New Black Eagle Band Performs at The Firehouse Center for the Arts on August 12

New Black Eagle Jazz Band performs at The Firehouse Centerfor the Arts in Newburyport at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online.

New Black Eagle Band formed in 1971 and is known for their New Orleans Style Jazz, gospel, and blues sound.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Rebecca Parris Performs at The Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport on August 12

Rebecca Parris performs at The Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online.

Rebecca Parris is a Massachusetts native, and Grammy nominated jazz vocalist known for having emotion and authenticity in her voice. 

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Boston's Les Zygomates Offers Tasty Jazz, Blues and Cuisine Year Round

Check out the August 2017 jazz schedule at Les Zgyomates at 129 South Street in Boston's Leather District.

Conveniently located in Boston’s Leather District across from the South Station Train and Bus terminal on South Street, Les Zgyomates offers live jazz and blues performances during dinner for Tuesday-Saturday evenings

Among the regular performers are Yoko Miwa, Mark Greel, Yvonne Aubert and Joe Bellomo. 

Visit winebar129.com for more details.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Soul Singer Booker T. Jones Performs at The Cabot in Beverly on August 11

Singer, multi-instrumentalist composer Booker T. Jones performs at The Cabot Theatre in Beverly at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 11, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online.

Known for pushing music boundaries and forming modern soul music, Booker T. Jones is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musician Hall of Fame inductee, winner of four Grammy Awards, and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

The Cabot Theatre is a newly-restored concert hall north of Boston that brings in great artists throughout the year. 

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Woods Hole Jazz Series Presents Hilary Gardner and Ehud Asherie on Thursday, August 13

The Woods Hole Summer Jazz Series is presenting jazz vocalist Hilary Gardner and pianist Ehud Asherie at Highland Hall & Gardens in Falmouth at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2017.

Tickets are $25.

Rated one of the top rising female jazz vocalists by Downbeat Magazine, Hilary Gardner has a fresh, clear and beautiful voice, whether singing jazz standards, Broadway tunes, or contemporary jazz. 

She is joined by stellar Israeli pianist Ehud Asherie. The New Yorker magazine describes him as “a master of swing and stride.”

The venue is located at 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, MA 02540.

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

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

12th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival on Cape Cod is August 10 & 14

Molly Ringwald 

The 12^th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival on Cape Cod takes place in Provincetown on Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. and in Cotuit on Monday, August 14, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available online.

The performances include:

August 10

Molly Ringwald, best known for her acting, she began singing and performing with her father’s jazz band at three-years-old.

Takumi Kakimoto, a student at the Berklee College of Music who started playing piano at the age of five.

August 14

Ken Peplowski, known as one of the world's best jazz clarinetists.

Atla & MattDeChamplain, a vocal and piano duo.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com or CapeCodChamber.com 

DOT Jazz Series features Gerry Beaudoin Trio in Dorchester on August 10

Jazz guitarist Gerry Beaudoin and his trio perform a concert at the Parish of All Saints' Peabody Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2017.  Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the venue or online. 

The concert is part of a new quarterly DOT Jazz Series being initiated in Dorchester by Mandorlan Music, a group that also runs jazz concerts in Somerville.

Beaudoin is a Waltham native who studied at Berklee College of Music.  He was influenced by guitarists like Duke Robbilard and Bucky Pizzarelli. Beaudoin's trio includes his son Gerald Beaudoin III on vibraphone and Neil Patton on bass. 

Located at 200 Ashmont Street, Peabody Hall is part of the vibrant Ashmont neighborhood in Dorchester.  Read more about Ashmont Main Street. 

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

To find tourism information, visit MassVacation.com.   

Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival on August 12 Features Lizz Wright, Zaccai Curtis and Rebirth Brass Band

Zaccai Curtis

The annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival takes place in downtown Springfield, MA on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

This year's festival has a stellar line-up of jazz performers such as vocalist Lizz Wright, Zaccai Curtis, Miles Mosley, Rebirth Brass Band and more.  See full schedule here.

Here is a schedule of jazz & blues festivals in Massachusetts in 2017.   Find year round details on live jazz at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, contact ValleyVisitor.com or MassVacation.com.

