PJCE presents: Rebecca Sanborn’s Shadow Work
with North Pole Studio presents: Rhythm & Hues feat. John Niekrasz, Kennedy Verrett, and Maria E. Olaya
Montavilla Jazz Festival 2026 opens with a powerful double bill celebrating large-ensemble composition, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the creative voices of Portland artists.
The evening begins with Rhythm & Hues, a collaborative project from North Pole Studio that pairs musicians with visual artists with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Musicians John Niekrasz, Kennedy Verrett, and Maria E. Olaya respond to original artwork by North Pole Studio artists Adam Richards, Joni Smith, and Davis Wohlford, transforming visual expression into newly created music.
The night continues with Rebecca Sanborn’s Shadow Work, presented by Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble. A large-ensemble work exploring dreams, identity, and the journey toward wholeness, Shadow Work began as a cycle of late-night compositions written while Sanborn’s young daughter slept. Developed over several years and arranged for PJCE by Douglas Detrick, the project has evolved through live performance, collaboration, and a large-scale recording process involving a wide network of musicians.
