John Pizzarelli Celebrates Duke Ellington at Scullers on September 10-11

Singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli is performing a special show honoring one of the great masters of jazz this weekend, September 10 and 11, at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston.

Rockin' In Rythm: A Tribute to Duke Ellington is the name of the show, and also the new CD that Pizzarelli has just released. The concert will feature Pizzarelli's unique interpretations of such classic songs as Satin Doll, East St. Louis Toodle-oo, Perdido and other songs from the Ellington songbook.

Tickets are $35 and can be ordered online. Showtime is 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. each night.

For a full schedule of jazz at Scullers, click here.

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

Tanglewood Jazz Festival: Pod Casts of Performing Artists

Enjoy podcasts of this weekend's performers at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, including Laurence Hobgood, Donal Fox and Maya Beiser, by clicking here.

For a full schedule of performances of this year's Tanglewood Jazz Festival, click here.

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

For tourism information, visit MassVacation.com.

Tanglewood Jazz Festival Features Kurt Elling, John Pizzarelli, Bob James on September 4-5

This year's Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Lenox Massachusetts features jazz vocalist of the year Kurt Elling, guitar master John Pizzarelli, pianist Bob James and many more great jazz artists.

The concerts take place on September 4-5 over Labor Day Weekend at Seiji Ozawa Hall on the hallowed grounds of Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a popular venue for a wide variety internationally renowned classical, jazz and popular music.

Tickets range from $18 to $77 and can be ordered online.

For a full schedule of the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, click here.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

Blues Legend John Lee Hooker Jr. Plays at the Iron Horse in Northampton on August 24

John Lee Hooker Jr, Detroit's legendary bluesman, is performing at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Tuesday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $12.50 in advance and can be purchased online, or $15 at the door.

As a child in the 1970s, Hooker learned the blues from Delta blues masters, including his father John Lee Hooker and blues harp legend Jimmy Reed.

His 2004 album, Blues with A Vengence received a Grammy nominiation and marked his transition as a formidable bluesman with his own unique voice and experience to sing the blues.

For a complete line-up of shows at the Iron Horse, click here.

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

Salem Jazz & Soul Festival this weekend, August 21-22

The fourth annual Salem Jazz & Soul Festival is taking place this Saturday and Sunday, August 21-22, at Salem Willows in the City of Salem.

This year's line-up includes the Grace Kelly Quintet, the Northshore Gospel Ambassadors, the Sam Kinninger Band and many other great acts.

Salem Trolley is providing service to the Salem Willows from the Salem train station, the Salem ferry and the Bentley School.

In addition to continuous music, the festival also features arts & crafts, music education classes, a children's tent and family activities.

For a full schedule of events, click here.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com.

James Montgomery Blues Band Playing in Lowell on Saturday, August 21

Blues harp master James Montgomery and his Blues Band, along with the Uptown Horns, perform at the Lowell Summer Music Series this Saturday, August 21, at 7:30 p.m.

Considered one of the premier blues harmonica players over the last 30 years, Montgomery learned to play the blues first-hand from James Cotton, John Lee Hooker and Jurnior Wells. He's toured with Aerosmith, the Allman Brothers, Patti LaBelle and many others.

The concert takes place outdoors at Boarding House Park, 40 French Street, in downtown Lowell. Tickets are $18 and can be ordered online, or $25 at the gate the night of the concert.

For a complete list of concerts of the Lowell Summer Music Series through the rest of the summer, click here.

For year round jazz and blues concerts events in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

Tony Bennett performing in Cohasset and Hyannis on August 14-15

Jazz legend Tony Bennett is performing two shows in Massachusetts this weekend: at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset on Saturday, August 14, and at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis on Sunday, August 14. Both shows start at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available online at the Music Circus and the Melody Tent or can be purchased at the gate the night of the concert.

A fifteen-time Grammy Award winner, Bennett's voice has helped define the American songbook since the late 1940s, when he began working with Pearl Bailey, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. In recent years he has recorded with a host of great singers, including Stevie Wonder, k.d. lang, James Taylor, Michael Buble and others.

