Berkshires Gateway Jazz Weekend Taking Place June 5-8 in Lee

 

New Black Eagle Jazz Band

The annual Berkshires Gateway Jazz Weekend is taking place in Lee, Massachusetts from June 5 through June 8, 2014.  Tickets are available online.

 

Among the headliners this year: Sonny & Perley, the Sounds of Shearing and the New Black Eagle Jazz Band. 

 

These events, plus other events, take place at venues in and around Lee, including the Spectrum Theater and First Congregational Church.  Here is a schedule of events.

 

Massachusetts has numerous jazz festivals taking place throughout the Commonwealth through October.  Here is a schedule of 2014 jazz festivals in Massachusetts.

 

For year round information on live jazz, college courses, jazz clubs, radio programs and more, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

 

 

 

Boston Pops Presents Gatsby Night at Symphony Hall, May 28-30

The Boston Pops, led by maestro Keith Lockhart, is presenting a jazz-filled Gatsby Night at Boston Symphony Hall from May 28-30, 2014. 

The show features the Hot Sardines from New York City, making its Boston Pops debut.  Tickets to the show are $24-94 and can be purchased online or by calling888 266-1200.

Here is the remaining schedule of Boston Pops concerts this season through June 14, 2014.
 
Find year round details on cultural activities in Massachusetts by visiting massjazz.com.

For visitor information go to massvacation.com.

MassJazz Issues 2014 Schedule of Jazz Festivals in Massachusetts

Elle Varner Performs at Onset Beach Jazz Festival

 



MassJazz has issued its 2014 schedule of jazz festivals taking place across Massachusetts this spring, summer and fall.

The season kicks off on Memorial Day weekend with the Plymouth Rock Assurance Jazz Festival and ends with the Holyoke Latin Jazz Festival in October.  

Find more details on each festival at MassJazz.com/festivals.  The schedule also includes selections of blues and world-music festivals too.


May 24-26/ Plymouth Rock Assurance Jazz Festival

June 5-8/ Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend

June 14/ New Bedford Jazz Fest

June 20-22/ Paulie’s NOLA Jazz &amp Blues Festival

July 12-13/ Green River Festival

July 19-21/ Festival Betances 2014

July 19/ Onset Beach Jazz Festival

July 25-27/ Boston Globe / WGBH Summer Arts Weekend

August 1-3/ Newport Jazz Festival

August 13-17/ 3rd Annual Rockport Jazz Festival

August 16-17/ Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

August 16 & 18/ 10th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival

August 17, 24-25/ North River Blues Festival

September 6/ Northampton Jazz Festival

September 27/ Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival

September 26 - October 5/ JazzFest Falmouth ‘14

October 12/ Holyoke Latin Jazz Festival

MassJazz was created in 2009 to celebrate the vibrant, year round jazz scene across the Commonwealth. 

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

Christian McBride Trio Performs at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on Friday, May 16

Christian McBride Trio(Chi Modu)

 

The Christian McBride Trio is performing two shows at Scullers on Friday, May 16, 2014, at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. The 8:00 p.m. show is sold out, but tickets to the 10:00 show are $35-$75 and can be purchased online or at the venue.

The group, which includes McBride on bass, Christian Sands on piano and Ulysses Owens, Jr. on drums, has just released a new CD, Out Here.

Here is a schedule of upcoming jazz concerts at Scullers, located at the Doubtree Suites by Hilton Boston-Cambridge Hotel, located at 400 Soldiers Field Road.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

 

Governor Patrick Proclaims Jazz Month in Massachusetts

Governor Deval Patrick declared April 2014 as Jazz Month in Massachusetts.

Celebrate Jazz Week April 25th - May 4th, sponsored by Jazz Boston.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

For tourist information visit massvacation.com.

Congratulations to jazz impresario Fred Taylor!

Fred Taylor, who has been working in the Boston jazz scene for over 50 years, is receiving JazzBoston's Roy Haynes Award on Sunday, May 4, as Jon Garelick writes in his Boston Globe article.

Taylor ran legendary music clubs Paul's Mall and the Boston Jazz Workshop for 15 years, and is currently the Entertainment Director for Scullers Jazz Club, at the Double Tree hotel in Allston.

As a part of Jazz Week '14, Scullers will have a tribute show at 8:00 p.m., May 4. (Click here for tickets)

For other events at Scullers Jazz Club, go to www.scullersjazz.com.

For more Jazz events in Boston and in Massachusetts, visit www.massjazz.com. 

For tourist information, visit www.massvacation.com.

 

Easter Jazz Brunch at Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen in Boston's South End, April 20

Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen is hosting a jazz brunch on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Reservations are recommended: please call 617 536-1100.  Find directions.

You can read a profile of Darryl Settles, owner of the venue.

Here is a list of other jazz brunches throughout Massachusetts.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.




 

Berklee Students Write a Boston Marathon Tribute, "I Don't Have a Song for That"

 

 

"I Don't Have a Song for That"

Berklee College of Music students Ben Johnston and  Jordan Lucero took one of their compositions in a Song Writing class and turned it into a tribute to the Boston Marathon bombing victims, heroes and survivors.  Read the story of how the song came about.

The song was arranged by Berklee alumnus Evan Chapman and accompanied by a choral group of 28 singers, a string quartet, and a rhytham section of guitar, bass and drum.  Mark Joseph is the lead singer on the tribute.



