December 20, 2010 – BEND, Ore. — When the Oxford Hotel opened in January of 2010 in downtown Bend, it was not only the area’s first and only luxury boutique hotel, but quickly became the downtown’s hub for social and event gathering.
In January of 2011, the OXFORD will continue this trend by launching “Jazz at the OXFORD”, a series of jazz club performances over four major holiday weekends, in what it typically Bend’s off season. Each weekend will feature three performances, with Friday night shows from 8:00-10:30pm, and a special Sunday Jazz Brunch from 10:00am-12:30pm, where a single ticket price includes, two full sets of jazz and Bend’s first high-end hotel-style breakfast buffet (ticket price includes jazz and brunch).
Each jazz artist coming to Bend has a significant following on an international level, both via recordings and live performances. The artists and dates announced for 2011 are:
MLK Weekend – January 14th, 15th & 16th
Mel Brown Quartet. Portland’s jazz empasario, Brown is a world-renown drummer, who as a Motown session player backed such luminaries as the Supremes and Martha Reeves.
Presidents Weekend – February 18th, 19th, & 20th
Patrick Lamb. An extraordinary up-tempo sax player and great entertainment, Lamb regularly tours with Bobby Caldwell and Gino Vannelli.
Spring Break Weekend – March 25th, 26th, & 27th
the Tom Grant band, featuring Dan Balmer. Portland-based, internationally-acclaimed, pianist and singer Grant comes to Bend in a reunion with his original guitarist, the incomparable Dan Balmer.
Memorial Day Weekend – May 27th, 28th, & 29th
the Ron Steen Band. Portland’s leader of jazz jams, Steen has backed the giants of jazz
Tickets are available now at www.bendtickets.com & www.oxfordhotelbend.com/jazz-at-the-oxford.htm. Pre-show dinner packages are available by calling the Oxford at 541-382-1010
“Jazz at the Oxford” demonstrates that Bend is becoming a sophisticated music scene, and will prove to be an opportunity for people that appreciate upbeat, world-class live music to experience it in an intimate, comfortable jazz club environment. For the evening shows, the Oxford will convert their intimate ballroom into a legitimate jazz club, featuring a martini bar, Spanish coffee cart, unique appetizer and dessert menus and posters of jazz greats adorning the walls. The Sunday Jazz Brunch will feature an amazing buffet, morning cocktails and will be geared toward gatherings of families and friends.
All shows will also be all ages, enabling families to expose younger generations to jazz music.
Sound quality, staging and lighting will be top shelf, on par with other great jazz clubs, as patrons will be steps away from the artists and their nuanced sounds, in a venue ideal for superior sound quality.
The shows are being put on by the OXFORD hotel in collaboration with G2 Strategic and Combined Communications.
Marshall Glickman, G2’s CEO, is the former president of the Portland Trail Blazers and a Bend resident, who works internationally as a consultant to the sports and entertainment industry. Glickman is a longtime Jazz enthusiast who was instrumental in bringing Portland’s top jazz artists to Bend. “Music of all forms, and especially jazz, has always been a passion of mine, so it was a natural fit for me to help the OXFORD in attracting these world class musicians,” said Glickman. “I recently joined the board of Arts Central because I believe that cultural diversity is an ideal compliment to our already fantastic outdoor recreation options . Kudos to the Oxford for bringing sophisticated entertainment to Bend on key holiday weekends , when we will behave like a real ski destination. Jazz at the Oxford is a great way to entice people from Portland and the Willamette Valley to come to Bend for an amazing long weekend of Winter recreation and amazing music.
As the flagship hotel of the family-owned Oxford Hotel Group, a Bend-based hotelier that has been in the hospitality business since 1955 and currently manages a portfolio of 17 properties in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California, The Oxford Hotel is the culmination of nearly 55 years of history creating unique and memorable experiences for business and leisure travelers.
“As Bend’s reputation continues to grow nationally, and as we become an increasingly viable business travel destination, these jazz weekends fit right into our strategy to be great community partners and build cultural events for all generations” said Ben Perle, general manager of the OXFORD hotel.
Find out more information about the artists and the concert series at: http://www.oxfordhotelbend.com/jazz-at-the-oxford.htm
About Oxford Hotel Group:
The Oxford Hotel is owned and operated by Oxford Hotel Group, a Bend-based family-owned hotelier that currently manages a portfolio of 17 properties throughout the West under the Oxford Suites, Oxford Inns, Cimarron Inn and Oxford Hotel brands. Oxford Hotel Group has been in the hospitality business since 1955 and opened its first Oxford Suites property in 1989. Today, Oxford Hotel Group properties can be found in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. For more information visit www.oxfordhotelgroup.com.
About G2 Strategic:
G2 Strategic, LLC provides global sports business solutions, addressing a broad range of issues and opportunities faced by the sports and entertainment industries. G2 stands for “Glickman Global,” an acronym of its founder and CEO, Marshall Glickman, and the firms focus on its international client base. G2 was launched in June, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts and is now based in Bend, Oregon.
Since 1995, G2 has served a range of clients and participated in several major development projects, including sports franchises (Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, CSKA Moscow, Asvel Basket), federations (French Tennis Federation, Tennis Canada), developers (SPSM, Bechtel), construction companies (Clark Construction Group, leagues (Euroleague Basketball, Turkish Basketball League), financiers (GSO Capital Partners), architects (Ellerbe Becket, NBBJ) and food service companies (Compass Group France/Eurest). Glickman has overseen or participated in several major arena and stadium developments, including the Moscow Sports & Entertainment Project, the Rose Quarter (Portland, Oregon), PGE Park (Portland, Oregon) and American Airlines Arena (Miami, Florida). G2 is currently orchestrating the development of a new indoor 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Lyon, France and is involved in venue developments in Ireland and China.
Artist interviews can be arranged by contacting G2 Strategic.
Learn more about G2 Strategic at www.g2strategic.net.