Portland Jazz Festival pulls the plug

Portland is losing its prestigious jazz festival, after event organizers said they lost their major sponsor and could not find enough grants and funds to keep the annual event going. The 2009 Portland Jazz Festival, planned for Feb. 12-22, has been canceled.

Since its inception in 2004, the Portland Jazz Festival consistently drew such top musicians as Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea and Cecil Taylor to Portland every February, quickly becoming one of the nation's most acclaimed jazz events.

But on Monday, Brad Nelson, operations director of the nonprofit festival, sent out a news release and posted on the group's Web site that the festival was ending.

When reached in Portland Monday afternoon, Nelson explained that the fest's major sponsor, Qwest — which usually contributed $50,000 — pulled out this spring, and other sponsors either gave less or didn't contribute this year, citing tough economic conditions.

The festival's board of directors voted to disband, effective next Monday, because it couldn't raise the $100,000 needed for the 2009 event. "We are stopping ourselves before we get into financial trouble," Nelson said.

The festival has drawn jazz fans not just from around the Northwest but around the country. Last year, the Jazz Journalists Association named Portland's one of the nation's top five jazz events.

The festival includes 150 concerts, films and interviews with artists, spread over 10 days every February. Most events were free.

Despite drawing 36,000 fans to the last festival, organizers said the event still relies heavily on sponsors, grants and fundraisers to draw top acts and also to stay afloat.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com