical interests, and an opportunity for Oregon audiences to hear one of the region’s most original artists with it’s most daring jazz ensemble to back her up, interact with her energetic presence on stage, and add a new level of power to her work.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Edna Vazquez is a Portland-based Latin American singer-songwriter who performs original compositions that pay homage to her international influences with a passion that comes through in every note of her music. She lifts the audience’s spirits during her cathartic live performances with a vocal range that allows her to transition seamlessly between folk, rock, pop and Mariachi, all while exploring jazz stylings. Edna’s songs are deeply rooted in universal human emotion and she has traveled far and wide spreading her message of light, love and cultural healing.
The Portland Jazz Composers’ Ensemble is a 12-piece jazz chamber orchestra which commissions and performs original works by its members and by other jazz composers in the Portland music community and beyond. It is quickly establishing its reputation as a rising star in Portland’s competitive arts scene, winning major awards like the Oregon Community Foundation’s Creative Heights grant, collaborating with Catherine Feeny and other Portland indie luminaries, and building partnerships that expand the possibilities of jazz.
