Jazz Week 2018 Celebrates Live Jazz in Greater Boston, April 20-30, 2018

Jazz Week 2018, the celebration of live jazz in greater Boston organized by JazzBoston, kicks off on Friday, April 20, and runs through Monday, April 30. 

JazzBoston describes Jazz Week as "a collaboration of Greater Boston’s jazz musicians, venues, presenters, and publicists to celebrate the music and the dynamic and diverse year-round jazz scene that makes Boston one of the world’s great jazz cities. 

More than 100 venues participate, with new ones signing on each year, such as the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), which is participating in Jazz Week for the first time. 

This year, legendary radio host Eric Jackson of WGBH is being honored and celebrated with a series of events in his honor on the 40th anniversary of his show, Eric in the Evening. 

Jazz Week ties into the national observance of April as Jazz Appreciation Month celebrated by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.  Since 2012, International Jazz Day is celebrated worldwide on April 30. 

Makanda Project with Chico Freeman Performing Free Concert in Dudley Square on April 14

 The Makanda Project featuring Chico Freeman performs at the Bruce C. Bolling Center in Dudley Square, Roxbury at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2018.  Also performing is the Boston Citywide String Orchestra.

The concert is free and open to the public. 

The Makanda Project is an ensemble dedicated to performing the previously unrecorded compositions of Makanda Ken McIntyre.  The group is based in Boston, Massachusetts, (Makanda’s hometown) and was formed in 2005.  Since then The Makanda Project has been giving regular free concerts in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood and also performing outside of Boston – sharing what they believe is something unique and special about Makanda’s music, and adding their own individual and collective voices to his compositions.  

Find more live jazz concerts in April throughout Massachusetts.  

For more about jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

To visit Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Portuguese Singer Ana Moura in Concert at Berklee Performance Center on Friday, April 6

Internationally recognized Fado singer Ana Moura is in concert at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston's Back Bay at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2018.

Tickets are available online or at the venue. The concert is presented by World Music/CRASHarts.

Fado is a distinct song tradition that originated in the neighborhoods and cafes of Lisbon, Portugal.

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Berklee Performance Center.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

Berklee Celebrates Shakespeare's Influence on Jazz, Literature and Culture

Berklee Global Jazz Institute Summit presents Love Supreme, celebrating the impact of William Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Geri Allen, Kahlil Gibran, Gabriela Mistral, John Coltrane, and Martin Luther King Jr. on today’s global jazz era.

The concert will feature Danilo Pérez, BGJI founder and artistic director; Terri Lyne Carrington, Zildjian chair in performance; Joe Lovano, Gary Burton chair in jazz performance; and other special guests as well as BGJI ensembles.

The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) is a performance program designed to foster creativity and musicianship through various musical disciplines, with pianist and composer Danilo Pérez as its artistic director.

Find year round details on jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com. 

Jazz Trumpeter & Composer Terence Blanchard Student Ensembles at Berklee Performance Center on February 27

Renowned trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, is hosting a concert with Berklee student ensembles at the Berklee Performance Center at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the venue.

 Blanchard is a visiting scholar at Berklee's Jazz Composition Department.

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Berklee Performance Center.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Jazz Vocalist Jane Monheit Performs Two Shows at Scullers on Friday, February 23

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Jane Monheit is performing two shows at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on Friday, Feburary 23, 2018 at 8  and 10 p.m..

Tickets are available to purchase online or at the venue.  

Blessed with “a voice of phenomenal beauty,” according to Stephen Holden, New York Times, Monheit has established herself as one of today’s best and most important vocalist-musicians.

On her most recent recording, TheSongbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald,  Monheit pays tribute to Ella while sharing a definitive portrait of herself, guided by her producer, arranger and trumpeter Nicolas Payton. 

Ever since winning first runner up in the 1998 Thelonius Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition, Monheit's career has continued to grow and go in new directions.  Known as a contemporary specialist with the Great American Songbook, 

Find details on year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Carla Bruni in Concert at Berklee Performance Center on February 15

Italian-born Carla Bruni is giving at concert  at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston's Back Bay at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, 2018.  

Bruni is touring in support of her fifth album, French Touch, a collection of adaptations of well-known songs by Depeche Mode, AC/DC, Willie Nelson, the Clash and others.

Purchase tickets online or at the venue. 

Find a schedule of upcoming concerts at Berklee Performance Center. 

For more information on the jazz scene in Massachusetts, read the current issue of MassJazz Guide or visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com. 

Live Jazz this weekend with Monty Alexander Trio, Lee Konitz, Amy Black Band and Bill Charlap Trio

Bill Charlap Trio

Check out four great jazz acts coming to town this weekend at Scullers and Regattabar. 

