Paul Robicheau
Jazz Concert Review: Brad Mehldau’s Elliott Smith Tribute Finds Light in the Darkness at Groton Hill
With Chris Thile, Blake Mills, Matt Chamberlain, John Davis, and A Far Cry, the pianist transformed Smith’s songs into an expansive blend of jazz, indie folk, and chamber music.
At Brighton Music Hall, Boston’s avant-punk legends capped Mark Kates’s label anniversary with a surprisingly potent four-song set and a tribute to the late Jeff “Monoman” Conolly.
Kamasi Washington, Herbie Hancock, Flea and a lively new generation showed how the festival is stretching jazz’s boundaries without losing its center.
The weekend stand in Boston offered crowd-pleasers, deep cuts, and one of Phish’s most startling bust-outs in decades.
From Tom Morello’s searing set to CMAT’s breakout turn and Dave Matthews’ final-set detour, the festival kept its focus on music that opened outward rather than looking back.
Billy Bragg reunion, festival deep cuts, and a weekend of discovery turn MASS MoCA into a communal music feast.
A record crowd for genre-blurring acts, with Geese and Wednesday signaling a shift in the festival’s identity.
In Groton, the veteran ensemble leans into mood and understatement as its final touring year begins.
Prolific avant-garde composer, saxophonist, arranger, producer, and improviser John Zorn led a sharply attuned band through knotty takes on his Masada songbook.
In Boston, the Boss fused crowd-pleasing anthems with a forceful anti-Trump jeremiad—raising questions even as he roused the faithful
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