Formerly held close as one of the Pacific Northwest’s best-kept musical secrets, Jarrod Lawson has exploded as an international sensation, garnering awards, performing at prestigious venues and spawning fresh notability for Portland's burgeoning soul/jazz music scene. Ever since Lawson released his eponymous debut album in 2014, the smokey voiced singer-songwriter and virtuoso pianist has been sending positive ripples around the globe with his powerful message music. He has completed seven successful international tours with prestigious highlights extending from Rotterdam’s North Sea Jazz and the UK’s Love Supreme festivals to Java Jazz festival in Indonesia, with performances in Beijing, Melbourne and at Tokyo’s Billboard Live. His very first overseas performance was at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Club in London in 2014, following which the Jazzwise reviewer wrote: “With the deafening buzz surrounding this gig, Lawson has to show and prove, and he does so and then some, pretty much from the downbeat”.
Lawson followed his debut album with a limited edition vinyl EP “Jarrod Lawson At The BBC”, recorded at London’s historic BBC Maida Vale studios and broadcast on the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Show.
Lawson won 'Soul Artist Of The Year' at the Jazz FM Awards and has been dubbed “the hottest talent to hit soul music in at least ten years” by Echoes magazine. In the US, he has performed on the Capital Jazz Cruise and has appeared in leading jazz clubs across the country from Atlanta to Seattle.
His second album “Be The Change”, which benefits from the presence of legendary Grammy-nominated percussionist Sammy Figueroa, also features vocalist Amber Navran and her fellow members of the Los Angeles alternative soul trio Moonchild, guesting on “I’ll Be Your Radio”.
In March of 2023, Jarrod set out on an exhaustive 10-show solo UK tour, 'One Man & His Piano', delivering his most intimate and stirring performances to date, for sold-out crowds all across the UK.
--
The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, March 5-14, 2026, is a multi-venue, citywide celebration of sound and culture presented throughout Portland, Oregon. Dedicated to evolving out loud, the Festival honors America’s art form while embracing its future—bringing together legendary masters, boundary-breaking artists, and rising local talents who are redefining jazz and expanding its reach across genres and generations.
You may also like the following events from PDX Jazz:
Also check out other
Music events in Portland,
Entertainment events in Portland,
Festivals in Portland.