Here is a full list of jazz clubs in Massachusetts. 

Friday, January 26

Monty Alexander Trio
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road
Allston, Boston
scullersjazz.com/

Lee Konitz 90th Birthday Celebration
Regattabar Jazz Club
Charles Hotel
Harvard Square, Cambridge
regattabar

Saturday, January 27
Amy Black Band
Regattabar Jazz Club
Charles Hotel
Harvard Square, Cambridge
regattabar

Bill Charlap Trio
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road
Allston, Boston
scullersjazz.com/

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com. 

Afro-Cuban All Stars in concert at Berklee Performance Center on January 14

World Music/CRASHarts is presenting the Afro-Cuban All Stars at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 14, 2018 at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston's Back Bay. 

Concert tickets are available online or at the venue. 

The 13-piece dream team features Cuba’s hottest musicians, brought together by musical director Juan de Marcos González (the musical arranger for the original Buena Vista Social Club recording). Paying tribute to Cuban music, this multigenerational lineup features members from Cuba’s leading bands, including Orquesta Tropicana, Los Van Van, Sierra Maestra, and more.

Here is a calendar of upcoming events at Berklee Performance Center.

For year round details on jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland Performs at Scullers on January 6

Jazz saxophonist Marcus Strickland is performing at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018.  Tickets to the show are available online or at the venue. 

Considered part of the jazz vanguard of his generation, Strickland worked for several years with legendary drummer and Roxbury native Roy Haynes, as well as with Christian McBride, Mos Def and others. 

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

To learn about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Blood, Sweat & Tears Performing at The Cabot on Friday, December 15.

Fred Taylor's Jazz & Heritage Series is presenting the seminal jazz-rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears at The Cabot in Beverly at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 15, 2017. 

Tickets to the show are $42.50 - $62.50 and can be purchased online or at the venue.

The band came together five decades ago and was among the first groups to meld rock and jazz into a unique genre-crossing sound.  

Find upcoming concerts at The Cabot.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

Go to MassVacation.com for details on visiting Massachusetts.

Jenny Jones & Black Owned Performing Soul/ R&B at Darryl's Corner Bar + Kitchen this Friday, December 15

Darryl's Corner Bar + Kitchen in Boston's South End presents soulful ensemble Black Owned, featuring vocalist Jenny Jones, from 7 - 11 p.m. on Friday, December 15, 2017.

The band specializes in soul, R&B and contemporary songs.  Entertainment fee is five dollars.

Here is a schedule of upcoming live music at Darryl's, located at 604 Columbus Avenue, near the corner of Massachusetts Avenue.  Call 617 536-1100 for more information.

To enjoy live jazz in Massachusetts throughout the year, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Esperanza Spalding named "Jazz Artist of the Year" at Boston Music Awards

Congratulations to jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding winner of Boston Music Award's "Best Jazz Artist of the Year." 

The awards were announced on December 7, 2017 at the House of Blues in Boston.  Here is a list of Boston Music Award winners in all categories.

Spalding is featured artist on the cover of the 2017-18 MassJazz Guide, a compendium of jazz activities and artists in Massachusetts.  The annual guide is published by Mass Office of Travel & Tourism.

Spalding is teaching at Harvard University's Music Department,

Formed in 1987, the Boston Music Awards celebrated its 30th anniversary this year as the longest-running regional music awards in the United States. 

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

World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Performs at The Cabot in Beverly on Friday December 8

Fred Taylor’s Jazz & Heritage Series presents the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 8 at The Cabot in Beverly. 

Tickets are $28.50 - $48.50 and are available for purchase online. 

Formed in 1938 by the famous clarinetist Glenn Miller, the Orchestra today continues the distinct arrangements and harmonies that made the band so famous over the decades. 

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at The Cabot. 

Read more about the Massachusetts jazz scene in the MassJazz Guide. 

To learn about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra Performs Christmas Concert at Emmanuel Church in Boston, December 9

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra celebrates its 45th  Annual Christmas Concert at Emmanuel Church in Boston's Back Bay at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 9, 2017. 

The concert features joyful jazz carols and original compositions by Aardvark founder and music director Mark Harvey.  These compositions include The Prophet (December 1997), inspired by legendary social activist Kip Tiernan (1926-2011); Blue Butterfly (December 2009) for beloved storyteller Brother Blue; and No Walls, Aardvark’s anthem of inclusivity, first performed in December 2004 as a tribute to Doctors Without Borders. 

Tickets are $20 at the door.  Emmanuel Church is located at 15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116. For more information, please call 617-776-8778  or  617-452-3205.

For more details on jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

To learn about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.