Vocalists Donna McElroy and Amanda Carr headline Melrose JazzFest this Sunday, October 3

The annual Melrose Jazzfest takes place this Sunday, October 3, 2010 at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts.

Tickets to the festival are $15 for adults and $7 for children and seniors, and are available online or by calling 617 957-1697.

The all-day event kicks off at 2:00 p.m. with Jazz4Kids, featuring percussionist Ricardo Monzon and sax player Stan Strickland.

The Melrose JazzCollective with vocalist Donna McElroy performs at 3:30 p.m., followed by the Kenny Hadley Big Band with vocalist Amanda Carr at 5:30 p.m.

Other musicians performing include bassist Bruce Gertz, pianist Joe Mullholland, trumpet player Ken Cervenka, guitarist Tim Miller, and drummer Bill Reynolds.

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

Wally's Stepchildren and Boston Horns Perform in Salem on Saturday, October 2

The 4th annual fundraiser to benefit the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival takes place this Saturday, October 2, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to Midnight at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Washington Square, Salem.

Headlining this year's event are two great bands: Wally's Stepchildren, the legendary house band from Wally's Jazz Cafe in Boston's South End, playing a mix of jazz, funk and fusion.

They're followed by Boston Horns, a seven piece funk/jazz/soul band that's been together for over 20 years, touring with Tower of Power, Susan Tedschi and others. Joining the Horns at the event is Nephtaliem McCrary on vocals.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and are available online.

In addition to the music, a number of valuable prizes are being auctioned, including a Fender Stratocaster guitar, a Dahon Curve 3 bicycle and a dining package.

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

Tiger Okoshi leads benefit concert for Boston Higashi jazz band on October 3 at Thayer Academy

Japanese trumpet player Tiger Okoshi is conducting a benefit concert for the Boston Higashi School jazz band on Sunday, October 3, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, Thayer Academy in Braintree.

Okoshi is being joined by Ryu Goto, Soichi Muraji, Pei-Shan Lee and Joinatsuru Yanai. For more details on these accomplished musicians, click here.

Based in Randolph, Massachusetts, the Boston Higashi School is an international program for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The educational goal of the school is for children to achieve society independence and dignity.

The jazz band has been one of the school's most public and popular programs. It performs regularly at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, and last spring the band traveled to Japan to perform. The band was featured in the summer issue of MassJazz Travel Guide.

The performance also benefits the Japan Society of Boston, which promotes cultural exchange between the United States and Japan.

Tickets to the concert range from $15 to $100 - click here to order tickets online; call the school at 781 961-0800; or contact Bhaird Campbell at campbell@japansocietyboston.org.

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

Jazz Pianist and Composer Jason Moran Winner of 2010 MacArthur Fellowship

(Boston) - Jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran has been named a 2010 MacArthur Fellow, it was announced today.

The unrestricted fellowship encourages "people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual and professional inclinations," according to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Moran is one of 23 recipients of this year's so-called genius award, and recieves a stipend of $500,000.

Born and raised in Texas, Moran is a newly appointed member of the faculty at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he does studio teaching, ensemble coaching and master classes. He has hailed NEC's "distinctiveness" for welcoming the many forms and styles of jazz.

This past summer in Boston, the Roxbury International Film Festival featured Moran's film documentary, In My Mind, which pays tribute to legendary pianist and composer Thelonius Monk and his historic concert at New York City's Town Hall in 1959.

Patrick Jarenwattananon of NPR Jazz/ A Blog Supreme reports that the MacArthur Foundation "has a history of granting awards to innovative improvising musicians," citing Regina Carter, Ornette Coleman, George Russell, Ran Blake and others.

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

Jon Batiste Quintet Headlines JazzFest in Falmouth on Cape Cod, October 1-3

Jonathan Batiste

Legendary jazz pianist Jonathan Batiste is headlining a great weekend of jazz at the annual JazzFest in Falmouth, a beautiful seaside resort on Cape Cod.

Batiste and his quintet perform on Saturday, October 2, at the Cape Cod Conservatory, 60 Highfield Drive, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event.

The Festival kicks off on Friday, October 1 with a Jazz Stroll along Main Street, with performances at Museums on the Green, Peg Noonan Park, the Black Dog Restaurant, the Nimrod Restaurant and various other retail shops and restaurants. Some of the featured artists include Russ Wilcox, Gene Bourque, and Two Cool.

On Sunday, October 3, the festivities run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Nimrod, Phusion Grille, Coffee Obsession, Sea Crest Beach Hotel and the Beach House. Some of the featured artists include Zac Zinger, Quasimodal, John Harrison & Joe Sutton, and the Charlie Jameson Jazz Trio.

For more information on the JazzFest in Falmouth, visit ArtsFalmouth.

For tourist information on visiting Cape Cod, visit MassVacation or Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

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

Check out JazzBoston at the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 25

JazzBoston, the city's grass roots support organization for jazz musicians, promoters, educators and jazz lovers, has a booth at this year's Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 25, 2010 in Boston's South End.

Check out these two special programs at the JazzBoston booth:

- Meet Boston's Musicians informal meet-and-greets with three or four different hometown artists every hour on the half hour, including Grace Kelly, Rebecca Cline, Jason Palmer, Leonard Brown, Amanda Carr, Kelly Roberge and more.

- What's YOUR Jazz? video interviews with a camera crew video-recording fans who step up to answer the question and "What's YOUR Jazz?" bumper stickers (hot off the press) for all participants.

You'll find more details here.

The all-day outdoor BeanTown Jazz Festival is free to the public. It's located at Columbus Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and Burke Street in Boston's South End. For directions, click here.

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

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com or BostonUSA.com.

Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Danilo Perez Headline Busy Friday Night of Jazz in Boston, September 24

Boston is brimming with jazz tonight with artists Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Danilo Perez and others in the middle of the city's 10th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival now underway.

Trumpeter Chris Botti is performing at the Citi Performing Arts Center, Wang Theatre tonight at 8:00 p.m. Since 2004 he has been the largest selling American jazz instrumentalist in the world. He has performed and recorded with many great artists, including Frank Sinatra, Sting, Michael Buble and Joni Mitchell. Tickets are $43 to $78 and can be ordered online.

Vocalist Paula Cole is performing at the Berklee Performance Center tonight at 8:00 p.m. The Grammy Award winner for best new artist grew up in Massachusetts and went to Berklee College of Music, and had numerous hit songs, including Where Have All the Cowboys Gone and I Don't Want to Wait. Tickets are $26 and $36 reserved seating and can be purchased online.

At Sculler's Jazz Club at the Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel, Panamanian jazz pianist and composer Danilo Perez performs with his trio and special guests. There are two shows, at 8:00 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered online.

At the Beehive Jazz Club in Boston's South End, check out mighty blues singer Michelle Willson, who performs from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Wally's Jazz Club in Boston's South End has a great Friday night jazz session featuring great local players and guests from out-of-town.

The Billy Novick Trio is performing lounge jazz at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel from 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Across the Charles River in the City of Cambridge, check out sax player Daniel Bennett and his group at Ryles Jazz Club in Inman Square, starting at 9:00 p.m.. Tickets are $10 and can be ordered online.

And at the Outpost 186, also in Inman Square, Cambridge, check out three acts tonight, starting at 8:00 p.m.: David Gross on solo sax, the Grizzler Noise Orchestra, and Montreal clarinetist Krista Martynes. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.

With hundreds of night clubs, concert venues, hotel restaurants and colleges, you can find great jazz every night of the year in the greater Boston area and throughout Massachusetts. For more information, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourism information, visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.