Newport's Oregon Coast Jazz Party Announces Dates, New Director

Published 03/24/26 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts is bringing major star power to this year's Oregon Coast Jazz Party, announcing that internationally celebrated bassist, composer, and Grammy-winning educator John Clayton will serve as interim Artistic Director for the 2026 edition. Clayton - whose résumé reads like a tour through modern jazz history - steps in following the passing of longtime Artistic Director Ken Peplowski, whose influence shaped the festival for more than a decade.

The 2026 Jazz Party, set for October 2 - 4 at the Newport Performing Arts Center, will double as a heartfelt tribute to Peplowski. Known for his quick wit, impeccable swing, and uncanny ability to assemble world-class lineups, Peplowski was widely regarded as the festival's guiding spirit. His absence is deeply felt not just in Newport but around the region, and organizers say Clayton's leadership ensures the event remains rooted in the same artistic excellence and warmth that Peplowski championed.

Adding to the significance of this year's celebration, The Jazz Cruise has signed on as presenting sponsor - a first-ever partnership uniting two major forces in the jazz world. The festival also welcomes back Rev. Carol Stubbs Smith as lead underwriter, whose continued support helps keep this coastal tradition thriving.

“This year's party will continue the well-established presentation of jazz artists from across the nation,” Clayton said. “We will also pay tribute to the memory of Ken Peplowski. He is the man whose vision of jazz brought decades of exciting, world-class programs to us. I can promise that anyone who joins us will leave with joyful jazz reverberating through their souls!”

While the artist lineup remains under wraps, anticipation is already building. With Clayton at the helm and a community eager to honor Peplowski's legacy, the 2026 Jazz Party is shaping up to be a weekend of standout performances as it has been for about two decades now. Since its inception in the early 2000s, it's brought a buzz to the tourism hub just as shoulder season swings into winter. The festival always has a vibrant emotional resonance, and the kind of improvisational magic that keeps fans returning year after year.

Last year featured saxophonist Scott Hamilton, Colombian bassist Alejandro Arenas, classically-trained Italian jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello, the remarkable Armenian American vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan, legendary trumpeter Bruce Harris, “irrepressibly spontaneous” jazz trombonist Mariel Bildsten and Swedish bassist Hans Backenroth. Who fills the stages this year is a highly anticipated announcement.

Tickets for the general public are expected to go on sale April 21, and organizers recommend early booking given the heightened interest surrounding this year's tribute. Proceeds support the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts. More information is available at coastarts.org/jazz.

 

 

 

 

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