2012 Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival Schedule
Check back with beantownjazz.org for ongoing updates, artists, schedule, and more information about the 13th annual Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival, scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2013.
Thursday, September 27 — Sunday, September 30, 2012
Outdoor Festival Takes Place Saturday, September 29, 2012
BeanTown Jazz Festival 2012
-
Melody Gardot
Thursday, September 27, 2012, 8:00 pmBerklee Performance Center136 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
Melody GardotFollowing an extensive two-year world tour in support of her highly successful major label debut, My One and Only Thrill, Melody Gardot was restless and ready for new adventure. Setting out on her own, it took a year of traveling the world for Melody to find her inspiration for The Absence as she met new people and experienced new cultures. As she embarks on another global tour to support her third album, it is time for us to share the music: the loss, the longing and finally the joy that she has discovered on her journey.
The 23-year-old chanteuse's songs offer deeply compelling evocations of love, loss, and heartache, while her voice offers a level of emotional authority and technical fluency that one would normally expect from a veteran performer.
Gardot's route has been an unconventional and often arduous one. She began taking music lessons at age nine, and was playing piano in local lounges by the time she was 16, though she didn't think of music as anything more than a hobby at the time. After being hit by a car and severely injured when she was 19, music became a key therapeutic element in her lengthy recovery process. Music also became an outlet for self-expression. While still working to regain her mobility, she began writing her own songs for the first time. "I don't know where everything came from, but it came," she recalls. "Something touches me or makes an impact on me, and if I'm lucky, I can catch it and turn it into something worthwhile."
$46, $36, reserved seating -
A Night of Two Pianos
Friday, September 28, 2012, 7:30 pmBerklee Performance Center136 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
The Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival opening night concert features Geri Allen and Joanne Brackeen with special guests Tia Fuller, John Lockwood, Terri Lyne Carrington, and more.
Two female piano powerhouses, Geri Allen and Joanne Brackeen, join forces on stage to present a once-in-a-lifetime performance sure to pique the interests of both piano enthusiasts and jazz fans alike. Allen, known for embodying both tradition and innovation in jazz is described by Rolling Stone as "the finest pianist of her generation," and Brackeen, a creative and whimsical musician whom Tony Bennett describes as "a visionary of extraordinary depth," will showcase their contrasting styles in a program of duets as well as solo pieces. Special guests will include Terri Lyne Carrington, Tia Fuller, and John Lockwood.
Geri Allen is an American composer, educator, and jazz pianist raised in Detroit, Michigan and educated in the Detroit Public Schools. Allen has worked with many of the greats of modern music, including Ornette Coleman, Ron Carter, Ravi Coltrane, Tony Williams, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Betty Carter, and Charles Lloyd. She cites her primary influences to be her parents, Mount Vernell Allen Jr. and Barbara Jean Allen, and her primary musical influences to be mentors Marcus Belgrave, Donald Waldon, and Betty Carter, as well as pianists Herbie Hancock, Mary Lou Williams, Hank Jones, Alice Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Bud Powell, and Dr. Billy Taylor.
Joanne Brackeen is an American jazz pianist and composer born in the coastal city of Ventura, California. She has been showered with nearly every honor available to a jazz musician. She received two grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, as well as State Department sponsorship for a mid-'80s tour of the Middle East and Europe. She was included in the Ken Burns TV documentary Jazz, as well as Robert L. Doerschuk's 88 Giants of Jazz Piano (Huiksi, 2001). She has received a Berklee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education, an IAJE Outstanding Educator Award, the Living Legend Award from IWJ (International Women in Jazz), and the ABI award for Woman of the Year 2001. She twice served on the NEA Grant panel and has adjudicated for Chamber Music America, as well as the Jacksonville and Dewars' Piano Competitions.
Can't make it to the show? The event will stream live on Concert Window.
$25, $20, reserved seating -
Lihi Haruvi and Caili O'Doherty
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 12:00 pmSubaru of New England StageColumbus Avenue and Benton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Lihi Haruvi and Caili O'DohertyBorn and raised in Israel, saxophonist Lihi Haruvi is now living in Boston studying on a full-tuition scholarship at Berklee, majoring in performance and film scoring. She is a part of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute directed by Danilo Pérez and Marco Pignataro. Through the BGJI, she has worked with Joe Lovano, Ben Street, John Patitucci, Jim Odgren, Terri Lyne Carrington, George Garzone, Kenny Werner, Eddie Gomez, and many others.
