In 2004 Portland State University purchased the old Red Lion/Doubletree hotel just five blocks south of the campus. What the University saw as a potential conference center, Darrell saw as an opportunity to create something new. In March 2005, LV’s Uptown Jazz Club was born. Located in PSU’s University Place Conference Center at 310 Southwest Lincoln Street, LV’s Uptown is a working jazz club on campus, providing a bridge between the University and the community, as well as creating a valuable laboratory for “real world experience" for PSU’s music students.

From its modest beginnings as a forty-one seats venue in the restaurant’s lounge area, LV’s has evolved into one of the city’s premier jazz clubs, presenting both Northwest and touring national jazz artists in an intimate listening environment. LV’s Uptown is unique among local jazz venues as it is student-friendly –showcasing professional performers in an all-ages venue for no cover charge. As the club’s music director, Darrell books LV’s artists as well as presenting university combos and offering the venue as a showcase for Portland’s many outstanding student jazz programs.

Performers who have played at LV's include:

Art Lande, Hal Galper, Roberta Piket, Nancy King, Dave Frishberg, Rebecca Kilgore, John Fedchock, Jovino Santos Neto, Greta Matassa, Laura Caviani, Gordon Lee, Paul Bollenbeck, Rob Scheps, Phil Dwyer, Mary Flower, Joe Romano, Dmitri Matheny, Larry Dunlap & Bobbe Norris, Tom Grant, Tall Jazz, Pete Krebs, Deanna Witkowski, David Friesen, Dan Balmer, Warren Rand, Marcus Shelby, John Stowell, Alfredo Muro, Shelly Rudolph, Mary Kadderly, Glen Moore, , Toby Koenigsberg, Robert Moore, Valerie Day, Alan Jones, Bryant Allard, John Gross, Gary Hobbs, Ron Steen, PSU Jazz Combos and The Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Participate
Find out about upcoming performances at the LV’s Uptown website.