The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is back, and from Northampton to Falmouth jazz festivals abound throughout the waning days of summer and the arrival of autumn.
By J. R. Carroll
Following up on our 2014 preview of summer jazz festivals in New England in late May and our midsummer update, we wrap up the 2014 festival season with the latest information about the remaining festivals on the schedule. (See below for a chronological listing.)
The Berkshires
The schedule for the 2014 Pittsfield CityJazz Festival has been announced in part, with events running from Friday, October 10 (the annual “jazz crawl”), through brunch on Sunday, October 19. Check back with them for further details as they emerge.
Central Massachusetts
The Northampton Jazz Festival, scheduled for Saturday, September 6, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., boasts a strong lineup of performers for this year, including harmonica virtuoso Hendrik Meurkens, trumpeter Etienne Charles, trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonist Seamus Blake, and pianist Miro Sprague.
Regrettably, it appears that the Holyoke Latin Jazz Festival will take a year off while the city works to revive the Discover Holyoke event (of which the festival is a part) in the summer of 2015.
Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod
The 2014 JazzFest Falmouth features pianist Alan Broadbent on Sunday, September 28, headlining vocalist Catherine Russell on Saturday, October 4, and bassist Dave Zinno on Wednesday, October 8. The lineup for the annual Friday Night Jazz Stroll has also been posted.
Greater Boston
The Merrimack Valley Jazz Festival seems to be on hiatus this summer, but there are many other events in store for September and October.
Celebrate Labor Day (Monday, September 1) at the Bread and Roses Heritage Festival in Lawrence. The eclectic roster includes the merengue of Banda Joven, trombonist Wayne Branco and friends (perhaps the ones with the Itchy Feet?), and the klezmer sounds of Ezekiel’s Wheels.
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival returns to the Martini Shell on Saturday, September 6, from 1 to 5 p.m., with performances by the Bruce Gertz Trio and the Thaddeus Hogarth Band, and featuring an exploration by saxophonist Daniel Ian Smith of “The Latin Side of Billy Strayhorn.”
This year’s Newton Jazz and Wine Festival will include a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald with vocalists Patrice Williamson and Dominique Eade, and other special guests (Friday, September 19, 8 p.m. at the Newton War Memorial Auditorium in City Hall), and the free Jazz-In-The-Yard event from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 20, at the historic Jackson Homestead, featuring flutist Lance Martin, organist Rusty Scott’s B3 Kings, and Latin jazz with the NW&JF All Stars.
The roster of performers and performance times for Boston’s premier outdoor jazz event, the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival have how been announced, with a strong lineup that includes saxophonist Marco Pignataro’s Jazzet (featuring guest bassist Eddie Gomez), trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, saxophonist Miguel Zenón, the intriguing and innovative ensembles Snarky Puppy and Kneebody, and a tribute to the late pianist James Williams by the Yoron Israel/Bill Pierce Quintet. Celebrating the theme of “Jazz: The Global Ambassador” and centered around the afternoon of free performances on and around Columbus Ave. in the South End, this year’s event will take place on Saturday, September 27, from noon to 6 p.m. As usual, the Arts Fuse will publish a more detailed preview of the BeanTown Festival, so be sure to check back with us in mid-September.
Newtonville Village Day and Jazz Festival will take place this year on Sunday, September 28, from noon to 5 p.m., and will include performances by Zili Misik and the Nathan Aronow Sextet.
Finally, the far-flung and eclectic list of more than twenty bands participating in the 2014 Honk! Festival has been announced. Starting off on Friday, October 10, with a Day of Action leading up to a kickoff event at Johnny D’s, the music continues with performances in and around Davis Square from 12:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 11. The traditional parade at noon on Sunday, October 12, migrates the festival from Davis Square and merges with the Harvard Oktoberfest, with all the bands playing from 2 to 6 p.m. in locations throughout Harvard Square.
And that’s it for 2014’s festival season. Jazz moves indoors as the cold weather arrives, and the Arts Fuse will stay on top of upcoming performances in our weekly list of Coming Attractions.
2014 Festival Chronology
Bread and Roses Heritage Festival
Monday, September 1
Lawrence, MA
Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Saturday, September 6
Boston, MA
Northampton Jazz Festival
Saturday, September 6
Northampton, MA
Newton Jazz and Wine Festival
Friday, September 19—Sunday, September 21
Newton, MA
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Saturday, September 27
Boston, MA
JazzFest Falmouth
Saturday, September 27—Tuesday, October 7
Falmouth, MA
Newtonville Village Day and Jazz Festival
Sunday, September 28
Newton, MA
Honk! Festival
Friday, October 10—Sunday, October 12
Somerville/Cambridge, MA
Pittsfield CityJazz Festival
Friday, October 10—Sunday, October 19
Pittsfield, MA
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