Pianist Caili O'Doherty is a full-scholarship student at Berklee, and a member of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. She has recently performed and taught clinics with the BGJI at UNESCO First International Jazz Day in Paris, Toronto Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, Monterey High School Jazz Festival, and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, opening for French pianist Martial Solal. She was selected this spring as the pianist for the Stanford Jazz Mentor Fellowship, a two-year teaching internship. She has studied with Billy Taylor, Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Hal Crook, and Greg Osby.
Free -
Berklee City Music All-Stars
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 12:00 pmNatixis Global Asset Management StageCarter Playground
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Berklee City Music All-StarsBerklee City Music is a national nonprofit program offered by Berklee College of Music to provide music education to fourth- to twelfth-graders in underserved communities. With year-round instruction, expert faculty, individualized mentoring, and a comprehensive online PULSE curriculum, Berklee City Music combines the breadth of Berklee resources, facilities, and available scholarships with an environment of attention and encouragement. Kids get the tools and support they need to flourish as students, musicians, and confident well-rounded individuals ready to shape their world.
The Berklee City Music All-Star Ensemble is composed of the best and brightest rising young stars, all who are on scholarship to attend the Berklee City Music after-school program and Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program.
Free -
Wally's Showcase featuring the Jason Palmer and Willy Rodriguez Group
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 12:00 pmBerklee StageColumbus Avenue and Northampton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Jason PalmerTrumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, and actor Jason Palmer is one of the most in-demand musicians of his generation. He has worked with icons such as Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith, and Wynton Marsalis.
Berklee alumnus and current graduate student at the New England Conservatory Willy Rodriguez is a versatile jazz and Latin drummer from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He has studied with masters such as Ralph Peterson, Greg Osby, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Yoron Israel, as well as Dave Liebman, with whom he frequently performs. He can be heard with his group, The 427 Factory, every Saturday and Sunday at Wally's.
Free -
Neo Soul Ensemble All-Stars
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:00 pmNatixis Global Asset Management StageCarter Playground
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Neo Soul's Skip SmithThe Neo Soul Ensemble was formed by director Skip Smith, who aimed to bring together talented Berklee students to perform contemporary R&B at its highest level. They have backed up many well known artists, including Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Meshell Ndegeocello, and David Dyson.
Free -
Marcus Santos and Bloco AfroBrazil
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:00 pmColumbus Avenue (Street Performance)688 Columbus Avenue
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Bloco AfroBrazilBloco AfroBrazil’s goal is to preserve, promote, and spread the Afro-Brazilian culture, in all its aspects: music, dance, religion, and culinary arts. Their primary focus is on music and dance, through different music entities: BatukAxé, a drum and dance ensemble playing samba reggae and other batucada style grooves; Banda Jiló, playing forró music from northeastern Brazil; and Aguida, playing Axé music, the most contemporary style from El Salvador; and Mangalô, a modern interpretation of traditional Brazilian grooves.
Free -
KidsJam at Berklee: Jazz for Kids and Other Humans
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:00 pmCarter Playground709 Columbus Avenue
Boston MA 02118 [Map]1:00 Blues, Chops, and Axes
2:00 Finding the Groove
3:00 Scat for All
4:00 Jazz CatsUsing classic and contemporary jazz recordings, live music, and engaging techniques, students and faculty from the Music Education Department will lead children from two to 82 in four sessions at this year’s Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. KidsJam is a popular participatory education program provided to the Boston community by Berklee College of Music.
Some of Berklee’s most accomplished student musicians—music education students who are preparing for careers in leading school music programs—are guided by professors Libby Allison and Charlene Ryan as they conduct activities in which children move, sing, play, create, and respond to music.
Each session includes activities in which participants are engaged in musicmaking by creating and performing, active listening, and by responding to a story that is related to a musical idea or concept.
