Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Live Jazz & Blues in Massachusetts this Saturday, February 25, 2017


Looking for some quality music in Massachusetts this weekend?  Check out these live jazz and blues shows taking place around the state from the February calendar on MassJazz.com.

Saturday, February 25:

Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play
Mechanics Hall
321 Main Street, Worcester
mechanicshall.org


Sugar Ray & the Bluetones
Amazing Things Art Center
160 Hollis Street, Framingham
amazingthings.org


Ameranouche
Third Life Studio
33 Union Square, Somerville
thirdlifestudio.com


Greg Hopkins Sextet
Spire Center for the Performing Arts
25 ½ Court Street, Plymouth
spirecenter.org


Other than Boston
Darryl’s Corner Bar + Kitchen
604 Columbus Avenue
South End, Boston
dcbkboston.com



Here is a full list of jazz clubs in Massachusetts and concert venues.  See what's happening near you!

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




Thursday, February 9, 2017

Berklee High School Jazz Festival is Saturday, February 11 in Boston


The annual Berklee High School Jazz Festival is taking place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston's Back Bay.

The largest event of its kind in the United States, the festival is free and open to the public.

The festival features big bands, combos, and vocal jazz ensembles from around the U.S. and other countries performing and competing throughout the day. 

All ensembles are adjudicated by a panel of Berklee’s top faculty and will receive a written critique of their performance. Top-ranked ensembles will be awarded partial scholarships to Berklee’s FiveWeek Summer Performance Program, and individual students are invited to audition for tuition scholarships towards the full-time program or our Five Week Summer Performance Program.


Massachusetts has a vibrant jazz community throughout the year.  Find details at MassJazz.com.

For information on visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com



Friday, February 3, 2017

John Kordalewski Trio performing at Third Life Studio in Somerville on February 4


Jazz pianist John Kordalewski and his trio perform at the Third Life Studio in Somerville at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2017.  He is accompanied by Carlos Pino on bass and Kesvian Naidoo on drums.

Tickets to the show are $15 and can be purchased online or at the venue. 

John is the originator of the Makanda Project, an all-star jazz band devoted to the compositions of the late Makanda Ken McIntyre

The concert is part of the Mandorla Music Series, which represents the diversity and spectrum of jazz.  

Find year round information on live jazz throughout Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com



Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Live Jazz, Blues & World Music this February in Massachusetts

Miguel Zenon

Massachusetts is offering amazing live jazz, blues and world music throughout the month of February, according to MassJazz.  See schedule here

Atop the schedule are two shows on Friday, February 10:  saxophonist Miguel Zenon and his quartet perform at Villa Victoria in Boston’s South End, while jazz vocalist Regina Carter, performing her show, Simply Ella, at the Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, 

Other great performers include Mindi Abair, Linda Eder, Beantown Swing Orchestra, Paula Cole, Dianne Reeves, Cyrille Aimee, Bebel Gilberto, John Scofield and Chris Brubeck.

Check out these jazz clubs and concert halls for more details on the venues.

For year round live music in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com


For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

2017 Berklee Chinese New Year Concert


Yazhi Guo

The annual Chinese New Year Concert at Berklee is taking place at 8:00 pm. on January 31, 2017 at the Berklee Performance Center at 136 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston's Back Bay.

Tickets are $12 at the door. 

The concert is an annual celebration among Chinese and other Asian populations at Berklee. A collaboration between the Chinese Student and Scholar Association and Bridge the Gap, this year's concert aims to connect cultures and musicians, and to bridge the cultural gap between Western and Eastern music. 

The development of Chinese music will be condensed into a 90-minute program, with unique arrangements of both Chinese folk songs and pop music, along with dance and other forms of performance, to show the audience a brand new perspective on China.

Find out more about Berklee College of Music. Read story on Chinese pop star and Berklee alumni Leehom Wong

For year round information on live jazz, blues and world music in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

Monday, January 16, 2017

Boston University Commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Duke Ellington Concert


Photo of Randall Keith Horton by Conor Doherty, courtesy of BU Today

Boston composer, arranger and musician Randall Keith Horton is presenting at concert entitled "Hope, Despair and the Blues," in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 16 at the GSU Metcalf Ballroom at Boston University.