Blues Legend Buddy Guy Performs at the Melody Tent in Hyannis on August 10

Buddy Guy performs with special guest Quinn Sullivan at the Melody Tent in Hyannis, Cape Cod at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office.

A legendary American blues guitarist and singer, Buddy Guy was ranked 30^th in Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Northampton Jazz Workshop series in August features Greg Abate, Jamie Baum, Mark Lewis, Green Street Quintet & Jason Palmer

The Northampton Jazz Workshop featuring the Green Street Trio has a great line-up of guest artists in August, taking place on Tuesday nights at the City Sports Grill, Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant Street in Northampton.

Now in its 7th season, the Workshop features a different guest soloist each week for a one-hour concert/dinner show followed by an open jazz jam session.

Among the guest musicians performing with the Green Street Trio are flutist Jamie Baum, saxophonists Greg Abate and Mark Lewis, and trumpeter Jason Palmer.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

The 6th Annual Rockport Jazz Festival on August 6-13 at The Shlain Liu Performance Center

The 6^th Annual Rockport Jazz Festival takes place at The Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport from Sunday, August 6 to Sunday, August 13.

Tickets available online.

The performances include:

August 6 at 5 p.m. Cecile McLorinSalvant, a Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and songwriter with influences of jazz, blues, folk, and classical sounds in her music

August 10 at 8 p.m. Fred HerschTrio, proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair

August 11 at 8 p.m. Danilo Perez with Ben Street & Lee Fish

August 12 at 8 p.m. PaulaCole, a Grammy winning artist whose music features early to mid-20^th century American jazz

August 12 at 2 p.m. Diva Jazz Orchestra, an all-women 15 piece band

August 13 at 7 p.m. John Pizzarelli, a guitarist and singer known for combining jazz and Brazilian music

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Cecile McLorin Salvant Performs at Shalin Liu Performance Center on August 6

Cecile McLorin Salvant performs at The Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 6, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Cecile McLorin Salvant is a Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and songwriter with influences of jazz, blues, folk, and classical sounds in her music.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

25th Annual Onset Blues Festival on August 5 in Onset

Onset Blues Festival celebrates its 25^th anniversary on Saturday, August 5, 2017 from noon to 9:00 p.m. at Prospect Park in Onset Village.

Tickets and general information are available here.

The festival features Gil David Correia & The Shameless.

Guest starts include Diane Blue, a crowd-pleasing entertainer with her voice and harmonica; 

Jerry Portnoy, a harmonica blues musician, who has toured with Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton;

Cheryl Arena, also a harmonica blues musician and a Boston native;

GregPiccolo, a saxophonist from the jump blues band Roomful of Blues.

Other performances by James Montgomery, Kid Bangham, The Willie J. Laws Band, Johnny Hoy & TheBluefish, and The Groovalottos.

Full line up and bios are available here.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Tower of Power and Average White Band Perform at The Music Circus Tent on August 5

Tower of Power and Average White Band perform at The Music Circus Tent in Cohasset at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online.

Then, on Sunday, August 6, the two bands perform at the Melody Tent in Hyannis, Cape Cod.  Buy tickets here.  

Tower of Power, formed in 1968, is an American R&B-based horn section from Oakland, California.

Average White Band is a Scottish funk and R&B band from the 1970s.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

2nd Annual Dudley Jazz Festival Takes Place in Dorchester on August 5

The 2nd annual Dudley Jazz Festival takes place at the Mary Hannon Park in Dorchester starting at noon ton Saturday, August 5, 2017.  The park is located at 613 Dudley Street.

Organized by the Creative Cultural Arts, a non-profit ground that provides performance opportunities for musicians deserving wider recognition.

The festival is free and open to the public.   Among the highlights is a performance by The Makanda Project featuring the compositions and arrangements of Kuumba Frank Lacy. 

The Makanda Project

Here is the schedule for the festival: 

12 noon   Patrice Williamson Quartet

1:30 p.m. George Russell Jr. Trio

3:00 p.m. Fred Woodard Quartet

4:30 p.m. The Makanda Project, 

Kurtis Rivers, Joe Ford – alto saxophone

Arni Cheatham, Sean Berry – tenor saxophone

Charlie Kohlhase – baritone saxophone

Jerry Sabatini, Phil Grenadier – trumpet

Ku-umba Frank Lacy, Sarah Politz, Bill Lowe – trombone

John Kordalewski – piano

John Lockwood – bass

Yoron Israel – drums

For more information about the Dudely, contact Creative Cultural Arts at 617-631-9808

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at massjazz.com. 

