Earth, Wind & Fire Performing in Boston and Tanglewood this Weekend

Earth, Wind and Fire, the legendary jazz-funk-soul band, is performing two shows in Massachusetts this weekend, as part of its 40th anniversary World Tour. 

On Friday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. the band performs at the Bank of America Pavilion along Boston's waterfront.  Tickets to the show are $45 - $100 and can be purchased online or at the gate. 

Then on Saturday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m., Earth, Wind & Fire performs at at Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox.  Tickets to the show are $22 - $75 and can be purchased online or at the gate.

Over its 40 year history, Earth, Wind, and Fire has released 23 albums, including eight double-platinum, Top-10 pop albums, selling over 90 million albums worldwide. The band has received 20 Grammy nominations and six wins, as well as 12 American Music Award nominations and four wins. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.

For great music in Massachusetts throughout the summer and fall, visit MassJazz.com.

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

Dan Gabel and the Abletones Perform Big Band Jazz at Ecotarium on Friday, June 24 in Worcester

Dan Gabel and the Abletones is performing at the 21st annual Jazz at Sunset series at the EcoTarium in Worcester on Friday, June 24, 2011 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

 Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the gate.

 The 18-piece Big Band, led by trombonist Dan Gabel, recently returned from a world tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, is a throwback to the authentic sounds of the 1930s and 1940s, complete with female vocalists and vintage attire and style.

The series is presented by sponsor 90.5 FM WICN Public Radio.  For a full schedule of events at this summer's Jazz at Summer Series, click here.

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

For tourist information, go to MassVacation.com.

Boston Pops Performs Tribute to Gershwin and Rodgers at Symphony Hall on Thursday, June 23

Kathleen Brett

Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops are doing a musical tribute to George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers at Symphony Hall in Boston on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets to the concert are $21-$91 and can be purchased online.

Featured artists at the concert include soprano Kathleen Brett and baritone Ron Raines. 

For a full schedule of the 126th season of the Boston Pops, click here.

For more cultural activities in Boston throughout the summer, visit IrishBoston.org.

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

Jazz Singer Nadia Washington Performing at BOND Lounge in Boston on Wednesday, June 22

Jazz singer Nadia Washington is performing at the BOND Restaurant | Lounge at the Boston Langham Hotel on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The Dallas-born musician - who is influenced by Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan - has been performing since she was a child.  She received the prestigious Bill Cosby Presidential Scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, and since then she has been performing in the New England region and up and down the East Cost.

For a full schedule of jazz acts every Wednesday night at BOND Lounge, click here.

For a year round schedule of jazz concerts, clubs, campus events and festivals throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

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

Celebrate Quebec National Day at the Beehive on Wednesday, June 22

Enjoy an immersion of Quebec culture, music and food right here in Boston tonight at the Beehive, as part of Quebec National Day on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, starting at 5:30 p.m.

This exciting event is presented in partnership with the Association Québécoise en Nouvelle-Angleterre, the Quebec Delegation of Boston and The French Cultural Center of Boston. 

Québec artists include Isabelle Cyr and Yves Marchand, performing at 6:00 p.m. followed by Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs at 8:00 p.m..

For tourism information on Quebec, visit Quebec City Tourism.

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

Massachusetts Issues 2011 Jazz Festival Schedule

(Boston) -  MassJazz has released its annual schedule of jazz and blues festivals and outdoor concerts taking place in Massachusetts this summer and fall. 

The schedule includes a dozen outdoor jazz festivals across the Commonwealth, plus hundreds of outdoor concerts taking place in city parks and town squares, at museums and cultural venues, and at tourist spots around the state.

“Massachusetts has a lot to offer visitors, from our champion sports teams and our rich history to the stunning landscapes and abundance of cultural riches,” said Betsy Wall, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.  “It’s all here and the vibrant music scene – especially jazz and blues - is another great reason to spend time in the Commonwealth this summer. ”

The Massachusetts festival season kicks off with the Hoop City Jazz & Art Festival in Springfield on July 8-10 and ends with the Pittsfield Jazz Festival in western Massachusetts on October 7-20.

Wall pointed to the strong jazz presence across Massachusetts, with festivals or concerts taking place in every region of the state.

“For tourists who savor jazz and blues – two of America’s greatest art forms – Massachusetts has a terrific slate of festivals and outdoor events this season,” said MassJazz founder Michael P. Quinlin.  “And add to that the jazz clubs, campus events, and live jazz brunches at hotels and restaurants, and you have a music lover’s paradise.”

In July, MassJazz is issuing its 3rd annual MassJazz Travel Guide, a free 40-page magazine with jazz profiles, stories and listings on the state's vibrant jazz scene.  The Guide is available at jazz venues, tourism kiosks, and cultural sports around Massachusetts. 

Formed in 2009, MassJazz promotes the state’s jazz scene year round to the travel industry, in concert with Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and other partners.  For more details on jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

Click here for Jazz Festivals | Click here for Outdoor Concert Series.

Chihiro Yamanaka Performs at Regattabar on Wednesday, June 22 in Harvard Square

Japanese jazz pianist Chihiro Yamanaka is performing with her trio at the Regattabar Jazz Club at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Wednesday, June 21, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets to the performance are $20 and can be purchased online.

Hailed as one of the greatest jazz artists to come along in decades, Yamanaka won the Down Beat Best Outstanding Performance Award when she was still a student at Berklee College of Music.  Since then she has issued several award-winning albums, including new latest, Forever Begins, released in the United States in May.

For a schedule of upcoming performances at Regattabar this summer, click here.

For year round jazz in concert halls, clubs, hotel lounges and college campuses throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

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