Makanda Project with Chico Freeman Performing Free Concert in Dudley Square on April 14

 The Makanda Project featuring Chico Freeman performs at the Bruce C. Bolling Center in Dudley Square, Roxbury at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2018.  Also performing is the Boston Citywide String Orchestra.

The concert is free and open to the public. 

The Makanda Project is an ensemble dedicated to performing the previously unrecorded compositions of Makanda Ken McIntyre.  The group is based in Boston, Massachusetts, (Makanda’s hometown) and was formed in 2005.  Since then The Makanda Project has been giving regular free concerts in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood and also performing outside of Boston – sharing what they believe is something unique and special about Makanda’s music, and adding their own individual and collective voices to his compositions.  

Find more live jazz concerts in April throughout Massachusetts.  

For more about jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

To visit Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Portuguese Singer Ana Moura in Concert at Berklee Performance Center on Friday, April 6

Internationally recognized Fado singer Ana Moura is in concert at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston's Back Bay at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2018.

Tickets are available online or at the venue. The concert is presented by World Music/CRASHarts.

Fado is a distinct song tradition that originated in the neighborhoods and cafes of Lisbon, Portugal.

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Berklee Performance Center.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

Berklee Celebrates Shakespeare's Influence on Jazz, Literature and Culture

Berklee Global Jazz Institute Summit presents Love Supreme, celebrating the impact of William Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Geri Allen, Kahlil Gibran, Gabriela Mistral, John Coltrane, and Martin Luther King Jr. on today’s global jazz era.

The concert will feature Danilo Pérez, BGJI founder and artistic director; Terri Lyne Carrington, Zildjian chair in performance; Joe Lovano, Gary Burton chair in jazz performance; and other special guests as well as BGJI ensembles.

The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) is a performance program designed to foster creativity and musicianship through various musical disciplines, with pianist and composer Danilo Pérez as its artistic director.

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

Jazz Trumpeter & Composer Terence Blanchard Student Ensembles at Berklee Performance Center on February 27

Renowned trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, is hosting a concert with Berklee student ensembles at the Berklee Performance Center at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the venue.

 Blanchard is a visiting scholar at Berklee's Jazz Composition Department.

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Berklee Performance Center.

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Jazz Vocalist Jane Monheit Performs Two Shows at Scullers on Friday, February 23

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Jane Monheit is performing two shows at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston on Friday, Feburary 23, 2018 at 8  and 10 p.m..

Tickets are available to purchase online or at the venue.  

Blessed with “a voice of phenomenal beauty,” according to Stephen Holden, New York Times, Monheit has established herself as one of today’s best and most important vocalist-musicians.

On her most recent recording, TheSongbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald,  Monheit pays tribute to Ella while sharing a definitive portrait of herself, guided by her producer, arranger and trumpeter Nicolas Payton. 

Ever since winning first runner up in the 1998 Thelonius Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition, Monheit's career has continued to grow and go in new directions.  Known as a contemporary specialist with the Great American Songbook, 

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Carla Bruni in Concert at Berklee Performance Center on February 15

Italian-born Carla Bruni is giving at concert  at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston's Back Bay at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, 2018.  

Bruni is touring in support of her fifth album, French Touch, a collection of adaptations of well-known songs by Depeche Mode, AC/DC, Willie Nelson, the Clash and others.

Purchase tickets online or at the venue. 

Find a schedule of upcoming concerts at Berklee Performance Center. 

For more information on the jazz scene in Massachusetts, read the current issue of MassJazz Guide or visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com. 

Live Jazz this weekend with Monty Alexander Trio, Lee Konitz, Amy Black Band and Bill Charlap Trio

Bill Charlap Trio

Check out four great jazz acts coming to town this weekend at Scullers and Regattabar. 

Here is a full list of jazz clubs in Massachusetts. 

Friday, January 26

Monty Alexander Trio
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road
Allston, Boston
scullersjazz.com/

Lee Konitz 90th Birthday Celebration
Regattabar Jazz Club
Charles Hotel
Harvard Square, Cambridge
regattabar

Saturday, January 27
Amy Black Band
Regattabar Jazz Club
Charles Hotel
Harvard Square, Cambridge
regattabar

Bill Charlap Trio
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road
Allston, Boston
scullersjazz.com/

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com. 

Afro-Cuban All Stars in concert at Berklee Performance Center on January 14

World Music/CRASHarts is presenting the Afro-Cuban All Stars at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 14, 2018 at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston's Back Bay. 

