Pianist George Winston Performs at Natick Center for Arts on Saturday, March 26

New Age pianist and composer George Winston is performing at the Natick Center for the Arts on Saturday, March 26, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.   Tickets are $37-$42 and can be ordered online.

Winston's release of his album Autumn in 1980 began a movement toward clear, melodic music with strains of jazz, classical, and folk music. 

For a full schedule of events at Natick Center for the Arts, click here.

For year round jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

We Four Perform John Coltrane Tribute at UMass/Amherst on Saturday, M arch 26

We Four, an ensemble of jazz masters, performs a tribute to saxophonist John Coltrane at Bowker Auditorium on Saturday, March 26, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.

 Tickets to the event are $15-$25, and for college students and youth 17 and under, admission is $10.

We Four is comprised of four stellar jazz musicians: tenor sax player Javon Jackson, drummer Jimmy Cobb, pianist George Cables, and bassist Peter Washington.

The concert is sponsored by WFCR, 88.5 FM. 

For a full schedule of music events at UMass/Amherst's Bowker Auditorium, click here.

For year round details on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourism information visit MassVacation.com.

Blues Guitarist Paul Speidel Celebrates New CD Release at the Acton Jazz Club on March 25

In celebration of its new CD, Retro Rocket, the Paul Speidel Band is performing at the Acton Jazz Club in Acton, Massachusetts on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 9:00 p.m.

Tickets to the show are $12 at the door, or $10 online.

Speidel, a Chicago native reared on the blues, is an electrifying blues guitar player who plays a range of jazz, rock, blues and R&B.

For a full schedule of events at Action Jazz Club, click here. For directions to the club, click here.

For year round details on jazz nightclubs, concerts, campus events, brunches, and festivals, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Grammy Winners Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten Performing at Royale in Boston on Thursday, March 24

Legendary jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and fellow-Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten perform tonight, March 24, 2011, at Royale Night Club in Boston at 7:00 p.m..

Tickets to the show are $27 and can be ordered online.

Clarke won a Grammy at this year's Grammy Awards ceremony for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.  The Philadelphia native has revolutionized the bass guitar and continues to perform throughout the world.  

Wooten is a five-time Grammy Award winner who was deeply influenced by Clarke, and came to prominence during his time with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  Clarke, Wooten and Marcus Miller have released a new album, Thunder, to great acclaim.

For a schedule of upcoming concerts at Royale, click here.

For year round details on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches, festivals and courses in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Adagio Big Band Performing at Mechanics Hall on Friday, March 25

The Adagio Big Band is performing at Mechanics Hall in Worcester on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.  The band performs an impressive variety of contemporary and classic jazz, from Cab Calloway and Frank Sinantra to Diane Krall and Brian Seztler.

Tickets are $22.50 and $32.50, and a dinner/show combination is $52.00.  Tickets are available online.  Dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. and reservations are required.

For a full schedule of concerts at Mechanics Hall, click here.

For details on jazz concerts, nightclubs, campus events, brunches and festivals in Massachusetts throughout the year, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Samantha Farrell Returns to BOND Lounge at Boston Langham Hotel on Wednesday, March 23

Rising star Samantha Farrell has a return engagement at BOND Lounge at Boston Langham Hotel on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

The singer/songwriter, originally from Boston and now living in Los Angeles, has been described by Ben Evans of the Huffington Post as possessing "a liquor-honey voice, deft guitar work and slightly melancholic tones that meld to form an arching and elegant aural tapestry."

Samantha's show is part of the new BOND Jazz Experiment that features upcoming and established jazz artists on Wednesday nights.  A special menu is available.  For reservations, call 617 956-8765.

For a full schedule of artists coming to the BOND Restaurant and Lounge, click here.

For year round details on jazz clubs, hotel brunches, campus activities, jazz festivals and concerts throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

For visitor information on Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.

Guitar Master Al DiMeola Performs in Fall River on Tuesday, March 22

Jazz guitar virtuoso Al DiMeola performs with his band World Sinfonia at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Massachusetts on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets to the show are $50 and $25 for children, and can be ordered online.

DiMeola is a pioneer in fusing jazz and world music, a prolific composer, and a seasoned performer whose career dates back to the 70s fusion band, Return to Forever.

For a schedule of upcoming events at Narrows Center for the Arts, click here.

For details on jazz clubs, concerts, campus events, brunches and festivals in Massachusetts throughout the year, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Roomful of Blues Performing in Ipswich on Friday, March 18

Legendary blues band Roomful of Blues is performing on Friday, March 18, 2011 at the Ipswich Performing Arts Center in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Tickets to the concert are $22 and $18 for students, and can be ordered online or at the door.

The concert is presented by the North Shore Jazz Project, and proceeds benefits the Ipswich High School music program.

