Music Legend Herbie Hancock Lectures on the Ethics of Jazz at Harvard University on February 12

Herbie Hancock, renowned jazz artist, composer and educator, is giving a series of lectures on The Ethics of Jazz, at Sanders Theatre in Harvard Square on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 4:00 p.m.  The lecture is free and open to the public but reservations are required.

Hancock was awarded the prestigious Charles Eliot Norton Professorship in Poetry by Harvard University for 2014.  The February 12 event, titled "Breaking the Rules," is the second of six lectures Hancock is giving as part of the Norton Lectures.

Here is a story by student/musican Andew Chow on meeting Herbie Hancock at Harvard.

See upcoming events promoted by the Office of Arts at Harvard.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.
 

Experience Brazilian Choro with Luiz Simas, Saturday, February 8th at Amazing Things Art Center

Brazilian pianist and composer Luiz Simas performs at Framingham’s Amazing Things Art Center on Saturday, February 8^th, at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $18 for nonmembers and $15 for members. Tickets may also be purchased at a discounted price of $17 for students/seniors . 

Purchase tickets online here, or by calling 508-405-ARTS (2787).

The concert begins with Simas on piano and vocals where he will perform some of his original compositions, as well as Brazilian bossa standards (check out some of his song clips here).

Then, later in the show, Marilynn Mair (a.k.a. the "First Lady of the Mandolin") joins Simas on stage as a special guest, at which time the duo will play Brazilian choro together. Mair earned her title by performing from the White House all the way to Europe and Japan. She is also currently a Professor of Music at Roger Williams University. You can learn more about our talented neighbor here.

To find out more about Simas and his music, visit his page.

For year round details on jazz and blues in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

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

Jazz Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis Lecturing at Harvard University on Thursday, January 30

 

 

Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is lecturing at Harvard University on Thursday, January 30, 2014, discussing his hometown of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.

 

The lecture, presented by the Office for the Arts at Harvard, takes place at Sanders Theatre on Quincy Street in Harvard Square, starting at 7:00 p.m.. The event is free to the public, and organizers recommend that you reserve a ticket online here, or grab one from the Box Office at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge.

 

Alternatively, you can watch the live stream at harvard.edu/livestream.

“New Orleans between 1885 and 1910 was like no other. Here, amid a diversity of people, philosophies, and possibilities, jazz was born. Conceived in a city that still has a statue of the losing Confederate general as its central landmark, jazz has proven to be the most definite artistic symbol of American democracy,” Marsalis says about his topic.

Following the lecture, Marsalis is performing a few numbers with Lucien Barbarin (trombone), Jonathan Batiste (piano), Troy Davis (drums), Vince Giordano (tuba/bass), Victor Goines (reeds), Marcus Printup (cornet), Don Vappie (6-string banjo) and Michael White (clarinet).

Currently the 52-year-old is the managing and artistic director at Lincoln Center, but the musician/composer/bandleader/educator is mostly known for his collection of nine Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize for his oratorio “Blood on the Fields.”  To find out more about Marsalis and his music, visit his page here.

For year round details on jazz and blues in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

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

New England Music Awards deadline for choosing region's best musicians is Friday, January 31

 

The deadline for voting in the region's top musicians for the 3rd annual New England Music Awards is Friday, January 31, 2014.   Here is a full list of this year's nominees from 23 different categories, including music genres, best by state, best new album and songwriter of the year.

In the genre categories are these jazz and blues nominations:

Jazz Act of the Year

• Airborne
• Fogcutters
• Isaac Young Quartet
• President Soup
• Revolutionary Snake Ensemble

Blues Act of the Year

• Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers
• Gracie Curran and the High Falutin Band
• Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood
• Poke Chop and the Other White Meats
• Sugar Ray and the Bluetones

This year's New England Music Awards takes place February 21-22, 2014 at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell.  The event features two nights of awards ceremonies and live concerts that showcase some of the best musical talent in the New England region. The Saturday night concert is hosted by comedian Steve Sweeney.

 

General admission to Saturday's concert is $10, and you can purchase tickets to the concert online .   Seating is on first-come basis.

 

Then on Saturday, February 22, a free afternoon Artists Conference takes place from noon to 5:00 p.m., featuring guest speakers, panel discussion, live performances, vendor and sample tables, and Q&A sessions covering many of the topics of interest to independent musicians/artists of New England.

 

This is the second year the New England Music Awards have taken place in Lowell, a city renowned for hosting first class musical events such as the Lowell Folk Festival and the Lowell Summer Music Series each summer. 

This year's NEMA coincides with the Lowell Winter Fest, a weekend celebration of outdoor and indoor activities in downtown Lowell, including the hilarious and popular human dogsled competition.

 

The New England Music Awards is supported by the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the University of Massachusetts/Lowell, and many other local sponsors.

 

For year round details on jazz and blues in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

 

 

Luciana Souza, Brazilian Jazz Singer, Performs at Sanders Theatre in Harvard Square on Saturday, January 25

Celebrity Series of Boston is presenting Grammy Award winner Luciana Souza and her quartet in concert at Sanders Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge, at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2014.

Tickets are available online or at the venue. 

A graduate of Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, Souza has been nominated for six Grammy Awards in her career.  She comes from a family of bossa nova innovators in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Here is a calendar of upcoming concerts presented by Celebrity Series of Boston.

Find year round details of live jazz throughout Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com.

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Jazz Legend Maceo Parker at Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on Saturday, January 25

RockportMusic is presenting legendary funk and soul saxophonist Maceo Parker in concert at the Shalin LiuPerformance Center in Rockport on Saturday, January 25, 2014, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets range from $50-$80 and can be purchased online, over the phone at 978 546-7391, or at the door the night of the concert.

Parker’s history with top artists such as James Brown, Ray Charles, Dave Matthews Band, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers shows off his array of sound and style of funk. And be sure to catch a glimpse of his gold plated Selmer Mark VI. Check out this Maceo Parker video.

Here is a schedule of upcoming jazz and world music concerts coming to the Shalin Liu Performance Center this winter.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

Slovenian artist Gramatik performs at Pearl Street Ballroom in Northampton on Wednesday, January 22

An up and coming name in the music scene, Gramatik is performing at the Pearl Street Ballroom in Northampton on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 8:30 p.m.   Admission is $15 at the door. 

Originally from Slovenea, Gramatik is rooted in jazz, blues, soul, and funk, but is known in hip-hop and electronic circles, having toured with Pretty Lights, the Glitch and others.  

Check out the video to get a better feel for Gramatik's rhythm. Tickets and more information can be found here. 

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

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