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

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. 

Paula Cole Performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on July 28

Paula Cole performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 28, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online.

Paula Cole is a Grammy winning artist whose music features early to mid-20^th century American jazz.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Chicago & The Doobie Brothers Performs at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston on July 26

Chicago & The Doobie Brothers performs at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.

Tickets can be found online at LiveNation.com

Chicago is an American rock band with horns, and is known as the longest-running and most successful rock groups of all time.

The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band with elements of folk, R&B, and little bit of soul.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Hot Club of Cowtown Performs at Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport on July 26

The Hot Club of Cowtown performs at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in  Newburyport at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or at the venue.   The Firehouse Center is located at Market Square in Newburyport.

For the past 20 years, the trio's individual virtuosity blends jazz, blues, country and bluegrass.  Here is info about the band.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Jazz Pianist Paul Broadnax & Friends Perform at Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport on July 23

Well-known jazz pianist Paul Broadnax and Friends perform at the Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 23, 2017. 

Tickets to the show are $20 and can be purchased online through Eventbrite.

Broadnax has performed throughout the world, and has played with well-known jazz artists like Clark Terry, Cab Calloway, Donna Byrne, Rebecca Parris and Lionel Hampton.

The Maudslay Arts Center has a full summer program of great music.

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

To find out about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.

Chris Lydon's Meditation on Transcendentalists and Jazz Artists

Open Source host Christopher Lydon has a great riff on the connections between the 19th century transcendentalist philosophers and the 20th century jazz artists.

Both Ralph Waldo Emerson and Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington were gods of their respective centuries, Lydon says, and "liberators of individual geniuses" around them.

Both Emerson and Ellington were "itinerant performers" traveling the country, and both were "inescapably American."

Lydon also likens Henry David Thoreau to jazz singer Billy Strayhorn.

Here is the full video.



Open Source is doing a series of radio broadcasts in celebration of the 200th anniversary birth of Henry David Thoreau.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Berkshires Jazz Presents 100th Birthday Salute to Buddy Rich with the Greg Caputo Big Band on July 22

Berkshires Jazz celebrates the 100th birthday of jazz drummer legend Buddy Rich with a concert by the Greg Caputo Big Band at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at the Lee Meeting House Congregational Church in Lee, MA.

Tickets to the show are $25 in advance and can be purchased online.  The price at the door on the night of the concert is $30.

The Congregational Church is located at 25 Park Place in Lee.

Caputo is considered a leading ambassador for classic swing and big band jazz.  He has performed with Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Harry James, Nelson Riddle, Benny Goodman , Sheila Jordan, Sammy Davis Jr. and many others.

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

For tourist information, go to MassVacation.com.

Jazz + Blues Music Festivals in Massachusetts Through October 2017

The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) has compiled its 2017 schedule of jazz + blues music festivals taking place throughout the Commonwealth this summer and fall.

See the entire MassJazz Festival season here.  In addition to jazz and blues, the festival schedule also includes related musical genres such as American roots, Brass Bands and Latino.

MassJazz.com was created with MOTT in 2009 as a way of highlighting the robust live jazz and blues scene in Massachusetts.  You can find details on jazz clubs, radio stations, college courses, concert venues and events-by-month at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

2017 Betances Festival Celebrates Boston's Latino Music, Dance, Cuisine and Culture

Festival Betances is one of New England's most popular Latino festivals, offering musical and dance performances, cuisine, heritage and culture for families.  Named for Ramon Emeterio Betances, a 19th century Purto Rican who founded a hospital and advocated for his fellow citizens, the festival represents the diversity of Latino culture.

This year's musical line-up features top salsa stars such as Vinny Rivera, Alexander Faria Orchestra, Jorge Arce and the Humano Multicultural Project, the Eric German Orchestra, Zayra Pola & 3nity, Ray De La Paz Orchestra, and Johnny Rivera.  Here are descriptions of the performers.

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

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.