The Vanport Mosaic Festival Presents: Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble: From Maxville to Vanport — A Celebration of Oregon’s Black History
This profound collection of songs and short films focuses on two towns that were vital places of opportunity and refuge for Black Oregonians in the first half of the 20th century: Maxville, a logging town built by the Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company in 1923, and Vanport, built to house shipyard workers in 1942.
This performance opens the 11th Vanport Mosaic Festival (May 22–31, 2026). Explore the full program of exhibits, tours, performances, and conversations at vanportmosaic.org
From Maxville to Vanport, by composer Ezra Weiss, lyricist S. Renee Mitchell and filmmaker Kalimah Abioto, reveals and celebrates that heritage with honesty about racism and other challenges while also offering a hopeful picture of Oregon’s future. Performed by vocalist Marilyn Keller with the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.
“Maxville to Vanport” is a multimedia concert of songs and short films with live music performed by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble. It tells the story of two historic blue collar Oregon towns with a special focus on the African American Oregonians that made them unique. With a joyful score of jazz, blues, R&B, and gospel-inspired music with historical consultation by Gwendolyn Trice of Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center created in a community-guided process in 2018, this project celebrates a little-known part of Oregon’s history.
Maxville, a logging town built in 1923 in Wallowa County, and Vanport, built in 1942 just north of Portland for shipyard workers, were multicultural communities that housed workforces with significant African American and immigrant populations at a time when many Oregonians were openly hostile to them. From Maxville to Vanport looks honestly at the prejudice these people faced and celebrates their resilience, courage, and important contributions to Oregon. It tells stories of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the face of remarkable adversity; stories that deserve to be better understood by all Oregonians.
Personnel:
Marilyn Keller – voice
Joe Manis – soprano sax, flute, clarinet
John C. Savage – alto sax, flute, clarinet
Tim Willcox – tenor sax
Mieke Bruggeman – baritone sax, bass clarinet
Fred Forney – trumpet
Ashton Blair – trumpet
James Powers – trombone
Denzel Mendoza – trombone
Ryan Meagher – guitar
Jasnam Daya Singh – piano
Eric Gruber – bass
Ken Ollis – drums
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