Concert tickets are available online or at the venue. 

The 13-piece dream team features Cuba’s hottest musicians, brought together by musical director Juan de Marcos González (the musical arranger for the original Buena Vista Social Club recording). Paying tribute to Cuban music, this multigenerational lineup features members from Cuba’s leading bands, including Orquesta Tropicana, Los Van Van, Sierra Maestra, and more.

Here is a calendar of upcoming events at Berklee Performance Center.

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland Performs at Scullers on January 6

Jazz saxophonist Marcus Strickland is performing at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018.  Tickets to the show are available online or at the venue. 

Considered part of the jazz vanguard of his generation, Strickland worked for several years with legendary drummer and Roxbury native Roy Haynes, as well as with Christian McBride, Mos Def and others. 

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

To learn about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Blood, Sweat & Tears Performing at The Cabot on Friday, December 15.

Fred Taylor's Jazz & Heritage Series is presenting the seminal jazz-rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears at The Cabot in Beverly at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 15, 2017. 

Tickets to the show are $42.50 - $62.50 and can be purchased online or at the venue.

The band came together five decades ago and was among the first groups to meld rock and jazz into a unique genre-crossing sound.  

Find upcoming concerts at The Cabot.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

Go to MassVacation.com for details on visiting Massachusetts.

Jenny Jones & Black Owned Performing Soul/ R&B at Darryl's Corner Bar + Kitchen this Friday, December 15

Darryl's Corner Bar + Kitchen in Boston's South End presents soulful ensemble Black Owned, featuring vocalist Jenny Jones, from 7 - 11 p.m. on Friday, December 15, 2017.

The band specializes in soul, R&B and contemporary songs.  Entertainment fee is five dollars.

Here is a schedule of upcoming live music at Darryl's, located at 604 Columbus Avenue, near the corner of Massachusetts Avenue.  Call 617 536-1100 for more information.

To enjoy live jazz in Massachusetts throughout the year, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Esperanza Spalding named "Jazz Artist of the Year" at Boston Music Awards

Congratulations to jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding winner of Boston Music Award's "Best Jazz Artist of the Year." 

The awards were announced on December 7, 2017 at the House of Blues in Boston.  Here is a list of Boston Music Award winners in all categories.

Spalding is featured artist on the cover of the 2017-18 MassJazz Guide, a compendium of jazz activities and artists in Massachusetts.  The annual guide is published by Mass Office of Travel & Tourism.

Spalding is teaching at Harvard University's Music Department,

Formed in 1987, the Boston Music Awards celebrated its 30th anniversary this year as the longest-running regional music awards in the United States. 

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

World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Performs at The Cabot in Beverly on Friday December 8

Fred Taylor’s Jazz & Heritage Series presents the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 8 at The Cabot in Beverly. 

Tickets are $28.50 - $48.50 and are available for purchase online. 

Formed in 1938 by the famous clarinetist Glenn Miller, the Orchestra today continues the distinct arrangements and harmonies that made the band so famous over the decades. 

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at The Cabot. 

Read more about the Massachusetts jazz scene in the MassJazz Guide. 

To learn about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra Performs Christmas Concert at Emmanuel Church in Boston, December 9

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra celebrates its 45th  Annual Christmas Concert at Emmanuel Church in Boston's Back Bay at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 9, 2017. 

The concert features joyful jazz carols and original compositions by Aardvark founder and music director Mark Harvey.  These compositions include The Prophet (December 1997), inspired by legendary social activist Kip Tiernan (1926-2011); Blue Butterfly (December 2009) for beloved storyteller Brother Blue; and No Walls, Aardvark’s anthem of inclusivity, first performed in December 2004 as a tribute to Doctors Without Borders. 

Tickets are $20 at the door.  Emmanuel Church is located at 15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116. For more information, please call 617-776-8778  or  617-452-3205.

For more details on jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

To learn about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com. 

Jazz Trumpeter Chris Botti Performs at Boston's Wilbur Theatre on December 7-9, 2017

Grammy Award winner Chris Botti is performing three nights at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston on December 7-9, 2017.  Tickets are $50-70 and available to order online. 

Botti is the largest-selling American instrumentalist artist, thanks to his ongoing association with PBS, which has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards.  He has recorded with the Boston Pops, as well as Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Joni Mitchell, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble and many others.

Read more about Chris Botti.

Here is a calendar of upcoming concerts at The Wilbur.

