Last weekend on Saturday night, I had a chance to dine at Jimmy Mak’s jazz club, one of the best place to listen to Jazz music in Portland. Situated in “Pearl District” the prime area in downtown Portland, the club has been quoted as “nationally known” by USA Today. In fact, Jimmy Mak’s was founded as a small Greek and Mediterranean restaurant in 1996, with great music and cozy atmosphere. Later, the place has become famous for its food and, especially, Jazz music. The great shows and performances keep coming up in its event calendar.
On Saturday night, it is a debut show at the club for the Jazz band called The Anomalous Quintet as known as The AQ. The band is led by the finger picking guitarist Jason Newsom and features a tenor sax by Michael York, an alto and baritone saxophone by Daniel Covrett, a bass by Arcellus Sykes and a drumset by Ronnie Lagrone. Their first album Quintessence was released in 1999, while the second and latest album Life on an Oblate Spheroid was released in 2005. They are planning to release their third studio album within the end of this year. The music of the band is original, mixing the leading guitar and bass with two saxophones perfectly with a great beat from the drum, resulting in unique funky tone and grooving rhythm. It was truly an enjoyable experience to dine and listen to a wonderful live Jazz musical performance. Even though there was a $8 entry ticket (apart from the dinner you ordered), the club was still full and if you didn’t have a prior reservation, you would have to stand by the bar to listen to the music.
That’s my latest cultural explorer in Portland. This time, as a music lover, I found myself happy with a fine taste of Jazz music. I am sure there are a lot more to explore in this cultural diversified city of Portland. Stay tune!
Related Links
- Jimmy Mak’s Official Website
- The Anomalous Quintet’s Official Website – You can listen to the sample of their Jazz music here.
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