New this year: Budding musicians under age 15 are invited to participate in an open-mic performance. Sign-ups for the open-mic performances will be available in the KidsJam tent at the family park.
Free -
The New World Jazz Composers Octet
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:00 pmSubaru of New England StageColumbus Avenue and Benton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
The New World Jazz Composers OctetOrganized more than 11 years ago by Berklee associate professor of harmony Daniel Ian Smith, the New World Jazz Composers Octet began as an aggregation dedicated to the performance of new music. The group garnered considerable attention after its first performance and word spread that this world-class ensemble was truly one of a kind. The ensemble quickly adapts to and personalizes the compositions that are written expressly for it. This type of ensemble is a dream come true for contemporary composers as opportunities for performances of new music are often few and far between.
Free -
Tia Fuller
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:00 pmJazzBoston BoothColumbus Avenue
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Tia FullerSaxophonist, composer, and educator Tia Fuller will lead a free clinic celebrating women in jazz. Don't miss the opportunity to meet her in-person.
Free -
Women of the World
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:15 pmBerklee StageColumbus Avenue and Northampton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Women of the WorldWomen of the World is a Boston-based ensemble of women musicians representing Japan, India, Italy, Mexico, and the United States.
Four core vocalists and a six-piece band comprise the ensemble, which performs original compositions as well as traditional folk music from around the world. With unique arrangements and intricate vocal harmonies, Women of the World strives to explore and share the beauty of myriad cultures through their music. This mixture of artistry has created for a sound which is all its own: borderless, spirited, and carrying the undeniable message of unity.
Free -
Paula Cole featuring Kevin Barry
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 2:15 pmNatixis Global Asset Management StageCarter Playground
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Paula ColeGrammy Award winner and seven-time Grammy Award nominee Paula Cole has released six solo albums spanning an eighteen-year career. Cole's emotionally deep and thrilling performances are a trademark. Poetic and fiercely touching, intelligent writing makes Cole stand apart. Her compositions have been covered by Herbie Hancock, Annie Lennox, and Katherine McPhee, to name a few. From a small town in Massachusetts, Cole was raised in a musical family with whom she and her daughter remain close. She is a scholarship alumna from Berklee College of Music with a background in jazz. From her top-ten hits of the 1990s to her more recent critically acclaimed albums, Paula Cole continues to write, produce, record, and perform heartfelt, meaningful, lasting music.
Free -
Hey Rim Jeon and Friends Featuring Robin Eubanks
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 2:15 pmSubaru of New England StageColumbus Avenue and Benton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Hey Rim JeonBorn in Seoul, Korea, pianist, composer, and educator Hey Rim Jeon brings her unique brand of Korean-influenced jazz fusion to the 2012 Berklee Beantown Jazz festival. In addition to the premier talent of Grammy Award winner Robin Eubanks on trombone, Berklee professor Greg Hopkins on trumpet, associate professor John Lockwood on bass, and assistant chair of percussion Yoron Israel on drums, the afternoon concert will feature an exciting collaboration with Oori, a traditional Korean drum and percussion ensemble.
Free -
Erena Terakubo Quartet
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 2:30 pmBerklee StageColumbus Avenue and Northampton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Erena TerakuboBerklee presidential scholar Erena Terakubo was born in Sapporo, Japan on April 30, 1992. She has played with Michel Camilo, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Herbie Hancock, Omar Hakim, Anthony Jackson, Tiger Okoshi, and more.
She recorded her first album, North Bird, with Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Lee Pearson, and Peter Bernstein. In April 2012, Erena recorded her second album, New York Attitude, with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Lee Pearson, and Dominick Farinacci.
Free -
Hailey Niswanger Quartet
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 3:30 pmSubaru of New England StageColumbus Avenue and Benton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Hailey NiswangerAlumna and saxophonist Hailey Niswanger has received rave reviews in her brief career, including a Wall Street Journal profile by Nat Hentoff, who described her album, Confeddie, as a "vibrantly building thrust of swinging surprises."
