Trumpeter Chris Botti Performing at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Friday, March 4

Jazz trumpet player Chris Botti is performing at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Friday, March 4, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets to the show are $30.50, $46.50 and $56.50 and can be ordered online.

Botti is the best-selling instrumental jazz artist in America, and has won numerous awards for his music.

For a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, located at 153 Merrimack Street in Lowell, Massachusetts, click here.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Jazz Vocalist Charmaine Clamor Performing at Regattabar Jazz Club in Harvard Square on Saturday, March 5

Filipino jazz star Charmaine Clamor is performing two shows at the famous Regattabar jazz club in Cambridge Massachusetts on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Tickets to the concert are $22 and can be ordered online.

Hailed as "one of the important and original singers of the decade" by music critic Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times, Clamor has just released her fourth US album, Something Good, with songs in English, Tagalog and Taglish.

For a complete schedule of upcoming concerts at Regattabar, located at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge, click here.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Sonny Rollins and Quincy Jones Receive National Medal of Arts from President Obama at White House

Sonny Rollins

President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Arts to two jazz giants - saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and musician and composer Quincy Jones - at a White House ceremony on Wednesday, March 3, 2011.  

See story by Patrick Jarenwattananon of A Blog Supreme on NPR, and a video of the awards ceremony below:

Other winners from Massachusetts included James Taylor, the singer/songwriter from the Berkshires, Jacob's Pillow Dance, for their outstanding contributions to American culture and the arts and Robert Brustein, founder of the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge.

For a complete transcript of the ceremony, click here.

For details on jazz concerts, clubs, campus events, and festivals, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Berklee's High School Jazz Festival Kicks off in Boston on March 5

The 43rd High School Jazz Festival hosted by Berklee College of Music is taking place on March 5, 2011 in Boston.

The event showcases over 3,000 students and 200 big bands, combos, and vocal ensembles from California to New England competing for $175,000 in scholarships to Berklee's summer programs.

The festival includes clinics and concerts by the acclaimed a cappella group Pitch Slapped; faculty drummer Kenwood Dennard; Berklee's Concert Jazz Orchestra; the Global Jazz Institute, City Music, Salsa, and P-Funk ensembles, and more.

For more information, click here.

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

For visitor information visit MassVacation.com.

Jazz at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center this Friday, March 4

A great night of jazz is on tap at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center on Friday, March 4, 2011.

The Ben Schwendener Group takes the stage at 7:30 p.m., celebrating the release of its new CD Apfelschaun: New Episode.  The group includes pianist composer Ben Schwendener, saxophinist Uew Steinmetz, bassist Bridget Kearney and drummer Michael Calabrese. 

Then at 9:00 p.m. the  Judi Silvano Group performs, bringing a rich selection of jazz classics and some original compositions as well. Vocalist Silvano is joined by reedman Marco Pignataro, basist Bruce Gertz, pianist John Funkhauser and drummer Yoran Israel.

Tickets to each performance are $15 general admission, or $25 for both shows.  Discounts also apply to members of the Multicultural Arts Center and JazzBoston.  You can order tickets to each or both shows online.

For a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Multicultural Arts Center, located at 41 Second Street, click here.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Berklee's Women Musicians Network Features 50 Women Musicians at Berklee Performance Center on Thursday, March 3

 Sarah Eide

More than 50 women will grace the stage at the Berklee Performance Center when Berklee’s Women Musicians Network (WMN) presents its 14^th annual concert on Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 8:15 p.m. Tickets to the show are $10 and can be ordered online. 

Female students from countries around the world – including Argentina, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and the U.S. – will showcase their songwriting, arranging, performing, producing, and engineering talents in this popular concert.

Among the performers: Katie Marshall, Kozue Kuriyama, Sissy Castrogiovanni, Se-eun Kim, Elisa Lomazzo, Sarah Eide, Liz Lohnes, Silvina Moreno, Ariadna Castellanos, and Candy Mabra (China Fox).

For a schedule of upcoming events at Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts in Boston's Back Bay, click here. 

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Sax Player Jesse Scheinin Performing at BOND Restaurant in Boston on Wednesday, March 2

Standout saxophonist Jesse Scheinin is performing at  BOND Restaurant & Lounge in downtown Boston on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 from 7:00 to 10:00  p.m.

A native of Santa Cruz, California, Scheinin is at the Berklee College of Music and a regular perform on the Boston jazz scene.

BOND Jazz Experiment, which runs from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. each Wednesday, highlights emerging artists and accomplished performers covering the jazz spectrum, including classic jazz from the American Songbook, rhythm and blues and funk.  For reservations call 617 956-8765.

Located at the Langham Boston Hotel,  BOND Restaurant & Lounge is open seven days a week, offering gourmet sandwiches for lunch, afternoon tea, and global cuisine for dinner, plus an extensive wine list and distinctive cocktails. A special jazz menu is available on Wednesdays.

For a full schedule of artists through April visit BONDBoston.com and click on events.

For year round jazz in concert halls, clubs, hotel lounges and college campuses throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.