Esperanza spalding is among the artists performing in the Oregon Symphony’s “Sounds Like Portland” Festival. Photo source: Oregon Symphony.
In Wednesday’s (10/15) NW Examiner (Portland, Oregon), Michaela Lowthian writes, “This weekend the Oregon Symphony unveils Sounds Like Portland, a concert series set in multiple venues. Sounds like Portland presents symphony collaborations with indie bands The Decemberists; The Dandy Warhols; singer Storm Large and soloist M. Ward, whose concert marks the Symphony’s debut at Revolution Hall. The series [will] blur the lines between classical music, jazz and indie rock. Grammy Award-winning bassist esperanza spalding, who grew up in Portland, kicks off the series with two concerts at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. I asked if there was a Portland-y sound. ‘I don’t know if there is a Portland sound in our jazz music, but if there is, I’m so far in it that I can’t say,’ spalding said. ‘Our land here is so distinct—water, rivers, mountains. The confluence of all that is here, and this is one of the best cities that holds all these elements in one place…. I’m very involved with our relationship to the land … and how we draw inspiration from that…. I’m so interested in how the arts support our communities. We are a music-ing people, so thinking about music as a way into elder care, or birth, or educating youth.’ ”
