Jazz Festival
Jazz Festival 2025: April 25-27
School ensemble registration is now open for the 2025 festival! Click below to register your high school or middle school jazz band or combo. Email questions to Director of Jazz Studies, Music Instructor Dan Davey.
Click here to register for the 2025 festival
View the 2024 Jazz Fest Artists
Learn more about Jazz Fest 2024
Educational and Competition Opportunities for Students
The Mt. Hood Jazz Festival offers a three-day dive into jazz culture, featuring performances by nationally and locally renowned artists! It also hosts an educational competition for high school and middle school jazz ensembles. This includes:
- Divisions for high school big bands and combos.
- Divisions for middle school big bands and combos.
- Opportunities to qualify for the Oregon State Jazz Championships.
- Options to perform for ratings or "comments only."
- Constructive recorded and written feedback on your ensemble’s performance.
School jazz ensembles are invited to compete at the festival on the MHCC campus. Students grow as musicians through performances, masterclasses, and encounters with regional and international jazz heroes. MHCC jazz program students also actively participate in the festival. They assist with operations and gain management experience. They have full access to events, and some perform in the festival lineup!
A Unique Festival Experience
The Mt. Hood Jazz Festival showcases the journey of a musician from middle school to professional. Your students will have the opportunity to:
- Perform and receive valuable feedback.
- Participate in an on-stage clinic.
- Attend masterclasses specific to their instrument or a related topic.
- Experience professional performances by leading regional and national jazz artists.
- Enjoy music, vendors, food, and local culture.
- Witness the musical journey from middle school to professional.
How to Get Involved
Jazz at MHCC
History of the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival
MHCC launched this iconic festival in 1982 with help from the City of Gresham and the Mt. Hood Jazz Association. It is a staple in the jazz scene of the Pacific Northwest. Performers have included Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck, Buddy Rich, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, B.B. King, and many other iconic artists. The festival featured Rosemary Clooney's last live performance.
The festival posters are just as iconic as the artists. These unique posters showcase images of Mt. Hood with musical motifs. For example, the 1982 and 1983 editions depict grand pianos alongside mountains and floating on Trillium Lake. Today, these posters adorn walls in homes and offices throughout Oregon and beyond. They continue to be created and sold.
In 2019, MHCC acquired the festival name rights and welcomed the festival back to campus with a student-centered focus. The new focus inspires and educates students through performances and masterclasses on student and professional stages. Since its return, the festival has featured some of the leaders of today's scene, including Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Helen Sung, and Etienne Charles.
History of MHCC's Jazz Program
Started in 1966 by Larry McVey and Hal Malcom, the program focused on jazz education and was an early adopter of vocal jazz. It became a recruiting ground for big bands' leaders, like Stan Kenton, Mel Torme, and Buddy Rich.
In collaboration with the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival and KMHD Jazz Radio, students had exposure to top jazz artists. Alumni pursued education at prestigious institutions, becoming internationally known soloists and holding faculty positions.
Notable alumni include Chris Botti, Phil Baker, Dave Barduhn, Steve Christofferson, Tom DeLibero, Peter Dyer, Essiet Essiet, Gary Hobbs, Keller Koker, Patrick Lamb, Terry Layne, Martin Mueller, Donny Osborne, Dick Sarpola, Susie Jones, Jeff Uusitalo, Alan Yankee, and Ben Wolfe.
MHCC's Jazz Program
Under Dan Davey's direction, MHCC's jazz program is renowned in Portland, offering a comprehensive jazz education. Students perform at various events, including the Portland Jazz Festival, the Montavilla Jazz Festival, and the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival.
The MHCC music curriculum provides a creative and rigorous environment, preparing students for a music degree in two years. Faculty offer personalized education in classical and contemporary music studies, instrumental and vocal labs, performance studies, and masterclasses. DownBeat magazine annually recommends the MHCC music program in its "Where to Study Jazz" list.