Bennett is also a renaissance man whose reputation as a serious painter has grown over the years. He painted the image for the official poster of the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and regularly donates his artwork to a variety of worthwhile causes.

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

For tourism information in Massachusetts, visit MassVacation.com.

Jazz Singer Patti Austin Performs at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, August 13-14

Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Patti Austin is performing at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on the weekend of August 13-14, 2010. Performances are at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. each night. Tickets are $40 and can be ordered online.

With 17 solo albums and countless collaborations with singing stars like Paul Simon, Robert Flack and Diana Ross, Austin has enjoyed a sterling career as a singer, songwriter, and interpreter of the American songbook. She also created her own one-woman show and was co-creator of several other musical showcases.

For a full schedule of upcoming concerts at Scullers, click here.

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

For tourism information on visiting Massachusetts, visit MassVacation.com.

Provincetown Jazz Festival Takes Place August 13-14 on Cape Cod

The 6th annual Provincetown Jazz Festival features a tribute to New Orleans jazz this Friday and Saturday, August 13-14, 2010 on Cape Cod.

Jazz drummer and festival director Bart Weisman says this year's festival features the Big Easy's Paul Sanchez, one of the many jazz musicians whose lives were affected by Hurricane Katrina, which occurred five years ago this month. Proceeds from the Provincetown Jazz Festival are going to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.

Other stars of the two-day festival include saxophonist Greg Abate, vocalist Dane Vannatter, pianist Janice Friendman, bassist Chris Rathburn, drummer Bart Weisman, trumpeter Steve Ahern, and Berklee Rising Stars, including sax player Clay Lyons, trumpeter Matt Joseph, pianist Suzanne Davis, bassist John Lockwood, and Bob Kaufman on drums. For a complete schedule, click here.

For tourist information on visiting Cape Cod and Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.

For more upcoming jazz festivals in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

Bill Harley Performs at Regattabar Kids Summer Music Series on Sunday, August 8 in Cambridge

Two-time Grammy Award winner Bill Harley brings his special brand of children's songs to the Regattabar in Harvard Square, Cambridge, this Sunday, August 8, at 4:30 p.m.

Tickets are available online for $12 or can be purchased at the door the day of show for $15.

Writer of songs like "You're in Trouble" and "Dad threw the TV out the window," Harley is a singer-songwriter whose music reaches children and adults alike. He is recipient of the Magic Penny Award from the Children's Music Network.

The Regattabar offers a series of children's music programs each summer. The final concert, featuring Flooky and the Beans, takes place on Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 4:30 p.m.

For a full schedule of upcoming jazz performances, click here.

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

Jazz Pianist Herbie Hancock Performing at Lowell Summer Music Series this Saturday, August 7

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock is performing this Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the Lowell Summer Music Series in Lowell, Massachusetts at 7:30 p.m. The outdoor concert takes place at Boarding House Park, 40 French Street in Lowell.

Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 the day of the concert, and can be ordered online or by calling 978 970-5200.

Hancock began his career playing with the Miles Davis Quintet. He is a twelve-time Grammy Award winner and won an Oscar for scoring the film, Round Midnight.

For a full schedule of concerts at the Lowell Summer Music Series, click here.

For information on visiting Massachusetts, visit Massvacation.com.

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

Tito Puente Latin Music Series Features Jerry Rivera at Boston City Hall Plaza

Salsa music star Jerry Rivera is performing at Boston City Hall Plaza on Saturday, July 31, at 7:00 p.m. as part of the city's Tito Puente Latin Music Series.

The Grammy-nominated singer is headining "Caliente, a celebration of Latin Music and Culture," featuring percussionist Eguie Castrillo and a hot horn section from Berklee College of Music.

The concert is sponsored by the City of Boston and is free and open to the public.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

Roxbury International Film Festival features jazz film on Thelonius Monk

In My Mind

The 12th annual Roxbury International Film Festival gets underway in Boston this week, featuring a full slate of films, documentaries and workshops celebrating people of color in cinema.

