BeanTown Jazzfest Underway!

From September 22 to 26, superstars and local artists will come together in free and ticketed offerings that have drawn upwards of 70,000 people of all ages from every neighborhood in Boston and all over New England. Now in its 9th year, the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival - Boston's most popular and largest outdoor festival - has expanded to five days and seven stages at locations in Boston and Cambridge; and has named world-renowned drummer and Berklee professor Terri Lyne Carrington its new artistic director.

The festival's largest roster yet will feature performances by 20 bands and over 130 musicians at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), Scullers Jazz Club, Berklee's Cafe 939 and David Friend Recital Hall, and outdoor stages along Columbus Avenue. The Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival is sponsored by Target and Dunkin' Donuts. For a complete list of all events, venues, and performers, visit http://www.beantownjazz.org.

Local venues will host performances by Ahmad Jamal, Branford Marsalis and Kurt Elling, with a special blues tribute performance by David Sanborn and vocalists Amina Claudine Myers and Kevin Mahogany set for Friday evening.

On Saturday, September 26, the free Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival will take place from noon to 6:00 p.m. on three stages over six blocks on Columbus Avenue, starting at Massachusetts Avenue, with major artists including Donald Harrison, Jane Bunnet, Yoron Israel, and Joe Louis Walker will perform on three stages. The full schedule can be seen at
http://www.beantownjazz.org/schedule.html.

Watch this blog for interviews with Terri Lynne Carrington and Yoron Israel, as well as musical selections from artists performing in the festival.

Tickets for all shows are on sale, Monday June 8, at 10 a.m., and will be available at the BPC box office, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, through Ticketmaster 617 931-2000, and at http://www.ticketmaster.com. Call 617 747-2261 or visit http://www.berkleebpc.com for more information.