WGBH Hosts Tribute to Ray Smith on November 19

(Boston) - WGBH 89.7 FM is presenting a musical tribute to legendary radio host Ray Smith on Friday, November 19, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the station's studios in Brighton.

Radio host Ron Della Chiesa will serve as master of ceremonies, with music by the Paramount Jazz Band.

Admission to the tribute is $120 and includes a pair of tickets and membership in WGBH's Jazz Club. For more details, click here.

Smith, who died in February, 2010 at age 87, worked at WGBH for 38 years, producing over 1,900 programs. His show, Jazz Decades, started in 1958 at another station, is the longest running program in Boston radio history.

For more information on WGBH, visit WGBH.org.

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

Jazz Guitarist John McLaughlin & Fourth Dimension at Boston's House of Blues on November 16

Legendary jazz guitarist John McLaughlin is performing with the 4th Dimension at the House of Blues in Boston on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.). Tickets to the show are $29.50 to $39.50 and can be ordered online.

Opening the show for McLaughin is the Jimmy Herring Band.

Founder of the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the 1960s, McLaughlin's lifelong musical and spiritual journey was influenced by John Coltrane. His famous version of Good-bye Port Pie Hat, by jazz bassist Charlie Mingus, remains part of McLaughlin's repertoire today.

For more jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourism information on Massachusetts, visit MassVacation.com.

Las Vegas Rat Pack Show comes to Hanover Theatre in Worcester on November 6

What happened in Vegas comes to Worcester, Massachusetts this weekend when The Rat Pack is Back opens at the historic Hanover Theater on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $35, $45, and $55 and can be ordered online or by calling 877 571-7469.

The show recreates the nightclub scene of Las Vegas of the 1950s, when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Joey Bishop starred at the Sands Hotel, performing a free-wheeling cabaret of songs, jokes, stories, dance routines and quips that captured America's imagination.

The Rat Pack is Back features a big-band 12-piece orchestra and top notch vocalists who recreate the mood and sound of the 1950s.

For a full list of upcoming shows at the Hanover Theatre, click here.

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

Grace Kelly Quintet Performing at Shalin Liu Concert Hall in Rockport on November 5

Rockport Music is presenting alto saxophonist Grace Kelly and the Grace Kelly Quintet at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on Friday, November 5, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets to the show are $25, $37, and $46 and can be ordered online or by calling the box office at 978 546-7391.

The 18 year old saxophonist, singer, composer and arranger performed throughout North America and Europe this past summer with her talented quintet. She has released five albums, including her most recent, Mood Changes.

Kelly was the youngest ever "Alto Saxophonist Rising Star" in the 57th annual Downbeat Critics Poll in 2009, an award she won again in 2010. The Massachusetts native is currently enrolled at the Berklee College of Music.

For a full list of upcoming concerts presented by Rockport Music, click here.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Jazz Pianist Aaron Goldberg playing at Berklee and Milton Academy in November

World renowned jazz pianist Aaron Goldberg is performing with his trio at the Cafe 939 at the Berklee College of Music at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 3 and Thursday, November 4, 2010. He'll be joined by his trio, bassist Rueben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, and will also jam with students from Berklee. Tickets are $10.

Then on Sunday, November 7, at 1:00 p.m., Goldberg performs at Milton Academy, Strauss Library, for a fundraiser in support of the academy's 2011 South Africa Tour. There Goldberg will be joined by bassist Bob Sinicrope and drummer Jon Hazilla. The concert is free but donations are requested.

A graduate of both Milton Academy and Berklee College of Music, Goldberg has spent the past 12 years touring the world and performing with Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redmond, Michael Brecker and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

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

Colombian Singer Maria Mulata and Latin Jazz Big Band Perform at Berklee in Boston on November 2

Singer and composer Maria Mulata opens the evening with a set of Colombian music that embodies the traditions and multi-layered musicial influences of her homeland.

Then Bernardo Hernandez takes the stage with a Latin big band that includes Berklee students and special guests Victor Mendoza and Cuban percussionist Jorge Najarro.

The concert takes place at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. General admission is $10 and tickets can be ordered online.

For a complete list of upcoming concerts at Berklee College of Music, click here.

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

Celebrity Series of Boston Presents Chucho Valdes and Afro-Cuban Messengers on October 28 at Berklee Performance Center

Cuban pianist, bandleader and composer Chucho Valdes is performing with the Afro-Cuban Messengers at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston on Thursday, October 28, 210 at 8:00 p.m.

The performance is part of the Celebrity Series of Boston, which for over 70 years has brought the world's best artists to Boston for performance and arts-based education.

Tickets to the show are $39, $43 and $49 and can be ordered online or by calling 617 482-6661.

Valdes is a multi-Grammy Award winner and is considered "one of the world's great virtuosic pianists," according to the New York Times. He has recorded over 80 CDS and performed with other jazz masters like Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea.

For a full schedule of performances through May 2011 sponsored by Celebrity Series of Boston, click here.

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

For tourism information, visit MassVacation.com.