John Payne Sax Choir Performing at Ryles on Tuesday, May 3 for two shows

The John Payne Quartet is reuniting with the 35-member John Payne Saxophone Choir for a special reunion concert on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Show time is 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m..  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online.

Payne is renowned in the Boston area  as a performer (flute, soprano,alto and tenor sax) and as an educator.  He was a studio musician on Van Morrison's seminal album, Astral Week, and played on many other albums. 

He has been teaching hundreds of local children and adults how to play the saxophone at the John Payne Music Center in Brookline over the past 30 years.  

The Saxophone Choir - an outgrowth of the Music Center - has allowed hundreds of Payne's saxophone students to hone their skills through live performance at some of the area's big jazz clubs.  This concert is a reunion of 35 of these players.  The choir is led by sax player and teacher Duncan Martin.

The concert is part of hundreds of concerts taking place in the greater Boston area during JazzWeek 11.

For more details on jazz clubs, concerts, campus events, festivals and other activities throughout Massachusetts throughout the year, visit MassJazz.com

For tourist information about Massachusetts, visit MassVacation.com.

Cassandre McKinley and Michael Payette Perform at Back Page Jazz Club in Lowell on Friday, April 29

Jazz singer Cassandre McKinley and bassist Michael Payette are performing at the Back Page Jazz & Comedy Club in Lowell Massachusetts on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 9:30 p.m.

McKinley, who recently released an album of Marvin Gaye songs entitled Till Tomorrow, is a popular performer whose influences range from Anita O'Day and Dinah Washington to Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.  Payette is a veteran bandleader and vocalist who appears frequently on radio and television ads in the Boston market.

For a schedule of upcoming shows at Back Page, located at 15 Kearney Square in downtown Lowell, click here.

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

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Ellen O'Brien Jazz Quartet Performing at Darryl's Corner Bar in Boston on April 29

Jazz singer Ellen O'Brien and her Quartet are performing at Darryl's Corner Bar and Kitchen in Boston's South End on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Born and raised in the Boston area, O'Brien attended Berklee College of Music and has toured the world, performing at jazz festivals, concert halls and night clubs.  Her song set is a combination of acid jazz, neo-soul, funk and old school R&B.  Her band includes bassist Daniel Day, guitarist Justin Piper and drummer Dave Fox. 

Located at 604 Columbus Avenue in Boston's South End, Darryl's was opened last year by local business entrepreneur and jazz enthusiast Darryl Settles, who founded Boston's BeanTown Jazz Festival.

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

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

Chapel Jazz Ensemble Performing at Bowker Auditorium in Amherst on Thursday, April 28

The Chapel Jazz Ensemble is performing at the Bowker Auditorium at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst on Thusday, April 28, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. 

The Ensemble, conducted by Felipe Salles and Thomas Giampietro, will be performing the music of Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Bob Mintzer and Oliver Nelson.

Tickets to the concert are $10 to the general public and $5 for students, seniors and children. 

For details on the Music and Dance Department at UMass/Amherst, click here.

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

For tourist information visit MassVacation.com.

Jazz Bassist Avery Sharpe Performing on Cape Cod on Saturday, April 30, with Bart Weismann Jazz Group

Master bass player Avery Sharpe is performing with the Bart Weismann Jazz Group at the Grand Cru Wine Bar & Grill in the Cape Codder Restort in Hyannis, Cape Cod, on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 11:00 p.m.

Sharpe spent over 20 years playing with the McCoy Tyner Quintet, and has performed with Art Blakley, John Blake, Elvin Jones and other jazz greats.

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

For tourist information, visit MassVacation and Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

A Reason to Taste - Food and Jazz Gala at Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center on Thursday, April 28

A movable feast of great food and jazz is coming to the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center on Thursday, April 28, 2011, starting at 6:30 p.m.

A Reason to Taste features Chef Robert Harris, head of A Season to Taste Catering, and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. 

Acclaimed pianist Danilo Perez, head of the Institute, will speak about jazz across cultures, traditions and generations.

Proceeds from the evening benefit the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, which programs a variety of cultural activities throughout the year.

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

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Jazz Singer Nadia Washington Performing at BOND Lounge in Boston on Wednesday, April 27

Jazz singer Nadia Washington is performing at the BOND Restaurant | Lounge at the Boston Langham Hotel on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The Dallas-born musician - who is influenced by Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan - has been performing since she was a child.  She received the prestigious Bill Cosby Presidential Scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, and since then she has been performing in the New England region and up and down the East Cost.

For a full schedule of jazz acts every Wednesday night at BOND Lounge, click here.

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

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