News

Politicians, jazz notables, and educators joined PSU President Daniel O. Bernstine at the inauguration of the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute, named for Portland jazz bassist Leroy Vinnegar (1928-1999), on April 30 at Portland City Hall. The institute will be housed in PSU's School of Fine and Performing Arts and directed by Darrell Grant, jazz pianist and PSU associate professor of music; Governor Ted Kulongoski and Mayor Vera Katz also marked the institute's launch by proclaiming May 1-7, 2004, as "Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Week."

The Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute was created to preserve and promote the art form, cultural heritage, and social history of jazz music in the Pacific Northwest. This month, the institute undertakes two new programs: "The Northwest Jazz Oral Histories Project," documenting the history of jazz in the Northwest through interviews with musicians, club owners, journalists, and others; and, "The New Griot Project," an arts-outreach initiative that uses the shared heritage of jazz and hip-hop to bring together 25-30 selected students in grades 8-12 to work with professional artists in an intensive 10-day, after-school workshop that culminates in a public concert.