The Newport Jazz Festival August 4-6

The Newport Jazz Festival takes place on Friday, August 4 to Sunday, August 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Fort Adams Park in Newport.

The 2017 schedule of performances, directions to the park, and general information is available here.

Tickets are available here.

Performances include:

Cecile McLorin Salvant, a 2016 Grammy Award winner for her album For One To Love; 

Rhiannon Giddens, founder of Grammy award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops;

The Roots, the official house band on The Tonight Show and named one of the greatest live bands by Rolling Stone;

Andra Day, awarded multiple Grammy nominations and recently toured with Lenny Kravitz; 

Naturally 7, best known for jazz interpretations and performed with Michael Buble on his world-tour;

Leslie Odom Jr, winner of Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in “Hamilton”; and many more.

The full lineup and bios are available here.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Chris Smither Performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on August 4

Chris Smither performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 4, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online.

Chris Smither is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter with heavily influences from blues and American folk music.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Chicago Performs at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis on August 2

Chicago performs at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 2, 2017.

Tickets can be found online or at the Melody Tent Box Office.

Chicago is an American rock band with a distinctive jazz sound, thanks to its horn section.  It is known as the longest-running and most successful groups of all time. Chicago was recently ranked #9 in Billboard magazine’s recent Hot 200 All-Time Top Artists, and was inducted into the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

4th Annual Cambridge Jazz Festival Features Tia Fuller, Pieces of a Dream, Receitas de Samba, Ron Savage Trio and Berklee All Stars on Sunday, July 30

Tia Fuller 

The 4^th Annual Cambridge Jazz Festival takes place on Sunday, July 30 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Danehy Park in North Cambridge.  Here are directions. 

The festival is free but donations are encouraged.  Eric Jackson, popular jazz radio host on WGBH, is master of ceremonies.

Among the performers:

Tia Fuller, saxophonist and faculty member at Berklee College of Music who has toured with Beyoncé;

Pieces of a Dream, an American R&B and jazz group from Philadelphia;

Receitas de Samba, a samba duo featuring Bill Ward and Anna Borges; 

The Ron Savage Trio featuring Eula Lawrence; and 

Berklee Summer Jazz Workshop All Stars directed by Terri Lyne Carrington. 

See full Bios here.

The festival's mission is to entertain, and inform people about the American art of jazz through live performances, and provide inspiration and scholarship to young musicians in the community.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Jazz Singer Amanda Carr Performs at Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport on Saturday, July 29

Popular jazz singer Amanda Carr and her group Les Femmes de Chanson perform at the Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com.

A multi-styled vocalist and pianist, Amanda Carr was nominated for the Boston Music Award’s “2016 Jazz Artist of the Year.”  She has performed with some of the country's leading orchestras, from the Boston Pops to the Glenn Miller Band.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Jazz Artist Esperanza Spalding Joins Harvard Faculty in Music Department

Jazz bassist, singer, arranger and composer Esperanza Spalding has joined the faculty of the Department of Music at Harvard University as Professor of the Practice, with an appointment beginning spring 2018.

According to a press release issued by Harvard, "Spalding will teach a range of courses in songwriting, arranging, improvisation and performance, while also bringing her commitment to music as a voice for social justice."

Spalding is a four-time Grammy winner and has five critically acclaimed solo albums, and has won numerous awards for her playing.  She taught at the Berklee College of Music from 2005-2008 after graduating from Berklee with a Bachelor of Music.

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

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

Top Jazz Musicians Gather for Tribute Concert to Fred Taylor at Berklee Performance Center, September 12

Berklee College of Music is honoring Fred Taylor with a tribute concert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12 at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. 

The concert is part of an effort by the school to establish a Fred Taylor Scholarship Fund to nurture future students in music business and music performance at Berklee.

You can purchase tickets or donate to the Fund online. 

Artists slated to perform live at the tribute concert include Kurt Elling, Danilo Perez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Grace Kelly, Catherine Russell, Kat Edmonson, John Patitucci, Jason Palmer, Bo Winiker and more, with a special appearance by Pat Metheny.

Artists to appear via pre-recorded video include Bill Charlap, Steve Tyrell, Esperanza Spalding, Christian McBride, Ahmad Jamal, Hiromi, Chris Botti and Herbie Hancock.

Saxophonist Grace Kelly and NPR's Robin Young serve as emcees. 

Founder of Paul’s Mall and the Jazz Workshop, longtime artistic director of Boston’s Scullers Jazz Club and an integral part of Boston’s jazz scene, Fred Taylor is a beloved figure in the jazz, blues and rock communities.  Many of the leading artists of our time - Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and Dianna Ross - were presented in Boston by Taylor.   He is also credited for developing new talent, including Norah Jones, Esperanza Spalding, Chris Botti, Kat Edmonson and Grace Kelly. 

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.