Jazz Week '12
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JazzBoston and the artists, organizations, and venues of Greater Boston's jazz community invite you to celebrate Jazz Week '12 International by taking a 10-day tour of Boston's polyglot jazz scene to hear some of the hundreds of live performances being offered at 90 venues in and around the city. Now in its sixth year, Jazz Week has again received official proclamations from the Mayors of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville.
The theme for Jazz Week '12 was inspired by UNESCO's proclamation of April 30 of every year as International Jazz Day. A primary goal was to raise awareness of the role the music plays as an international language that bridges divides and fosters freedom of expression. It's a natural for our city, where jazz is spoken with many different accents year round. With its history as an immigrant destination and its leadership in jazz education, Boston and the surrounding area have become the home for generations of talented jazz artists from around the globe. From April 27 to May 6, Jazz Week '12 International shines the spotlight on them.
Jazz Week kicks off on April 27, when JazzBoston and Scullers Jazz Club join to present a musical celebration of the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial and 100 years of friendship, featuring Japanese contemporary jazz star Keiko Matsui. Japan's Deputy Consul General in Boston, Nobuyuki Watanabe, will be the guest of honor, and Boston-based flutist Hiroaki Honshuku will make a guest appearance.
Other stars of the global jazz scene appearing in Boston during Jazz Week '12 International include Grammy Award-winning Panamanian composer/pianist Danilo Pérez on May 2 and legendary South African guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Butler on May 6 .
Other Jazz Week '12 International events presented by JazzBoston and our partners:
- April 27, 12 – 1 PM Free Noontime Kickoff Concerts in Public Spaces Around Town. In a new Jazz Week tradition, student ensembles from New England Conservatory open Jazz Week for the third year with free performances at South Station, Downtown Crossing, and the Prudential Center Garden. The Davindar Singh Quartet, Gypsy Jazz Duo, and Ro Sham Beaux take the stage this year.
- April 30 – May 4, 12 – 1 PM Jazz Swarms. An energizing, free lunch break at South Station, featuring large same-instrument ensembles led by prominent Boston-based musicians. Conceived and produced by Ken Field. Monday, flutes, Matt Samolis; Tuesday, clarinets, Todd Brunel; Wednesday, trombones, Gregg Moore; Thursday, saxophones, Ken Field; Friday, trumpets, Jerry Sabatini.
- May 3, 6 PM Jazz Week @ the Boston Public Library, "Improvise Your Life." An interactive workshop led by Tom Hall, guaranteed to increase your awareness of the improvisational possibilities of each moment whether you are playng an insntrument, playing with your kids, or working at a job. Saxophonist and educator Hall is the author of "Free Improvisation: A Practical Guide" and the creator and host of "ImprovLive 365," a daily webseries about creativity.
- May 5, 1 and 2 PM Jazz Week @ the Boston Children's Museum, "Riffs & Raps®–Jazz for the Very Young." An introduction to the Reed family – including Tyrone the Tenor Saxophone and Sally the Soprano – and their relatives. Master teachers/performers Arni Cheatham and Bill Lowe introduce each instrument separately, demonstrating the differences in tone, pitch, and character. Children learn how the vibrating reed works by playing straw kazoos.
Another goal behind UNESCO's addition of International Jazz Day to the world's cultural calendar was to remind people everywhere that although jazz is an international language today, it's first words were sopken in the U.S. Two of the special events presented by JazzBoston and our partners focus on Boston's contribution to the international jazz pantheon and vocabulary :
- April 27, 5:30 – 7:00 PM Walking Tour of Boston's "Jazz Mecca." A glimpse of a forgotten period in Boston's and America's jazz history, with stops at the locations of some of the most famous clubs and after-hours venues on the East Coast and stories drawn from oral histories collected by the "High Notes of Jazz Roxbury" project. Discover Roxbury staffer Stacy Sutherland, who has deep roots in the Roxbury community, leads the tour, rain or shine. RSVP required. Free.
- May 6, 4:00 – 5:30 PM Book Launch and Party at Wally's Jazz Cafe, "The Boston Jazz Chronicles: Faces, Places, and Nightlife 1937 – 1962." Boston's past meets Boston's present when author Richard Vacca combines the launch of his eagerly awaited book witih his annual Jazz Week history talk at a party that segues into Wally's regular Sunday evening jam session. This year's topic is "The Friends of Wally Walcott" – the jazz legends who worked at the club in the 40s, 50s,and 60s, from Alan Dawson to Paul Gonsalves. A great way to end Jazz Week – where Boston jazz began. No cover, light refreshments, cash bar.
Click here for more details about these special events and the full Jazz Week '12 International Schedule of Events.
For a history of Jazz Week since its 2007 revival by JazzBoston, click here.
