Boston Jazz Fest in South Boston Features Vocalist Pat Braxton, August 23

Jazz vocalist Pat Braxton is one of the headliners at the Boston Jazz Fest 2014, taking place at Maritime Park in South Boston, on Saturday, August 23, 2014, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public.

WICN 90.5 of Worcester, which plays 120 hours of jazz each week, is one of the sponsors.

Find year round information on live jazz in Massachusetts at www.massjazz.com.

Celebrate "Dine Out Boston" with Live Jazz!

(2014 MassJazz Guide)

Dine Out Boston, a bi-annual celebration of greater Boston's culinary scene, is taking place on August 17-22 and 24-29, 2014 at fine restaurants throughout the area. The program is hosted by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Jazz lovers get added value at several venues, including the Top of the Hub Restaurant & Skywalk in Boston's Back Bay; The Beehive Restaurant and Les Zygomates, both in Boston's South End;  and Savinos Grill in Belmont.

You can find more details about jazz brunches, and live jazz in restaurants and night clubs, by visiting MassJazz.com.

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

Jazz Vocalist Mike Dutra Performs 'Strictly Sinatra' at Boston Harbor Hotel's Summer in the City Series on Wednesday, August 20

Mike Dutra, the famed interpreter of Frank Sinatra's songbook - is performing with the Strictly Sinatra Band at the Summer in the City concert series at Rowes Wharf along Boston's waterfront on Wednesday, August 20, 2014. 

The free concert series, now in its 16th season, is hosted by the Boston Harbor Hotel and features live music on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and movies every Friday, throughout the summer.

A native of Rhode Island, Dutra been performing Sinatra songs since 2002, performing in Las Vegas, New York, Boston and Miami.

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

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

1st annual SPRINGFIELD JAZZ & ROOTS FESTIVAL TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

An all-start line-up of great jazz and roots musicians are performing at the 1st annual Springfield Jazz & RootsFestival, taking place in Court Square, Springfield, on Saturday, August 9, 2014, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. 

The event is free and open to the public.  Here is the full schedule.
 
Among the performers: Phil Woods and the Greg Caputo Big Band, Charles Neville and the Charmaine Neville Band, Grace Kelly, the Alex Syndman Trio, Chuchito Valdes Quartet, Jessica Freeman, Argiro Quintet and Mikata.  Read more about the performers here.

“The rich diversity, creativity, cultural history and spirit of Springfield’s communities will be reflected through the performances, food, conversations, and information about art offerings and local programs-- demonstrating the beautiful tapestry that is Springfield,” wrote the organizers.

Here is a schedule of other jazzfestivals in Massachusetts through October 2014.

For news on live jazz and blues in Massachusetts throughout the year, visit MassJazz.com or read the digital magazine, MassJazz 2014.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

2014 MassJazz Guide Celebrates Live Jazz in Massachusetts

The newly released 2014 MassJazz Guide showcases the vibrant jazz scene across Massachusetts.  The 44 page magazine lists jazz festivals, concerts, educational courses, and other activities taking place in the Bay State through April 2015.

Published by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, MassJazz is available for free at visitor centers, jazz venues and college campuses. 

You can also read the 2014 MassJazz Guide online.

For year round information on live jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For information about vising Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.

Boston Summer Arts Weekend Features Jazz Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, Soul Rebels and More, July 26-27

Latin jazz legend Arturo Sandoval is performing at this year's Boston Summer Arts Weekend, taking place in Boston's Copley Square on July 26-27, 2014.

The free festival, courtesy of WGBH 89.7 FM and The Boston Globe, offers a dynamic line-up of music and dance, ranging from jazz and classical to Irish, bluegrass and rock.  Here is a schedule of performers.

A native of Cuba, Sandoval was a protegee of American jazz trumpter Dizzy Gillespie and a pioneer in the development of Latin jazz. He has received ten Grammy Awards and has been nominated 19 times.

Among the other performers with a jazz, R&B and blues sound are Jesse Cook, Los Lobos and Soul Rebels.

Located in Boston's Back Bay, Copley Square Park is one of the city's most beautiful settings, encircled by Trinity Church, the Old South Church, the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel,  and the Boston Public Library.

Find year round jazz at MassJazz.com.

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

New Cambridge Jazz Festival Launches in Massachusetts on July 27

Grammy winners, local artists and jazz legends are all slated to perform at the first annual Cambridge Jazz Festival, taking place on Sunday, July 27 at the University Park Commons on Sydney Street outside of Harvard Square.

Jazz drummer and Grammy Award winner Terri Lyne Carrington and Motown legend Valerie Simpson are headlining the stage, along with jazz pianist George W. Russell Jr. and his trio, vocalist Dominique Eade, jazz drummer Ron Savage and his trio and Fernando Brandao and  the Berklee Brazilian All Stars.  Here is the complete schedule, and bios of the artists.  

The festival, which is free and open to the public, is being organized by Larry Ward, a former Cambridge City Councilor, and jazz musician Ron Savage, with help from numerous supporters, including City Manager Rich Rossi and Deena Anderson of Harvard’s Arts First program.

Ward, who describes himself as “a jazz lover for years and years,” came up with the idea after running a club and bringing in jazz acts near Central Square.  He met up with jazz drummer Ron Savage to discuss the idea, and “he and I had the same vision – it was uncanny – of what could possibly be.
 
An important perspective of the festival organizers, Ward says, is “the constant need to bridge younger musicians with some of the more established musicians. “ 

In addition to the music, the festival also has also organized a Taste of Cambridge selection of food trucks and local vendors supplying a diverse selection of foods.  

The Cambridge Jazz Festival also marks the launch of the Johnny Hodges Fund, a new initiative to support college scholarships and music education for Cambridge students, while celebrating the late Hodges (1906-1970), a Cambridge native who is considered one of the great saxophonists in jazz.

Here is a schedule of jazz festivals inMassachusetts this year.