Festival website: https://www.berklee.edu/beantownjazz
This year’s festival, themed “Jazz: The Voice of the People,” will take place from
12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at Columbus Avenue
between Massachusetts Avenue and Burke Street. Admission is free.
Felix Peikli and the Royal Flush Quintet
12:00 p.m.
Berklee Stage
- Felix Peikli and the Royal Flush Quintet are a unique and unparalleled group of artists under the direction of Peikli, an internationally acclaimed clarinet virtuoso, artist, and entertainer.
12:00 p.m.
Capital One Stage
- Award-winning pianist and composer Caili O'Doherty celebrates the release of her debut album, Padme, which features a diverse mix of original compositions inspired by her experiences teaching and playing music in North America, Panama, Colombia, and West Africa.
12:00 p.m.
Natixis Global Asset Management Stage
- The Berklee City Music All-Star Ensemble is comprised of the best and brightest rising young stars from the Berklee City Music program, a national nonprofit enabling youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically, socially, and emotionally, primarily through the study of contemporary music.
12:45 p.m.
Natixis Global Asset Management Stage
- iRESI is a jazz quartet led by Carlos Averhoff Jr. featuring jazz luminaries Francisco Mela on drums, John Lockwood on bass, and Aruan Ortiz on piano.
1:15 p.m.
Capital One Stage
- Marty Walsh is a virtuosic guitar player, formerly of Supertramp, who will perform an eclectic and wide-ranging set drawing on Tom Major's (Entrain) funk and ska roots, Danny Morris's R&B, Matt Jenson's reggae, and Dino Gonovi's jazz and funk influences.
1:15 p.m.
Berklee Stage
- Educator, arranger, and award-winning composer Omar Thomas performs with his big band, the 18-piece Omar Thomas Large Ensemble, and special guest Stefon Harris.
1:45 p.m.
Natixis Global Asset Management Stage
- Bass player, bandleader, and songwriter Alissia serves as the "future face of funk music," according to the Huffington Post.
2:30 p.m.
Berklee Stage
- Four jazz luminaries, including National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and Kind of Blue drummer Jimmy Cobb, join together to lovingly pay tribute to John Coltrane and the music of his time. We Four also includes Javon Jackson (tenor saxophone), George Cables (piano), and John Webber (bass).
2:30 p.m.
Capital One Stage
- ChoroBop's music is a melting pot of good influences that calls upon the nuances of bebop jazz with a healthy dose of choro; the trio has recently displayed its energy and finesse at at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Blue Note.
2:45 p.m.
Natixis Global Asset Management Stage
- Singer-songwriter Paige Bryan, winner of a USA Songwriting Competition award, performs; her new EP, A Mile in Stilettos, will be released later this year.
3:30 p.m.
Capital One Stage
- Bass virtuosos Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey join forces for a performance not to be missed.
3:45 p.m.
Berklee Stage
- David Gilmore performs in support of his latest project, Energies of Change. Gilmore, an associate professor in Berklee's Guitar Department, has recorded and performed with artists including Wayne Shorter, Dave Douglas, Sam Rivers, Steve Coleman, and Cassandra Wilson, among others.
4:00 p.m.
Natixis Global Asset Management Stage
- Grammy Award–winning drummer, composer, and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington has toured extensively with luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Stan Getz, and David Sanborn, to name just a few. For this year's festival, Carrington's Mosaic Project will be joined by soul/R&B singer Jaguar Wright.
4:50 p.m.
Capital One Stage
- Eguie Castrillo, a mind-blowing, world-renowned percussionist, performs with his big band, the Palladium Nights Orchestra.
5:00 p.m.
Berklee Stage
- George Garzone, one of the most influential saxophonists of our time, performs with other acclaimed musicians John Lockwood (bass), Bob Gullotti (drums), and Leo Genovese (piano), along with the Teros String Quartet.
5:00 p.m.
Natixis Global Asset Management Stage
- New Orleans native Ledisi has recorded six albums, earned eight Grammy nominations, performed at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama on several occasions, and earned a place in the pantheon of the best soul singers of her generation.