Saturday, September 16, 2017

NEW MASSJAZZ GUIDE PROMOTES VIBRANT JAZZ SCENE IN MASSACHUSETTS


(Boston) - The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) has released its 2017-2018 MassJazz Guide showcasing the Bay State’s vibrant year-round jazz scene of festivals, concerts, night clubs, jazz brunches, college courses and radio programs.

The free, 40-page MassJazz Guide includes stories on celebrated jazz musicians such as bassist Esperanza Spalding and pianist Yoko Miwa, jazz singer and radio executive Amanda Carr of WICN-FM and the New England Jazz Hall of Fame in Worcester. Berklee College of Music’s new partnership with the Shanghai Conservatory in China is covered, along with the upcoming Beantown Jazz Festival and other festivals in Massachusetts this fall.

Read the online version here.



Jazz promoters such as Fred Taylor, Berkshires Jazz, Woods Hole Jazz Series, Northampton Jazz Series, John Coltrane Memorial Concert and Mandorla Music are profiled, along with WGBH-FM’s award-winning jazz programs.

The 2017-2018 issue features notable Boston jazz clubs such as Les Zygomates Wine Bar, Darryl’s Corner Kitchen + Bar and Slade’s Bar & Grill, while also listing jazz brunches throughout the state.

The free MassJazz Guide is available at visitor kiosks, college campuses, and venues where live jazz is heard year-round.  See Distribution here.

Find ongoing information on live jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com, the Mass Jazz blog or on Twitter.com@massjazz and Facebook.com/MassJazz/

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



Monday, September 11, 2017

All Star Jazz Musicians Perform at the Fred Taylor Scholarship Fund Concert at Berklee Performance Center on September 12



An all-star ensemble of jazz and blues musicians are performing a benefit concert for the Fred Taylor Scholarship Fund at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. 

 ·         Grammy-winning percussionist and composer Terri Lyne Carrington 
·         Grammy-winning jazz vocalist, composer, and lyricist Kurt Elling
·         Grammy-winning jazz pianist, composer, and educator Danilo Pérez 
·         Grammy-winning bassist and composer John Patitucci
·         Acclaimed chart-topping jazz and blues vocalist Catherine Russell, 
·         Rising saxophonist, singer, and composer Grace Kelly 
·         Renowned jazz piano virtuoso and composer Monty Alexander
·         Rising trumpeter and composer Jason Palmer, 
·         Singer-songwriter Kat Edmonson
·         Longtime Boston trumpeter and bandleader Bo Winiker
·         Blues legend James Montgomery

Robin Young  of WBUR-FM, Boston's NPR news station, will host the event along with Kelly.





Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Les Zygomates September Lineup of Live Jazz & Blues on South Street in Boston


Don't miss great local jazz and blues at Les Zygomates Wine Bar on South Street in Boston's Leather District, just moments away from South Station.  The year-round music calendar features some of Boston's finest jazz and blues artists, as well as visiting musicians.

Check out the full menu, and make reservations here.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.




Tuesday, August 29, 2017

The 10th Annual Martha's Vineyard Jazz & Blues Summerfest in Oak Bluffs, September 1 - 3



The 10th Martha’s Vineyard Jazz & Blues Summerfest takes place at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1 to Sunday, September 3, 2017.

The annual 3-day concert series is produced by Shelia Baptista, President of Lewis and Kirk Music, Inc. 

Tickets are available online.

The main goal of Martha’s Vineyard Jazz & Blues Summerfest is to empower women in the music and art industry and empower women to fight cancer. The event donates funds to two breast cancer organizations – The Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Group and Support Connection of NY.

The 2017 lineup includes:

Friday, September 1

SAGE is an all-women’s jazz blues and contemporary ensemble featuring Bernice Brooks, Tia Fuller, Kersten Stevens, Miriam Sullivan, Ragan Whiteside, and Miki Hayama.

Etana, a Jamaican-born singer, debuted in 2006 as one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in reggae.

Saturday, September 2

Jazzmeia Horn is a Nubian jazz singer, winner of the 2015 Thelonius Monk International Vocal Jazz Competition, and known as one of New York’s rising stars.

Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is a stand-up comedian, motivational speaker, published author, poet, writer, Founder/Executive Director for the non-profit community based organization Alternative Careers in the Arts, and named one of the 200 African American Women who has changed the world by Essence Magazine.

Sunday, September 3


Grace Kelly is a 24-year-old saxophonist, singer, and composer who wrote her first song at age seven, and recently won “Jazz Artist of the Year” in the 2016 Boston Music Awards and “Alto Saxophonist of the Year” by NYC Jazz Fans Decision 2016.

Wayna is a Grammy-nominated, Eithiopian-born, sing/songwriter who was called “a standout on the indie front” by Billboard Magazine.

Full bios are available here.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com

Friday, August 25, 2017

Boston Jazz Fest at Seaport Marine Park is Saturday, August 26


The annual Boston Jazz Fest takes place from noon to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 at the Flynn Marine Park in South Boston.

Among the featured performers:  Elan Trotman, Sivani Arbel, Matt Savage, Pat Braxton, Erena Terakubo and Groovalottos.

Find year round jazz by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.



Monday, August 14, 2017

2017 Salem Jazz & Soul Fest is August 19-20


The 11th Salem Jazz and Soul Festival takes place on August 19-20, 2017 along the sandy shores of Salem Willows.  The event is free and open to the public.

This year's festival kicks off on Saturday, August 19 with the Salem H.S. Jazz Band and ends with The A-beez, a Boston-based music collective dedicated to soul, funk and R&B.

On Sunday, the festival opens with the North Shore Jazz Project All-Stars and closes with the BT/ALC Big Band.  Here is a full schedule of performances.  

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to North of Boston CVB, Salem Tourism Office or MassVacation.com.


Friday, August 11, 2017

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

Thursday, August 10, 2017

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

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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 12th 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.   





Tuesday, August 8, 2017

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


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 30th 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.

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 Café  in Boston will f...