PORTLAND, Ore. – After 20 years, the Portland jazz club Jimmy Mak’s will close its doors indefinitely.
The owner, Jimmy Makarounis, is battling throat cancer and his doctors told him he needs to focus on healing.
The club will close its doors after one final show on Dec. 31.
“It is with a heavy heart I make this announcement,” Makarounis said. “Jimmy Mak’s has been a family home to world-class musicians of many different genres, particularly the city’s best jazz players. The club also presents many of the world’s top jazz and blues players and has become a significant West Coast stop on many of these artists’ tours.”
Last year, Makarounis was forced to move the club from its longstanding location in the Pearl District but a new, fully funded location nearby was moving ahead. The new Jimmy Mak’s was scheduled to open in early 2017 but Marakounis’ health has sidelined the project indefinitely.
Makarounis said he looked for other owner/operators to keep the club open but has not yet found someone to fill his shoes. He said the door is still open if someone else wants to finish the new location buildout and re-open Jimmy Mak’s.
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