Northampton Jazz Festival

Written by Ruth Griggs

Article published in Northampton Living (October 2022)

JAZZ ABOUNDS DOWNTOWN!

The Northampton Jazz Festival will kick off at Pulaski Park on Friday, Sept. 30 with a Jazz Strut throughout downtown Northampton and free performances will continue downtown on Saturday, the first of October.

The headliner for this year’s event is The Ron Carter Quartet, performing at The Academy of Music on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are selling briskly for this concert by one of the most original, influential and prolific bassists in jazz. His band members are also internationally recognized and include pianist Renee Rosnes, saxophonist Jimmy Greene and drummer Payton Crossley. Mr. Carter and his trio have recently returned from an extended tour in Japan and Europe. Tickets are $30 to $50 (all fees included) and are available at aomtheatre.com or at the box office Tuesday – Friday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM.

Friday’s Downtown Jazz Strut brings live jazz ensembles to seven breweries, bars, restaurants and Pulaski Park with no cover, no minimum. The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Jazz Combo and the Sci Tech Band from Springfield will kick off the festival starting at 4:30 PM in Pulaski Park, and then ensembles play at half hour intervals for two hours at each establishment until 10:30 PM. You can be sure to catch a lot of live jazz and good times on Jazz Strut night! See the lineup at northamptonjazzfest.org/jazz-strut-2022

Saturday, Jazz Fest Day features live jazz free and open to the public in and around Pulaski Park. The Expandable Brass Band will lead a march from Pulaski Park around downtown starting at 11:15 AM, and the music continues inside and out at the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence, the Parlor Room, and in Pulaski Park. Up and coming female vocalist, Ashley Pezzotti, shares the stage with a deeply experienced and finely-tuned vocal quartet, The Royal Bopsters; a Valley favorite. Freddie Bryant, graces our ears with a Brazilian guitar trio while Pulaski Park will be filled with the rousing sounds of Eh La Bas, featuring some of the most talented young players on the jazz scene today. You can even catch 78rpm DJ Matthew “Fat Cat” Rivera spinning 78s from his rare collection in Pulaski Park Saturday afternoon!

Plan your visit downtown for the annual Northampton Jazz Festival, now in its 11th year, on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1!

Visit northamptonjazzfest.org for details and more information.