On Monday, February 16, 2026, Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE) will present seven commissioned pieces of jazz inspired by singular Black leaders and communities performed by their signature 12-member ensemble at The Sanctuary at Taborspace. The original works draw on the poetry of Alice Dunbar-Nelson, the legacies of tennis greats Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson, the revolutionary term of president of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara, and Reverend James Lawson’s conception of nonviolent resistance. The performance will also include a premiere of a new arrangement of Ezra Weiss and Dr. S. Renee Mitchell’s “Vanport’s Siren Song” for the full ensemble. The concert is free to attend. RSVPs are recommended.