Jazz Calendar

Join Arlington Center for the Arts for their annual Great Northeast Jug Band Festival. New England’s ONLY Jug Band Festival will highlight traditions from the 1920’s and 30’s, and the modern evolution of this good-time music. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy performances by three of the region’s best Jug Bands! Performances by an all female-lead line up including Dirty Mother String Band, Zoë Lewis and the Educated Fleas, and Annie and the Jug Tappers!!

Back in 2026! Join us the night before (Friday, September 25, 7:30pm) at Donut Villa (319 Broadway, Arlington, MA) for an Open Jug Band Jam lead by local favorite, The Jug Nuts!

Also returning to the festival will be our Makers Tent, highlighting home-made and cigar box instrument builders!

Jason Russell House Concert Series + Beer Garden is presented by the Arlington Brewing Company + Arlington Historical Society

RAIN LOCATION (PERFORMANCE + JAM ONLY): Arlington Community Center in the Main Hall, 27 Maple St Arlington, MA

Carolyn Wonderland is a Texas blues legend with the soulful vocals of Janis Joplin and the slinging guitar skills of Stevie Ray Vaughan, playing original, bluesified, cosmic soul music mixed with heavy doses of Tex-Mex grit and riff-fueled rock and roll. She's spent decades on the road sharing stages with blues and roots icons, all while carving out a voice entirely her own. This will be Carolyn’s first appearance at The Fallout Shelter, adding a new chapter to her already well-traveled career.

The Allen Center transforms into a cozy jazz club, with intimate table seating, drinks, and bar snacks to enjoy throughout the show. Legendary Boston jazz performers George Russell Jr. (piano) and Donna McElroy (voice) take the stage to inspire and delight as The Allen Center kicks off its new season, We the People: Finding Our Voices.

A place where flavor and sound are beautifully intertwined, Lou’s celebrates the classics—where stiff martinis meet stronger conversation and every evening invites you to linger just a little longer.

On Saturday, September 26, Little Miss and The Boom make their Lou’s debut, bringing their signature modern vintage cabaret to the stage for an evening of live music, vintage glamour, and theatrical charm.

Expect sultry vocals, swinging rhythms, blues, jazz, and a little old-Hollywood glamour woven into an unforgettable night out. Whether you're joining us for dinner, settling in with a perfectly crafted cocktail, or simply looking for somewhere special to spend your Saturday evening, this is a night to linger over.

Come raise a glass, settle in, and experience Little Miss and The Boom at Lou’s for the very first time.

Saturday, September 26, 2026Lou’s • 13 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MADinner seating: 6:00 & 6:30 PMShow: 7:00–8:30 PM

Reserve Your Table

Johnny “Honeycomb” James comes back home famous, changed, and impossible to explain. The voice is real, but the rumours are loud. In a town that remembers everything and forgives nothing, his return cracks open old stories and new accusations. Soon no one can agree on what’s true, only on what feels true enough to believe.

Covenant is a Southern Gothic thriller about myth-making, moral panic, and the stories people choose when the truth is too inconvenient.

🍂 Oktoberfest is Back! 🍺

Yes, Oktoberfest really does begin in September in Germany—and we’re bringing the celebration back to Wright-Locke Farm!

One of our biggest and most beloved FREE community events, Oktoberfest is the perfect way to welcome fall with friends, family, live music, great food, and local beer.

This year, we’re making it even better:

🍺 Two beer stations from our friends at Arlington Brewing Company, serving local craft brews and keeping the lines moving
🧀 Custom cheese pairings from Nouvelle Maison, created to complement the beer
🥨 Traditional Bavarian fare from Apritivo, including plenty of Oktoberfest favorites
🎶 Four live bands playing throughout the afternoon
🌾 Plenty of room to stretch out on the lawn, soak up the farm atmosphere, and enjoy a beautiful fall day

Grab your friends, bring a blanket, and come raise a glass to the season at the farm!

Free and open to all. Prost! 🍻

Join internationally acclaimed clarinetist Julian Milkis and pianist Maxim Lubarsky for an intimate program of Kancheli’s deeply moving miniatures from his film and theater scores. The evening concludes with a screening of the composer’s final documentary, I Used to Hate Clarinet.Kancheli’s music speaks in whispers rather than shouts—filled with beauty, stillness, longing, and extraordinary emotional depth. Whether you’re discovering his music for the first time or have loved it for years, this promises to be a memorable experience.

20-time Grammy® Award–winning guitarist and composer Pat Metheny returns to the Greater Boston area with Side-Eye III+, his largest ensemble in over a decade—joined by Joe Dyson (drums), Chris Fishman (keyboards), Jermaine Paul (bass), and Leonard Patton (percussion & vocals). Anchored by Metheny’s first ensemble studio album in six years, Side-Eye III+, the show features expansive new compositions alongside bold reimaginings of favorites and classics from his catalog. The result is a powerful, forward-looking performance that highlights Metheny’s ongoing evolution while honoring the sound that has defined his legendary career.

