Greek and Cuban Jazz Masters Perform at Scullers Jazz Club on Wednesday, January 11

Two masters on their instruments - guitarist Spiros Exaras and pianist Elio Villafranca - are performing together in concert at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or at the door.

Exaras, from Greece, is a versatile guitarist who studied classical music and composition at Athens Conservatory, before branching out into jazz as well as a variety of movie and theater soundtracks.

Villafranca is from western Cuba and is one of the country's foremost jazz pianists and composers.  In 2010 he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album.

For a schedule of upcoming performances at Scullers Jazz Club, click here.

For year round information on jazz concerts, night clubs, radio stations and campus events in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.

NEA Jazz Masters Ceremony and Concert on Tuesday, January 10 at Lincoln Center

(January 10, 2012) -- National Endowment for the Arts is honoring the 2012 Jazz Masters this evening in a ceremony and concert taking place at Lincoln Center in New York City. You can watch a live webcast of the ceremony starting at 7:30 p.m.

This year's awardees include Jack DeJohnette, Sheila Jordan, Jimmy Owens, Von Freeman and Charlie Haden. You can see video tributes to these artists here.

For more about NEA jazz initiatives, including education in the schools, click here.

For year round jazz concerts, campus events, night clubs, weekend brunches, radio stations and jazz organizations in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Street Sounds: Dialogues with Black Existence, at Hibernian Hall in Roxbury on January 21-22

Street Sounds: Dialogues with Black Existence  is being performed at Hibernian Hall in Dudley Square, Roxbury, on January 21-22, 2012.

General admission is $20, and $10 for students and seniors.   You can order tickets online or buy them at the door.

Written by Ed Bullins, a pioneer in the Black Arts movement during the Civil Rights era,  Street Sounds was first performed at La Mama Experimental Theater Club in New York in 1970.

Now it has been recast by William Lowe, who has made a selection of the script, so evocative of the 1960s, and interspersed his own original music for jazz ensemble.  Gilbert McCauley is the director.

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

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

International Guitar Night tour comes to Regattabar in Cambridge on Wednesday, January 11

International Guitar Night, the world's premier touring guitar festival, is coming to the Regattabar Jazz Club in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.   Tickets are $25 and can be ordered online.

This year's line-up includes guitar masters Lulo Reinhardt, Adrian Legg, Marco Pereira, and Brian Gore.

For a full schedule of live performances at Regattabar Jazz Club, located at One Bennett Street at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, click here. 

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

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

Salsa Sunday at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, January 8

Check out the salsa and merengue dance night at Ryles Jazz Club at 212 Hampshire Street in Inman Square, Cambridge, on Sunday, January 8, 2012 from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Admission is $10 and includes dance lessons, beginning at six, then dancing until 11:00 p.m.  Also available, the Ryles Dinner Buffet, starting at 7:00 p.m.. for only $5 extra. The event is for 18+, and there's free parking.  For directions click here.

For a schedule of upcoming events at Ryles Jazz Club in January, click here.

Find out about jazz and blues concerts,  night clubs, radio stations, campus events, weekend brunches and other activities by visiting MassJazz.com.

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

Jazz Trio Performing at Blue Rock Restaurant & Bar in Shelburne Falls on Friday, January 6

A jazz trio comprised of John Kozinski on guitar, Mark Dunlap on bass and David Shattuck on drums performs at the Blue Rock Restaurant and Bar in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts on Friday, January 6, 2012, starting at 7:00 p.m.

The restaurant features New American Cuisine including vegetarian and gluten free dishes.  Click here for a menu.

For year round details on jazz concerts, night clubs, radio stations, festivals, campus events, and jazz organizations in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com or follow it on Facebook, Blog or Twitter.

For tourist information visit MassVacation.com or Mohawk Trail.com

Jazz Guitarist Joe Belmont Performs at Black Moon Music Lounge in Belchertown on Saturday, January 7

The Joe Belmont Jazz Trio is performing at the Black Moon Music Lounge in Belchertown, Massachusetts on Saturday, January 7, 2012, from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.  Admission is $10.

Born in New York City, Belmont moved to Northampton after college and has been performing, making albums, and teaching at Amherst College.  He began his solo career in 2003.

Black Moon Music Lounge, located at 37 State Street in Belchertown, has a full line-up of great music throughout the winter.  Click here for a schedule.

For year round jazz activities in Massachusetts, including concerts, night clubs, campus events, weekend brunches, radio stations, festivals and more, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information visit MassVacation.com or Pioneer Valley.