The concert features music of the Sacred Concerts of Duke Ellington performed by BU’s Big Band and the Inner Strength Gospel Choir and conducted by Mr. Horton.  

Read a full description of the concert, and of Horton's connections to Boston and to Ellington, at BU Today

Also, read this address by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the importance of jazz, delivered at the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1964, courtesy of Jazz 91.9, Atlanta's jazz station.  

A signifiant collection of Martin Luther King's writings and materials is housed at Boston University's Martin Gotlieb Archival Research Center

For year round jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com

Friday, January 13, 2017

Blues legend Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson Performs at Bull Run Restaurant on January14


Legendary blues artists Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson is performing at the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley, Massachusetts at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2017.  Tickets to the concert are available online or at the venue.

The Mississippi native moved to Chicago in the 1970s and helped showcase the city's strong blues tradition along with Otis Rush.

Here is a schedule of upcoming performances at Bull Run.

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

Find visitor information at MassVacation.com or MerrimackValley.org.


Wednesday, January 11, 2017

4th annual Narrows Blues Festival in Fall River on January 13


The 4th annual Narrows Blues Festival, featuring top blues artists, is taking place on Friday, January 13, 2017 at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River.

Tickets can be purchased online for $32 in advance and $37 the day of the show.

This year's festival includes the Eric Gales Band, Davino and the Vagabonds, Nick Schnebelen and Jimmy Bez Blues Band.

Here is a full schedule of upcoming concerts at the Narrows Center for the Arts.

Find more live jazz and blues in Massachusetts in January here.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com



Friday, January 6, 2017

MassJazz Posts Dozens of Live Jazz & Blues Performances in Massachusetts in January 2017




There are dozens of live jazz & blues performances in January taking place throughout Massachusetts, according to MassJazz.  They range from concerts featuring trumpeter Christian Scott, guitarist Pat Metheny, Italian vocalist Roberta Gambarini and guitarist John Abercrombie to night jazz sessions in local jazz clubs, restaurants and hotels.

In the greater Boston area, you can find jazz every night at the week at places like Top of the Hub, Darryl's Corner Bar + Kitchen, The Beehive, Wally's and others.  Here is a full list of jazz clubs in Massachusetts.

Find details on Massachusetts' vibrant jazz community by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.





Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Berklee College of Music Student Pens Song about Equal Pay for Women



Mina Alali, a student at the Berklee College of Music, has written a new single, "22 Cents Less," which calls for closing the income wage gap between men and women in the United States.

The music video for the song was filmed in Boston, where Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bipartisan pay equity bill on August 1, 2016, to ensure equal pay for comparable work for all Massachusetts workers and equal opportunities to earn competitive salaries in the workplace.  The bill passed unanimously by both legislative branches,


"If young girls hear this song and are inspired to advocate for themselves someday, I will consider it a great success," states Mina. "People are used to hearing about the wage gap on the news and in political settings but we don't often hear about it on YouTube or on the radio."

Here is the video.



Saturday, October 29, 2016

39th John Coltrane Memorial Concert Takes Place at Northeastern University on Saturday, October 29


The 39th John Coltrane Memorial Concert is taking place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2016 at the Blackman Auditorium at Northeastern University.

 Tickets are available online or at the venue.

The concert, entitled An Evening of Ballads & Blues, features music composed or made famous  by John Coltrane.   The evening is hosted by Eric Jackson, co-produced by Leonard Brown and Emmett G. Price III.

The concert is organized by the Friends of John Coltrane Memorial Concert (fJCMC) in collaboration with the Northeastern Center for the Arts and Northeastern Department of City and Community Affairs.