PAT METHENY: SIDE-EYE III+ will perform at the Chevalier Theatre in Medford, Massachusetts on Sunday, September 27 at 7 pm. Tickets at $63.00, $84.50, $96.00, $106.00, $115.65, $144.75 and $261.95 are on sale now HERE. The Chevalier Theatre is located at 30 Forest Street, Medford, MA 02155.

Side-Eye III+, released February 27, 2026, is the latest evolution of Metheny's Side-Eye project - a concept he first introduced to showcase the next generation of exceptional young musicians who have come onto his radar in recent years. The album features Metheny alongside Chris Fishman on keyboards and Joe Dyson on drums, the trio at the heart of the Side-Eye ensemble that has toured extensively worldwide.

Metheny explains, "Once I got in the studio with the guys, I realized that while the trio concept was perfect for us as a live ensemble, the music I had written was asking for something bigger. That is where the '+' in Side-Eye III+ comes in. I ended up adding fifteen other musicians to the trio — expanding the sonic world of the record far beyond what we had done before."

Recorded in the studio, Side-Eye III+ brings together an additional cast of musicians including bassist Daryl Johns, harpist Brandee Younger, percussionist Luis Conte, and a vocal ensemble led by Mark Kibble of Take 6, creating a richly layered and expansive musical landscape.

“He brought in an incredible group of singers,” Metheny said of Kibble, “and together, we found a sound that has a relationship to the Gospel tradition but I think most people will hear the kinds of harmonies and melodies that identify it as mine right away.”

Streaming Everywhere: https://GreenHill.lnk.to/Side-EyeIII. Order a CD/LP + limited signed print here.

On Wednesday, September 30, celebrate the opening of MAAM’s newest exhibitions. Featuring works by internationally recognized artists, both exhibitions examine the ideals, images, and institutions that shape our understanding of contemporary life. Enjoy tunes by DJ Kelvin Sylvester, complimentary beverages, and small bites. It’s a party!

Featuring

DJ Kelvin Sylvester launched his career as an underground dance music Producer in 2015, joining with DJ, producer, and artist Brutha Basil in 2020. Together, they formulated the record label now known as Brukel Music.

Sylvester’s musical tastes and influences range from Soulful and Afro House, Hip Hop, R&B, Disco, Funk and Jazz. These influences are evident throughout his production, arrangements, remixing and song writing. His growth as a producer has allowed him to work with international labels and artists in the industry.

@kelvinsylvestermusic | Kelvin Sylvester on Spotify

Going, Going, Gone / Ticketing Notice

This event is free with advance registration. MAAM may accommodate unregistered walk-up guests on the evening of this event only as capacity allows; walk-up tickets on the evening of the event are not guaranteed. Evening events often sell out; plan ahead and register in advance.

Say Cheese / Event Documentation Notice

Photos and/or videos may be taken at this event. By attending this event, you acknowledge and agree that your likeness may be included in photos and videos of the event and that those photos and videos may be used by MassArt in connection with MassArt and MassArt Art Museum communications. If you do not agree with this usage, please notify a staff member upon arrival to receive a no-photo sticker.

Open to All / Accessibility

MassArt Art Museum is committed to creating a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environment during in-person and virtual programs and events. To request an access or disability-related accommodation, please contact MassArt Art Museum at maam@massart.edu at least two weeks before the date of the event.

Free

Advance Registration Required

ABOUT CLAUDIO Claudio Ragazzi, a GRAMMY and EMMY-winning film composer and guitarist, has scored dozens of award-winning film and television projects. His music has reached global audiences, and he has performed at prestigious concert halls around the world alongside some of today’s most respected artists.

ABOUT GEORGIE Georgie Rodríguez is a celebrated Puerto Rican multi-instrumentalist whose solid career as a bassist and guitarist is matched by his talents as a composer, arranger, producer, and music director. His versatility and deep musicality bring a rich foundation to every performance.

ABOUT MANOLOManolo Mairena is a dynamic Costa Rican singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston. Known for his captivating stage presence and soulful voice, Manolo’s music resonates with audiences across the globe.

GRAMMY-nominated trumpeter, composer, producer, and bandleader Theo Croker continues to redefine the possibilities of modern jazz with his new album, DREAM MANIFEST (Dom Recs / Fat Beats, June 13). Hailed by the LA Times as “a path to jazz greatness,” Croker’s latest work is an immersive journey where jazz, experimental hip-hop, and cosmic soul collide — the result of an artist unbound by genre and led only by creative vision.

We are thrilled to open the 2026-2027 Dot Jazz Series with saxophonist, flutist, and composer Anna Webber's ensemble Shimmer Wince, performing in Peabody Hall on Thursday, October 1.

Anna Webber is a flutist, saxophonist, and composer whose interests and work live in the aesthetic overlap between avant-garde jazz and new classical music. Her music has been called "visionary and captivating," (Wall Street Journal), and “heady music [that] appeals to the rest of the body” (NPR). In 2024 alone, she received the Herb Albert Award in the Arts, a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works commission, and was voted top of both the tenor saxophone and flute “Rising Star” categories in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll. She was additionally voted top of the Downbeat “Rising Star” arranger category in 2025 and the composer category in 2026.