One of the films featured this year is In My Mind, a documentary by jazz pianist Jason Moran that pays tribute to legendary jazz artist Theolonius Monk and his historic concert at New York's town hall in 1959. Combining rare audio and photos of Monk with Moran's own live performace in the same venue 50 years later, In My Mind has been described by Slant Magazine as "a vital document of jazz as a combined cultural heritage...(that) sets a new standard for jazz on film."

In My Mind is being shown at Mass College of Art on Saturday, July 31, at 6:00 p.m.

Presented by the Color of Film Collaborative and ACT Roxbury, the four-day festival embraces "a global community of filmmakers celebrating people of color," says Lisa Simmons, co-producer of the festival.

Screenings take place in venues throughout Boston, including the Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall, Museum of Fine Arts, Mass College of Art, Wentworth College and the Haley House Bakery Cafe.

Full line-up of the RIFF film schedule.

Full list of RIFF workshops and panel discussions.

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

New Black Eagle Jazz Band Performing at South Shore Conservatory on Saturday, July 17

New Orleans-style jazz is on the menu tonight at the popular band, the New Black Eagle Jazz Band takes to the stage at the Jane Carr Amphitheatre in Hingham, Massachusetts on Saturday, July 17, at 7:00 p.m.

The show is part of the Evenings under the Stars series sponsored by the South Shore Conservatory.

The band has been together for nearly 40 years and has a vast repertoire of over 600 songs, ranging from Scott Joplin tunes and gospel music to Dixieland and blues.

Tickets are $15 and $25 and can be ordered online.

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

For details on visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.

Boston's Festival Betances 2010 celebrates Latino Arts and Culture, July 16-18

The annual Festival Betances at Villa Victoria in Boston's South End starts today and runs through Sunday, July 18, 2010. The festival includes exciting music and dance performances, delicious food and activities for all ages.

This year's music features Puerto Rican salsa stars Paquito Acosta and Michael Stuart, plus the US premier of Venezuelan harp virtuoso Leonard Jacome. Other performers include Sociedad Latina, Sierra Brothers, Lengua de Mi Barrio and more. For a full schedule click here.

Villa Victoria Center for the Arts
85 W. Newton Street. Boston, MA 02118
(617) 927-1722 www.VillaVictoriaArts.org

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

Paulie's New Orleans Jazz and Blues Fest kicks off in Worchester on Friday, July 16

The sounds and tastes of New Orleans and Louisiana are coming to Worcester, Massachusetts this weekend at the third annual Paulie's Jazz & Blues Festival on Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17 at the Chandler Street Fairgrounds.

Featured musicians this year include Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers, Henri Smith and his New Orleans Friends and Flavours, the Hurricane Horns and Anders Osborne among others.

The festival is dedicated this year to the people of Louisana who are fighting the oil spill in the Gulf, and to the great musicians of New Orleans. The festival includes Cajun inspired cuisine and other southern foods.

Proceeds benefit the National Autism Association.

For more information visit the festival website.

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

For information on visiting Massachusetts from out of state, go to MassVacation.com

Massachusetts issues summer Jazz Guide

(Boston) - Massachusetts has released its second annual MassJazz Travel Guide, a round-up of jazz festivals, concerts and musical events taking place across the Bay State from July through October 2010. The 32-page magazine is available free to visitors and residents at tourism kiosks, in hotels and nightclubs, and on college campuses.

Some of the biggest names in jazz and blues are performing in Massachusetts this summer, including Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Ahmad Jamal, B.B. King, Esperanza Spalding, Paula Cole, Chris Botti, Kurt Elling and more.

The Guide includes a welcome greeting from Governor Deval Patrick, as well as stories on Boston jazz promoter Fred Taylor and the 25th annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert at Northeastern University.



“Jazz is part of our state’s cultural richness and vitality,” says Betsy Wall, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, a partner in the MassJazz initiative. “We invite visitors from near and far to experience Massachusetts Jazz in one of America’s cultural capitals.”

This summer, several local festivals are celebrating New Orleans – the birthplace of jazz – to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina this August, says Michael P. Quinlin, founder of MassJazz.

