Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival Goes Outdoors on Saturday, September 26

The week-long Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival culminates this Saturday, September 26, with a free, outdoor festival in Boston's historic South End neighborhood

The festival runs from noon to 6:00 p.m., featuring three music stages spread over six blocks on Columbus Avenue, at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue.

In addition to a stellar line-up of music, the festival offers fun activities for the whole family as well as an opportunity to learn more about jazz, musical instruments, and some of the city's jazz clubs, educational courses and vibrant scene.

More than 80 vendor booths will offer arts, crafts, accessories, and great food representing a variety of countries.

"This festival is a testament to Boston's reputation as a music hub and its dedication to jazz and producing and nurturing great artists," says Terri Lyne Carrington, BeanTown Jazz Festival artistic director. "As a native and recent returnee to the area, I'm thrilled for this chance to give back to the community by throwing a big party for Boston. I hope people come out to fraternize with their neighbors, enjoy the delicious food, and hear some incredible music."

See festival map at beantownjazz.org/

For more information about jazz throughout Massachusetts, visit http://www.massjazz.com/.

Kickin' the Blues, Featuring David Sanborn, Kevin Mahogany, and Amina Claudine Myers

On Friday, September 25, the 9th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival presents an all star line-up of jazz greats in a concert entitled Kickin' the Blues.

The line-up includes six-time Grammy winner David Sanborn, considered one of the greatest saxophone players; Amina Claudine Myers, keyboard player, composer, actress and educator; and Kevin Mahogany, one of the great jazz vocalists of our time (see photo).

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, in Boston's Back Bay. [Map]

Tickets: $45, $35, $25, reserved seating. Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster.

For more information about jazz throughout Massachusetts, visit http://www.massjazz.com/.

Branford Marsalis Performs at the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival, September 23

The 9th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival continues all week, with saxophonist Branford Marsalis and his Quartet playing at the Berklee Performance Center on Wednesday, September 23, at 8:00 p.m.

The Quartet features Branford Marsalis on saxophone, Eric Revis on bass, Joey Calderazzo on piano, and, a new addition to the band, 18 year old drummer Justin Faulkner, who replaces the protean drummer, Jeff "Tain" Watts.

World-renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis, born in 1960, has always been a man of numerous musical interests, from jazz, blues and funk to such classical music projects as his Fall 2008 tour with Marsalis Brasilianos. The three-time Grammy winner has continued to exercise and expand his skills as an instrumentalist, a composer, and the head of Marsalis Music, the label he founded in 2002 that has allowed him to produce both his own projects and those of the jazz world’s most promising new and established artists.

For the full schedule of the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival, click here.


Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
The Branford Marsalis Quartet
Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts AvenueBoston MA 02115 [Map]
Tickets are $41 and $35.

Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival, September 18-26, 2009

The 9th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival is underway this week, with dozens of great jazz performances on tap throughout Boston and Cambridge from September 18-26, 2009.

Twenty bands and over 130 musicians are slated to perform at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), Scullers Jazz Club, Regattabar, Wally’s Café, Berklee’s Café 939, and David Friend Recital Hall through the week.

See complete schedule here.

This year’s artistic director is Terri Lyne Carrington, a world-renowned jazz drummer, Berklee faculty member and past performer at the Festival. She has toured extensively with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Al Jarreau, and was nominated for a Grammy for her album, Real Life Story, and as producer for the Dianne Reeves album, That Day.

Highlights of this year's BeanTown Festival include three-time Grammy-winning saxophonist and Berklee alumnus Branford Marsalis (September 23, BPC); Kickin' the Blues, a concert featuring six-time Grammy-winning saxophonist David Sanborn and vocalists Amina Claudine Myers and Kevin Mahogany (September 25, BPC); multi-Grammy-nominated vocalist Kurt Elling (September 25-26, Scullers); influential pianist/composer Ahmad Jamal (Sept. 18-19, Regattabar); and Love and Hunger, an original play about the life and work of Billie Holiday, written and performed by Berklee students (September 24, David Friend Recital Hall).

The BeanTown Festival culminates on Saturday, September 26 with a free, outdoor festival from noon to 6:00 p.m., on three stages, in Boston’s South End neighborhood, at the corner of Mass Ave and Columbus Ave. In addition to continuous live performances, the six-block festival features more than 80 vendor booths with arts, crafts, accessories and food, as well as family events, including inflatable attractions, photos, face painting, temporary tattoos, coloring and crafts, free food and beverage snacks and a musical instrument petting zoo.

For more information, please contact 617 747-2261 or visit beantownjazz.org.

About the Festival:

Nine years ago, Darryl Settles (partner of the Beehive Jazz Club in Boston's South End and several other venues) produced the South End's first jazz festival and had a surprise turnout of nearly 10,000 people. From this beginning, The BeanTown Jazz Festival has grown to become Boston's most popular outdoor festival, attracting large crowds to the festival grounds on Columbus Avenue each year.

Italian Guitarist Massimo Sammi Debuts new CD at Regattabar, October 6

Join guitarist Massimo Sammi as he celebrates the release of his debut CD First Day in concert at the Regattabar, Charles Hotel, One Bennett Street, Cambridge.

First Day is a musically and conceptually daring recording debut of immense depth and beauty inspired by the film A Beautiful Mind. Sammi combines both a musical storyboarding of the film with a musical application of mathematician John Nash's theories to free jazz improvisations.

Sammi, a native of Genoa, Italy, came to the U.S. in 2006 to study Jazz Composition with Ken Schaphorst and Michael Gandolfi at New England Conservatory.

Joining Sammi is the all-star group featured on the CD: saxophonist George Garzone, bassist John Lockwood, drummer Yoron Israel, and special guest vocalist Dominique Eade.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $16. Call 617-661-5000 or log on to regattabarjazz.com/.

A streaming video documentary about the making of First Day is available here.

CHARLIE KOHLHASE & EXPLORER'S CLUB AT JOHNNY D'S, SEPTEMBER 9

Charlie Kohlhase and his Explorer's Club band - Kohlhase on alto, tenor & baritone saxophones; Matt Langley on tenor & soprano saxophones; Jeff Galindo on trombone; Eric Hofbauer on guitar; Jef Charland on bass and the tandem drumming of Miki Matsuki and Chris Punis - celebrate the release of their debut CD "Adventures" (Boxholder Records) in concert at 8:30 and 10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9 at Johnny D's 17 Holland Street, Davis Square in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Admission is $10.

Call 617-776-2004 or log on to www.johnnyds.com.

BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES PERFORM IN SALEM, SEPTEMBER 19

The Salem Jazz and Blues Festival holds a major fundraiser on Saturday, September 19, starting Barrence Whitfield and the Savages.

The special concert features Whitfield – one of New England’s legendary R&B Singers – reunited with his original soul band, the Savages, in a special concert entitled “Soul Lotta Love.” It takes place at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 94 Washington Street, in Salem.

Tickets are $15.00 and are available online at the Festival’s web site: Salemjazzsoul.org/music_soullottalove2009.html

The fundraiser also features an auction where more than a dozen exciting prize packages, from nights out on the town to spa treatments and more are being offered.

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that produces free concerts for the public and raises money to support music education programs.

For more information, contact info@salemjazzsoul.com or visit SalemJazzSoul.org