Shimmer Wince also features Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Mariel Roberts Musa on cello, Elias Stemeseder on synthesizer, and Lesley Mok on drums. The music for this ensemble explores the applications of Just Intonation in a jazz/improvised context, including its intersections with rhythm and groove. Just Intonation, or JI, is an ancient tuning system based on the natural harmonics and resonances of notes and, for Webber, represents for a continuation of her research into timbre and sound.

$15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. Kids under 18 free at the door.

**Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at Tavolo, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue.

Through the Dot Jazz Series, Mandorla Music has been bringing live jazz and creative music to Dorchester since 2017.

Thanks to Greater Ashmont Main Street for their support of the 2026-2027 Dot Jazz season.

Eli Paperboy Reed is a critically acclaimed soul singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for his powerful vocals and timeless blend of soul, R&B, gospel, blues, and roots music. Drawing from decades of American musical traditions, Reed’s latest work explores themes of enduring love, commitment, and personal growth with warmth, wit, and authenticity. Hailed by critics as one of modern soul’s most compelling voices, his live performances deliver both raw energy and heartfelt storytelling.

Selwyn Birchwood returns to The Fallout Shelter with his electrifying show that toes the line between gritty gutbucket blues and contemporary groove. Backed by a fantastic band, he's a true force of nature onstage, with monumental guitar skills, soulful vocals, and a magnetic presence that wins over any crowd. It's easy to see why he's become a favorite among blues fans and jam band fans alike.

Join velvet-voiced singer Jonathan Gramling to discover the threads that link reggae, gospel, soul, and jazz. With a lineup of remixes, mashups, originals, and genre-bending covers, this group deftly and joyfully weaves a story of soul music's evolution across styles, time, and culture.

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Whether Michael Mayo is performing with his band, as a guest, or alone with a looper pedal and a piano, the LA native’s commanding and other worldly vocalese has been gathering critical and commercial acclaim around the globe.  As a veteran international performer, May has led his own band to perform at some of the worlds most revered jazz clubs and festivals. Signed to Mack Avenue/Artistry Records, Mayo’s debut record “Bones”, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Eli Wolf (Norah Jones, Al Green, The Roots) was released in 2021. In 2022, Mayo was named “International Artist of the Year” at the Deutscher Jazzpreis. Mayo’s highly anticipated sophomore release “Fly” featuring pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Linda Oh, and drummer Nate Smith was released in 2024 and nominated for 2 Grammy Awards.

The Rangemasters unite four of New England's finest musicians, Cliff Goodwin, Mike Lynch, Jeremy Moses Curtis and Duncan Arsenault, in a powerhouse band steeped in electric rhythm and blues. Between them, they’ve logged decades alongside artists like Joe Cocker, Robert Palmer, and Booker T. Jones, and they play like it: loose, locked-in, and dangerous. This is roots-driven music at its most alive, fiery, unscripted and unforgettable.

Tenor saxophone great and Boston native Ricky Ford returns home for a concert with the Makanda Project. In addition to his extraordinary saxophone playing, the program will feature mostly his compositions, including three new pieces he has written based on poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar. For this concert the normally 13-piece Makanda Project expands to 16 with a larger horn section.

Ricky Ford, Kurtis Rivers, Seth Meicht, Temidayo Balogun, Charlie Kohlhase (saxophones)

Brian Price (clarinet)

Jerry Sabatini, Haneef Nelson, Woody Pierre (trumpets)

Alfred Patterson, Bill Lowe, Randy Pingrey, Zane Larsen-Kuerth (trombones)

John Kordalewski (piano)

Wes Brown (bass)

Hector Falu Guzman (drums)

With a unique blend of musicianship and showmanship, The Fat City Band enters its fifth decade still packing a punch. Following a credo that music should be fun this seven piece Boston based outfit performs its own brand of jump blues, swing, New Orleans and roots style music in high energy and entertaining manner.

Over the years, having shared the stage with such musical luminaries as B. B. King, James Brown and the legendary Ray Charles they have earned a legacy both locally and nationally, The Fat City Band are 2018 inductees into the New England Museum Music Hall of Fame!

The Ladies Who Brunch at Club Café, Boston’s popular Sunday divertissement, returns on October 4. Come and indulge yourself in a feast for your senses with cabaret artists Barb Pierre, Meryl Galaid and Simone Alyse (Salyse). Sit back with one of our classic cocktails and be regaled with soaring melodies and brilliant comedy while dining from our a la carte menu featuring traditional brunch entrees as well as lighter fare like fruit bowls, salads, and appetizers. Food and beverages not included in the ticket price.

Tickets at https://www.clubcafe.com/club-events/the-ladies-who-brunch-100426/?occurrence=2026-10-04

Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim and the Beatles. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as Natalie Cole, Kristin Chenoweth, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Van Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ray Brown, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, his father Bucky Pizzarelli. He won a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category as co-producer of James Taylor’s American
Standard in 2021.