Paulie’s New Orleans Jazz & Blues Festival in Worchester (July 16-17), Provincetown Jazz Festival (August 13-14) and the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival (September 15-25) are featuring New Orleans jazz masters like Charles Neville, Paul Sanchez and Terence Blanchard.

In addition to festivals and concerts, MassJazz Travel Guide lists dozens of nightclubs, hotel lounges, restaurants and coffee-houses where jazz is played nightly, two dozen colleges where jazz is taught, and dozens of radio programs, including local and syndicated shows. The Guide lists the best places to have a weekend jazz brunch, hotels with live jazz, and various jazz organizations, promoters and bloggers throughout Massachusetts.

MassJazz provides up-to-date information about jazz activities year round at its web sites, MassJazz.com and Massjazz.blogspot.com. For further information, contact MassJazz at 617 696 9880 or massjazz@comcast.net

Copies of the MassJazz Travel Guide are available free at visitor information centers on Boston Common, the Prudential Center, Berklee College of Music, Cape Cod Visitors Center, and at various jazz festivals, jazz clubs and concert venues throughout Massachusetts.

About MOTT:
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) is the state agency dedicated to promoting Massachusetts as a leisure-travel destination. MOTT serves as a leader in the tourism industry, helping to generate state and local tax revenues, create jobs and support the growth of travel-related businesses. Tourism is an integral part of the state’s economy, generating over $887.2 million in state and local taxes and $14.2 billion in travel related expenditures. The industry supports 125,800 in-state jobs. For more information visit www.massvacation.com.

About MassJazz:
MassJazz is a concerted, statewide effort initiated in 2009 to promote a full range of live jazz performances, community events, educational courses and related cultural activities to the convention and visitors industry. Working with MOTT and other state convention and visitor agencies, MassJazz is branding Massachusetts as a jazz destination for domestic and international visitors. For more information visit www.massjazz.com.

New Orleans is the theme at 10th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Fest in Boston, September 15-25

New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, is the theme of this year's Berklee BeanTown Jazz Fest, taking place in Boston from September 15-25, 2010.

Jazz greats such as Terence Blanchard, Jonathan Batiste, and the Wild Magnolias, will bring the Big Easy to Boston, in part to commemorate the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans.

They'll play alongside jazz musicians from around the world, including Paula Cole, Kurt Rosenwinkel, the Bad Plus, Nona Hendryx, Danilo Perez, Mendoza Vibe and others.

Participating jazz venues include Scullers Jazz Club, the Regattabar and Wally's, as well as the Berklee Performance Center, 939 Cafe, and David Friend Recital Hall at Berklee.

On Saturday, September 25, the festivities culminate in an all-day, open air, free festival in Boston's historic South End.

For a full schedule of concerts at this year's Berklee Beantown Jazz Fest, click here.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

Jose James and Jef Neve at Regattabar in Cambridge on June 16

Jazz vocalist Jose James and Belgian pianist Jef Neve are performing at the Regattabar Jazz Club at Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Wednesday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or by calling 617 395-7757.

The show celebrates the release of their new CD, For All We Know, issued by Impulse! Records.

James, born and raised in Minneapolis, is the son of a jazz saxophonist from Panama. James studied at the New School in New York City before moving to London, where he is based.

Neve is one of Europe's rising jazz stars. He debuted his first piano concerto with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009, and has released five best-selling albums.

Regattabar Jazz
Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street
Harvard Square
Cambridge
617 661-5099

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

Swing Dancing at the Armenian Church in Watertown, June 12

Bombay Jim and the Swinging Sapphires - one of America's hottest swing bands - perform from 9:00 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, June 12 at the St. James Armenian Church in Watertown.

Admission is $15, which includes a free one-hour dance lesson that includes beginning swing dance, two-step and ends with one intermediate swing dance move.

The event is organized by the Boston Swing Dance Network.

St. James Armenian Church

465 Mt. Auburn Street

Watertown MA

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

Kelli O'Hara Sings Cole Porter at Boston Symphony Hall on June 9-11

Broadway star Kelli O'Hara is appearing with the Boston Pops at Boston Symphony Hall for a three-night engagement to perform some of the greatest hits of Broadway from the music of Cole Porter, on June 9, 10, 11, 2010.