 

Jaki Byard Symposium & Concert Taking Place at WPI in Worcester on April 13

A day-long event focusing on the life and music of jazz pianist Jaki Byard is taking place at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Sunday, April 13, 2014. 

The event takes place at Alden Memorial Hall on WPI campus, and is free and open to the public.  The sympoisum starts at 3:00 p.m., followed by the concert at 8:00 p.m.

Born in Worcester in 1922, John Arthur "Jaki" Byard came from a musical family, and was playing professionally at age 16.  He became an influential pianist and composer during his career, performing with Duke Ellington, Charlie Mingus and other important bandleaders.

For more details about the symposium and concert, please contact Professor Richard Falco at rfalco@wpi.edu.

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

For visitor informaiton go to MassVacation.com.


 

Jazz Appreciation Day in Salem Features North Shore Jazz Project in Concert on April 5

The City of Salem is hosting its 5th annual Jazz Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Salem Five Community Room, located at 210 Essex Street, on the city's walking mall. The event is free and open to the public.

The North Shore Jazz Project is the featured performer.  Here is a video of the band's performance at the Salem Jazz & Soul Festival.

 

This year's Salem Jazz & Soul Festival takes place on August 16-17, 2014.

Find more about year-round jazz in Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, check out MassVacation.com, NorthofBoston.org or Salem.org.

Violin Master Marissa Licata Performs at Scullers Jazz Club on April 2

Marissa Licata, a master violistist, is performing at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online. 

Drawing on music from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, Marissa’s unique Gypsy fusion highlights universally familiar melodies that span world music.  Classically trained, with degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, Marissa has toured the world with Jethro Tull, Alicia Keys and other performers; in 2014 she embarks on a U.S. National tour with Greek crossover tenor Mario Frangoulis. 

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Scullers this month.

Find year round details on jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

Jazz Guitarist Matthew Stevens is Performing Live at Berklee on April 2

Matthew Stevens, one of the jazz world's promising new guitarists, is performing with his group in a live video webcast and radio broadcast on Wednesday, April 2 at 8 p.m. on WBGO 88.3 and National Public Radio.

The band is performing at Cafe 939 on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay.

The performance is part of The Checkout: Live at Berklee, which brings critically acclaimed, New York-based Berklee alumni back to their alma mater for concerts in the intimate venue. The show can be viewed live in high def video at NPRmusic.org and will be archived for on-demand listening at Checkoutjazz.org.

A native of Toronto, Stevens is an alumni of Berklee College of Music and is currently an adjunct faculty member at the New School in New York City.  Find more details here.

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

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

Milton Academy Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Jazz Program with Concert on April 4

Milton Academy, which has one of the nation's best high school jazz programs in the country, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special concert on Friday, April 4, 2014, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The concert features performances by Horace Alexander Young, leading a group of alumni and students in a set of South African music.  Milton Academy has a long-standing exchange program with schools in South Africa.

The concert is free and open to the public.  You can also see the concert streamed live by visiting www.milton.edu/webcast/jazz.cfm

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.



 

Regattabar in Harvard Square Presents Miles Davis Tribute, Featuring: Jimmy Cobb, Mike Stern, Buster Williams, and Sonny Fortune, on March 7

                                               

                                           

The Regatta Bar at the Charles Hotel presents a sans-trumpet tribute, Four Generations of Miles Davis on Friday, March 7 2014 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.  Tickets to the show range from $30 to $25 and can be bought online or at the venue.

Four Generations of Miles Davis features four musicians who performed with Davis over the decades:  Jimmy Cobb on drums, Mike Stern on guitar, Buster Williams on Bass and Sonny Fortune on saxophone.

Located at 1 Bennett Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge, the Regattabar has jazz year round. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Regattabar.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

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

Celebrity Series of Boston Presents The Spring Quartet Jazz Group at Sanders Theatre on Thursday, March 6

 

The Celebrity Series of Boston is presenting the acclaimed jazz ensemble, The Spring Quartet, at Sanders Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Thursday, March 6 ,2014 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to the show range from $40-$70, and $20 for students, and can be purchased as the venue.

The Spring Quartet features three generations of jazz masters, including Jack DeJohnette on drums, Joe Lovano on saxophones, Esperanza Spalding on bass and Leo Genovese on drums.

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

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

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

Atlas Soul Celebrates Mardi Gras at Regattabar Jazz Club in Harvard Square on February 28

Atlas Soul is performing at the Regattabar Jazz Club at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Friday, February 28, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets to the show are $20.50 and can be purchased online.

The seven-piece band preforms original music that celebrates Afro-Mediterranean melodies with a generous dose of jazz, hip-hop, rock, and funk.  The show at Regattabar helps kick off Mardi Gras season in Massachusetts and around the world.

Here is a shedule of upcoming concerts at Regattabar Jazz Club.

Find year round details on live jazz in Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com

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

 

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. 

Vocalist Janis Siegel at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on Thursday, January 9

Grammy Award winning jazz vocalist Janis Siegel, a member of the Manhattan Transfer and solo artist, is performing at Sculler's Jazz Club in Boston on Thursday, January 9, 2014.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or at the veue.  Package options are available for dinner and the show, which start at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m

Siegel has won nine Grammy awards and has been nominated seventeen times. In addition to her work with Manhattan Transfer, she has recorded nine solo albums.  Here is a video of her performing
 
Find upcoming jazz events at Scullers Jazz Club.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

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