For year round jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

NPR's Go Green for St. Patrick's Day Jazz List

A BlogSupreme on National Public Radio (NPR) has come up with a jazz sampler in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  Heading the list is the classic rendition of Danny Boy by pianist Bill Evans, released in 1963. 

Also included on the list: Snakes by David Sanborn.

Writes NPR: "Here are five jazz songs that wear the green, at least in their titles. We start with a gorgeous version of a song regarded by many as Ireland's unofficial national anthem. And we'll end with a musical nod to those pesky snakes that the Irish no longer have to worry about."

For full details on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

Joe Morello, Springfield Native and Jazz Drummer (1928-2011)

Joe Morello, drummer for the Dave Brubeck Quartet, died at his home in New Jersey on Saturday at age 82.

A native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Morello was sight-impaired as a child and studied the violin, performing at age nine with Boston Symphony Orchestra as a soloist in the Mendelsohn Violin Concerto, according to his biography.  He switched to the drums at age 15.

Brubeck released a statement, saying: "Drummers worldwide remember Joe as one of the greatest drummers we have known.  Many people consider the rhythm section of Eugene Wright and Joe Morello in my quartet as being one of the most consistent, swinging rhythm sections in jazz. ... His drum solo on 'Take Five' is still being heard around the world."

On the Home Page of Morello's web site was a simple note:  

 

"It is with great sadness that we report Joe's passing on March 12, 2011.His impact on the world of music and on all those whose lives he touched will live forever."

 

 For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

Boston Jazz Club Featuring Irish Music this St. Patrick's Day, March 17

Boston's popular jazz club, the Beehive, is holding its annual Erin Go Beehive to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Thursday, March 17, 2011, from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., partnering with the Boston Irish Tourism Association.

Featured performers this year include Matt & Shannon Heaton, harpist Maeve Gilchrist, Irish drummer Paddy League, and singer Sheila Linnehan.

Beehive Chef Rebecca Newel has put together a distinctive Irish menu that includes Corned Beef & Cabbage flatbread with Sauerkraut & Cheese, Finaan Haddie Smoked Fish & Chips with malt vinegar aioli and slaw, and Grilled Lamb Chops with Colcannon mashed potatoes.

There is no cover charge but reservations are suggested by calling 617 42300069.

The Beehive is located at 541 Tremont Street in Boston's South End.

For a schedule of upcoming events at Beehive, click here.

For year round information on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit BostonUSA.com or MassVacation.com.

Rick DiMuzio Quintet Performing at Arsenal Center for the Arts on Monday, March 14

Saxophonist and Berklee Professor Rick DiMuzio performs with his Quintet at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA on Monday, March 14, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $22.50 and can be ordered online.

For a schedule of upcoming events at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, click here.

For details  on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals year round in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

Makanda Project with Warren Smith Performing at Dudley Branch of Boston Public Library in Roxbury on March 12

The Makanda Project, dedicated to the compositions of Boston musician Makanda Ken McIntyre, is performing at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.  Jazz percussionist Warren Smith is the featured artist.

The concert is free and open to the public.  For more information call617 442-4414. 

McIntyre was a gifted musician and educator who composed over 400 pieces of music in his life. The Makanda Project continues the legacy of Makanda through live concerts and educational programs.

For year round details on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information visit MassVacation.com.

Jazz Singer Billie Holiday Being Inducted into National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York

Billie Holiday, famed American jazz vocalist, is one of eleven women being inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame later this year, on September 30-October 1, 2011 in Seneca Falls, NY, the birthplace of the American Women's Rights Movement.

Holiday (1915-1959) was considered one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time, noted the press announcement, writing:

"Billie Holiday forever changed the genres of jazz and pop with her unique style.  Holiday began her career as a singer in Harlem nightclubs in 1931, without formal musical training.  She went on to record and tour with a number of famous musicians like Benny Goodman and Lester Young, and officially began recording under her own name in 1936.  Holiday, known for her deeply moving and personal vocals, remains a popular musical legend more than fifty years after her death."

Since forming in 1969, the National Women's Hall of Fame has inducted 236 women. The two other jazz  musicians who have been inducted were also vocalists: Ella Fitzgerald and Bessie Smith. 

For year round details on jazz concerts, night clubs, campus events, brunches and festivals in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information visit MassVacation.com.

Japanese Pianist Yoko Miwa debuts at Regattabar Jazz Club in Harvard Square on Wednesday, March 9

Acclaimed Japanese jazz pianist Yoko Miwa is performing at the Regattabar Jazz Club at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.   Tickets to the show are $20 and can be purchased online.

Her trio includes Greg Loughman on acoustic bass and Scott Goulding on drums.

Born in Kobe, Japan, Yoko studied classical and jazz piano, then won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music.  She has toured with numerous performers like Kevin Mahogany and played with Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis and many others.  

As part of Women's History month, Yoko is dedicating this concert to jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan.

For a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Regattabar, click here.

For year-round details on jazz clubs, campus events, concerts, brunches and festivals throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.