Considered one of Broadway's leading ladies, O'Hara will perform classics such as "Night and Day," "Love for Sale," and selections from the Tony Award-winning musical, Kiss Me Kate.

The Boston Pops is celebrating its 125 season as one of the world's leading musical organization, and has a full schedule of performances leading up to the Fourth of July.

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

Jazz Vocalist Nnenna Freelon at Sculler's Jazz Club in Boston, June 4

Six-time Grammy award-nominee Nnenna Freelon performs at the famous Sculler's Jazz Club in Boston on Friday, June 4, for two shows starting at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Tickets for the show are $25; dinner and show $63, and can be ordered online or by calling 617 562-4111.

Hailed as the "international voice of jazz," Freelon has performed at the Grammy Awards, the White House, and concert venues around the world.

Sculler's Jazz Club

Doubletree Hotel

400 Soldiers Field Road

Boston, MA 02134

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

Guitarist Alex Cuba Plays Regattabar in Cambridge on June 3

Alex Cuba, eclectic and inventive guitarist, is playing at the Regattabar in Cambridge on Thursday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online.

Born outside of Havanna, and having lived near Vancouver for the past decade, Cuba has melded a variety of Spanish influences with pop-soul and funk-rock chords to create a unique sound all his own.

He's been compared to Marvin Gaye and Jimi Hendrix, a testiment to his range and vision.

Regattabar
at the Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street
Harvard Square, Cambridge
617 395-7757

For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

Melody Gardot Performing at Wilbur Theatre in Boston on June 2

Jazz and blues singer Melody Gardot is performing at the Wilbur Theatre on Wednesday, June 2, at 8:00 p.m.

The Philadelphia native has melded the traditions of jazz with a personal and intimate sound that resonates with listeners around the world.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or by calling 1 800 745-3000.

Wilbur Theatre

246 Tremont Street

Boston

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

Ellis Hall Performs Ray Charles Tribute at Boston Symphony Hall on Saturday, May 29

Ellis Hall, protege of the great Ray Charles, plays a special tribute concert to Charles on Saturday, May 29, at Boston Symphony Hall, starting at 8:00 p.m..

Among the hit songs Hall is performing: Georgia on my Mind; Hit the Road Jack and Unchain my Heart.

The concert is part of the 125th anniversary celebration of the Boston Pops taking place this spring.

Boston Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston
1 888 266-1200
BSO.org

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

Deva Mahal Performing at Boston's Beehive jazz club on May 22

R&B singer Deva Mahal brings her soul power to Boston on Saturday, May 22, when she performs with her band at the Beehive Jazz Club in the South End.

Daughter of legendary bluesman Taj Mahal, Deva is emerging as a talented blues singer "who can wail with the best of them," wrote the Albany Times Union.

Deva is playing at the Beehive with Steph Brown and band. The show starts at 10:00 p.m.

The Beehive

541 Tremont Street

Boston MA 02116

617 423-0069

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

Tanglewood Jazz Festival Holds Contest for Talented Musicians to Perform at this year’s Festival

Grace Kelly played the Jazz Cafe at Tanglewood

Tanglewood Jazz Festival - which presents some of the world’s best jazz artists each year over Labor Day weekend, is hosting a video contest for four performance slots at this year’s festival.

The contest is open from May 6 through June 15. Contestants must submit a link to their video and electronic press kit through the music website, Sonicbids.

Winners will be announced on July 1. They will receive national publicity and promotion for their appearance and a nominal fee of $1,000 for travel and hotel. There is no age restriction, but artists who have already headlined at a jazz festival or similar event will not be eligible.

The winners will perform at the popular Jazz Café, a premier venue at the festival for rising stars on the verge of national recognition. Some past performers at the Jazz Café include Esperanza Spalding, Grace Kelly, Sachal Vasandani, Julian Lage and Taylor Eigsti.

This year's Tanglewood Jazz Festival takes place on September 4-5, 2010 in Lenox, Massachusetts, summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

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