The JCMC ensemble includes Carl Atkins (reeds and woodwinds), Billy Buss (trumpet), Consuelo Candelaria (piano), Allan Chase (reeds and woodwinds), Jeff Galindo (trombone), Jason Palmer(trumpet), Nat Reeves (bass), Ron Savage (percussion), Rick Stepton (trombone), Stan Strickland (reeds. woodwinds and voice), Bobby Tynes (reeds and woodwinds).

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



Saturday, October 8, 2016

Honk! Fest Street Band Festival in Somerville and Cambridge on October 7-9


Dozens of bands - from Boston to Brazil - are participating in the annual HONK! Festival in Cambridge and Somerville, starting Friday, October 7 and running through Sunday, October 9, 2016.  The festival is free and open to the public.  Here is a schedule of performances

Among the bands participating this year are La Fanfare Invisible from Paris,France; Le Ponpier Pony Club from Marseille, France; the Mayday March Band from Pittsburgh,PA;  the Chaotic Insurrection Band from Montreal, QC; the Yes Ma'am Brass Band from Austin, TX; and the Rude Mechanic Orchestra from New York City, NY. 

Among the bands from the New England region are the Dirty Water Brass Band from Boston; the Brass Balagan from Burlington, VT;  the Bread & Puppet Circus Band from Glover, VT;  and the Extraordinary Rendition Band from Province, RI. 

 Here is a list of the bands, or check out Honk! Facebook

The festival culminates on Sunday, October 9, with a parade from noon to 2:00 p.m., starting in Davis Square in Somerville and ending in Harvard Square, Cambridge, where the bands will perform for the remainder of the afternoon as part of the Oktoberfest.  

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

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com and CambridgeUSA.org

5th annual Holyoke Latin Jazz Festival on Saturday, October 8 at City Hall Ballroom in Holyoke


Ray Gonzalez

The 5th annual Holyoke Latin Jazz Festival is taking place from 6:00 - 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8 at the Holyoke City Hall Ballroom, located at 536 Dwight Street in Holyoke.

Admission is $5-10 and can be purchased online or at the venue.

This year's festival features both Latin jazz and traditional salsa, with performers Heshima Mojo and Ofrecimiento, trumpet player Ray Gonzalez & the Latin Jazz Quintet, and Jesus Pagan & Conjuncto Barrio.

Local food on site include Salsarengue Restaurant, serving Puerto Rican food, and Damn Yankee BBQ, and Waterfront Tavern, serving local craft brews and other drinks.

The event is supported by the Holyoke Local Cultural Council.

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

For visitor information to to MassVacation.com.



Thursday, October 6, 2016

Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, October 7-16, Features Karrin Allyson, Scott Robinson and other Jazz Greats


Jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson, saxophonist Scott Robinson and the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors are headlining the 12th annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, taking place in Pittsfield, MA from October 7-16, 2016. 

Allyson and the Jazz Ambassadors perform at 7:30 p.m. the Colonial Theatre on Saturday, October 15.  Tickets are available here

Robinson and his quartet perform at Flavours Restaurant  at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 14.

In addition, the festival includes an annual jazz crawl; a concert in the Jazz Prodigy series; and an exhibit of jazz photography by noted photographer Ken Franckling.  Most of the festival’s events are free.  Here is a full schedule

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com





Thursday, September 29, 2016

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra Opens Its 44th Season at Scullers Jazz Club on September 29



The world renowned Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is opening its 44th season at  Scullers Jazz Club at the Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel in Boston on at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 29, 2016.

The performance includes the world premier of founder Mark Harvey's Northeast Express, and music from Duke Ellington. 

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or at the venue, or by calling 617 562-4111.

Scullers has recently undergone a complete restoration and moved to the second floor of the hotel, according to jazz promoter Fred Taylor.  Here is a schedule of upcoming performances

To find out more about jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com or read the MassJazz Travel Guide


Sun Broadcasting Corp Launches Sun Music Live Shows at Wally's Cafe Jazz Club this Fall

Sun Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has begun production of Sun Music Live. The inaugural shows set at  Wally’s CafĂ©  in Boston will f...