For more about jazz in Massachusetts read the current issue of the 2017-18 MassJazz Guide.

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

Les Zygomates November 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.

Theo Croker Quintet Performs at UMass in Amherst on Wednesday, November 15

Jazz trumpeter Theo Croker performs with his Quintet at Bowker Auditorium at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15, 2017.

Tickets range from $10-$35 and you can purchase online or at the venue. 

Croker is a recognized musician, singer and bandleader and the grandson of the late, great trumpeter Doc Cheatham. Croker's most recent recording, Escape Velocity, is described as a genre-bending journey through bop, soul, funk, R&B, and beyond.   It is produced by Dee-Dee Bridgewater. 

Find year round jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com. 

Master Ukulele Star Jake Shimabukuro Performs at The Cabot on October 28

Renowned ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro performs at The Cabot Theatre in Beverly at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, 2017, as part of Fred Taylor's Jazz & Heritage Series. 

Tickets to the show can be purchased online or at the venue. 

Shimabukuro combined the qualities of a long line of virtuoso ukulele players with modern rock musicians to create a sound that’s uniquely his own but still firmly grounded in Hawaiian tradition.

The Cabot is a distinguished performance space that first opened in 1920 as a vaudeville venue.  It has been completely restored in recent years and today is a popular destination for high quality performing arts.

Here are upcoming concerts in Fred Taylor's Jazz & Heritage Series. 

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

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Pink Martini Performs at Cary Hall in Lexington on October 19

Pink Martini, the internationally acclaimed ensemble that fuses jazz, pop and show tunes into a multi-lingual celebration, performs at Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2017.

Purchase tickets online or at the venue.

Led by vocalist China Forbes, Pink Martini has just released its ninth album, Je Di Oui!.  Here is information on the band.

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts from Spectacle Management.

Find year round information on live jazz in Massachusetts as MassJazz.com.

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

Jazz Legend Pharoah Sanders Headlines John Coltrane Memorial Concert on October 7 at Northeastern Universty

Jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders is performing at the 40th anniversary John Coltrane Memorial Concert at Blackman Theatre, Northeastern University, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2017.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the venue.

The annual concert is put together by the Friends of John Coltrane Memorial Concert, a non-profit organization of jazz musicians and scholars devoted to the music of Coltrane.

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

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

HONK! Festival of Activist Bands in Somerville & Cambridge this Weekend

Don't miss the annual HONK! Fest taking place in Davis Square, Somerville and Harvard Square, Cambridge the weekend of October 7-8, 2017

Here is the full schedule of bands participating. 

On Sunday, a parade of bands go from Davis Square to Harvard Square between noon and 2 p.m., followed by music on the main stage of the Oktober Fest until 6 p.m..

HONK! Fest is free and open to the public.

Find more live jazz and blues in Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com. 

Free Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival Takes Place on Saturday, September 30

Story on Beantown from MassJazz Guide 

Don't miss the free annual Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2017 in Boston's South End neighborhood.

The festival features dozens of jazz performances, plus a marketplace of food vendors, artisans, and jazz organizations.

You can pick up a free copy of the MassJazz Guide from the WGBH, JazzBoston and Berklee College of Music exhibit booths.

On the festival site, check out Darryl's Corner Bar + Kitchen, which offers live jazz year round.

Find year round jazz at MassJazz.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com. 

Jazz Festivals in Massachusetts this Fall

Check out these great jazz festivals taking place in Massachusetts in September and October, 2017, taking place from Boston and Cambridge/Somerville to Falmouth, Cape Cod and Pittsfield in the Berkshires.

You can find more details on Massachusetts' robust jazz scene through the newly published MassJazz Guide, a 40 page magazine listing festivals and concerts, nightclubs and jazz brunches, college courses and radio stations and much more. 

Read MassJazz Guide online or pick up a free copy at one of these outlets.

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

Newton Jazz Festival, September 24, Features Gypsy Jazz 400 Group

The annual Newton Jazz Festival takes place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 24, 2017 and features the Gypsy Jazz 400, featuring jazz violinist Tomoko Iwamoto.

The festival is free and open to the public, and is the first of several jazz festivals in Massachusetts this fall.

Find more about the live jazz scene in Massachusetts by picking up a free copy of MassJazz Guide, 2017-2018, a free, 40 page magazine with profiles of artists, schedules of concerts, and other resources such as jazz brunches, concerts, college courses, nightclubs and more.

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

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.

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.

Purchase tickets here.

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.

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

Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

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

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.

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.