She was born in 1990 in Houston, Texas. She has shared the stage with Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Duke, George Garzone, Red Holloway, Terell Stafford, Phil Woods, James Moody, Steve Nelson, Christian McBride, McCoy Tyner, Maceo Parker, Wynton Marsalis, Mark Whitfield, and other jazz greats.Free -
Terri Lyne Carrington's Mosaic
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 3:30 pmNatixis Global Asset Management StageCarter Playground
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Terri Lyne CarringtonTerri Lyne Carrington has recorded an ensemble CD with some of the world's top musicians, performing music that celebrates different aesthetics in music and in life. The Mosaic Project is a celebration of female artists with Carrington being joined by some of today's most celebrated female instrumentalists and vocalists in the world—"women with voices"—coming together to support and celebrate each other from a musical and social perspective.
Free -
Mark Walker and the Rhythm of the Americas Nonet
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 3:45 pmBerklee StageColumbus Avenue and Northampton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Mark WalkerBerklee professor and Grammy Award–winning drummer/composer Mark Walker presents a powerful and intoxicating blend of jazz improvisation with the rhythms and percussion of South America, the Caribbean and North America. His nine-piece group, the Rhythm of the Americas, is a virtual wall of rhythm, sound, and color, and features two percussionists, Hammond organ, piano, guitar, saxophone, vocals, bass, and drums.
The group features pianist Alain Mallet, vocalist Aubrey Johnson, saxophonist Dan Ian Smith, guitarist Tim Miller, organist Dave Limina, bassist Andres Rotmistrovsky, and two percussion virtuosos, Ernesto Diaz and Marcus Santos.
The music will feature Walker's compositions in various Latin American styles, including the Grammy Award–nominated composition "Deep Six," recorded by Oregon, and "What About That," which was featured on Paquito D'Rivera Quintet's Grammy Award–winning CD Funk Tango.
Free -
Ralph Peterson Sextet
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 4:45 pmSubaru of New England StageColumbus Avenue and Benton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Ralph PetersonGrammy Award–nominated drummer, bandleader, and educator Ralph Peterson has been one of the most distinctive drummers in jazz for almost 30 years. He has performed or recorded with a “who’s who” of jazz including Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker, and Betty Carter, and was the last drummer chosen as a Jazz Messenger by his mentor Art Blakey.
His 16th release as a leader, The Duality Perspective, on his own Onyx Productions music label embodies youth and maturity; past, present, and future; and diverse stylistic approaches based on a common language. This all-star sextet is “richly rooted, one foot in the tradition, the other foot in tomorrow.”
Free -
Lalah Hathaway
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 5:00 pmNatixis Global Asset Management StageCarter Playground
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
Lalah HathawayBorn to R&B and soul music royalty, most people know Lalah Hathaway simply as the daughter of late soul music legend Donny Hathaway, but there is more to her than that. A trained pianist and vocalist, the Berklee graduate's career has spanned two decades. Twenty-one years after the release of her first LP, her career continues to thrive. Hathaway understands who she is as an artist and continues to remain consistently true to her vision in song and lyric.
Free -
9teen
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 5:00 pmBerklee StageColumbus Avenue and Northampton Street
Boston MA 02118 [Map]
9teenOriginally formed as a Steely Dan tribute band, 9teen's music has evolved into a rock and soul review covering artists such as Stevie Wonder; Earth, Wind & Fire; Chicago; James Brown; Was (Not Was); Little Feat; Tower of Power; the Doobie Brothers; and more. They have worked with Blood, Sweat & Tears, James Ingram, Eddie Money, Air Supply, and Average White Band, among others.
Free -
Béla Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio
Sunday, September 30, 2012, 7:30 pmBerklee Performance Center136 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
Bela FleckGenre-busting, Grammy Award–winning banjo player Béla Fleck is considered by many the premier banjo player in the world. He is the winner of 14 Grammy Awards, and has been nominated in more different categories than anyone in Grammy history. Hear Béla’s latest project as he reveals the jazz side of his multiple musical personalities in brilliant collaboration with the Marcus Roberts Trio, led by Roberts on piano, with Jason Marsalis on drums and Rodney Jordan on bass, and known around the world for their signature, virtuosic trio style. The trio reciprocates by visiting Béla’s more traditional musical geography.
$39,$34, $29, reserved seating
