Category Archives: Press

Featured • Posted in Featured • News • Press • Shows

Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is coming on August 17, 2024

By

Get ready to mark your calendars and let the rhythm move you because the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is coming back to enchant the North Shore with its 18th season on August 17, 2024! This beloved event just took a significant step forward, securing permission to fill the scenic Salem Willows Bandshell with soulful melodies and jazz rhythms that promise a day of unforgettable musical bliss.

This festival isn’t just any event; it’s a beacon of community spirit, entirely powered by the dedication of volunteers. It stands as a testament to the power of music, bringing free concerts to our shores and supporting music education throughout the North Shore.

The festival’s heart beats stronger this year, with a revitalized board brimming with local talent and returning founders who are more passionate than ever. Matt Caruso and Larry Claflin Jr., two of the original visionaries, have rejoined, ready to steer this ship into a future filled with more music, education, and community engagement.

Music Education at SJSF
Musical Instrument experimentation at SJSF’s Main Festival. Photo Credit: Creative Collective

But what’s a festival without its lineup? Though details are still under wraps, expect early spring to bring announcements that will have you dancing with anticipation. And on festival day, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., you’ll experience the magic of five bands, immerse yourself in music education, and, fingers crossed, enjoy a refreshing beer tent and browse artisan vendors.

As we gear up for this spectacular day, let’s not forget the journey here. From unanimous support by Salem’s Park and Recreation Commission to exciting plans for expansion and increased support for music education, every step brings us closer to a festival that’s more vibrant and enriching than ever before.

So, whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or this will be your first dance with us at the Willows, get ready for a day filled with the soul-stirring power of jazz and community spirit. Keep an eye on salemjazzsoul.org for updates, and join us as we celebrate the enduring legacy and bright future of the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival. Let’s make history together on August 17, 2024, and prove once again that music is the lifeblood of our vibrant community.

Special thank you to our growing list of corporate sponsors. If you want to support us personally, check out our crowdfunding campaign!

Dwayne Dopsie
Enjoying the Beer Garden at SJSF
Brian King at SJSF
Salem Jazz and Soul Festival
Artisan Vendors at Salem Jazz and Soul Festival
Slide Guitar at SJSF
A master at work
The joy and excitement of SJSF
Artisan Vendors
Merch at Salem Jazz and Soul Festival
Dwayne Dopsie at SJSF
Hobb’s Popcorn
Posted in News • Press • Shows

Salem Jazz and Soul Festival 2020 has been cancelled

By

With a heavy heart we are forced to cancel the 2020 Salem Jazz and Soul Festival 🙁

Our last newsletter opened with the line: “2019 presented challenges, the likes of which had not been seen since our inception in 2007.” Well, it appears that 2020 saw that as a personal challenge because so far, this year has shown us all a whole new level of ‘challenging’.

As of right now, The Salem Jazz and Soul festival is forced to cancel our 2020 season due to Covid-19. Cancelled events include:

– Our spring fundraiser
– Our Derby Square series: May 9th, June 13th, July 11th and August 8th
– The 2020 Salem Jazz and Soul Festival at Salem Willows: August 15th and 16th, 2020

This is due to multiple factors first and foremost of which is the safety and health of our fans and musicians. We are following and complying with the directions and mandates of the State of Massachusetts and the City of Salem regarding gatherings and events. We have every plan to come back stronger than ever in 2021!

Posted in News • Press • Shows

Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, City of Salem, to host 8th annual Jazz Appreciation Day free concert

By

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will produce its 8th-annual City of Salem Jazz Appreciation Day concert in early April in downtown Salem.

Kicking off Jazz Appreciation Month in April, this event is coordinated in partnership between the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival and the City of Salem. Salem Five, a major festival sponsor, has donated the venue for the concert, which is free to the public.

The free show will take place in the Salem Five Community Room on the Essex Street Walking Mall, on Saturday, April 8, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Performing this year will be the North Shore Jazz Project (NSJP) All Stars, a big band made up of the North Shore’s premier high school-aged jazz musicians, directed by professional saxophonist Mike Tucker.

“The NSJP All Stars play our main festival each year, and the crowds are impressed by their talent. We want them to be featured at Jazz Appreciation Day,” said Ian Cannon the festival’s board president. “Having these young musicians on stage is at the core of what the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is about – providing students with an opportunity to perform at no cost to the public.”

This show will open the festival’s eleventh season of producing free concerts and supporting music-education causes throughout the North Shore.

In the coming months, the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival (SJSF), a volunteer-run nonprofit, will put on:

  • The SJSF/Berklee Summer Series at Derby Square, Salem, with Berklee College of Music student bands, on May 13, June 10, July 8, and Aug. 12.
  •  The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, a two-day, outdoor music festival at the Salem Willows, with 10 bands, a music-education tent, kids tent, 21-plus beer garden and artisans selling hand-made goods, Aug. 19-20.

Please visit www.salemjazzsoul.org for more information.

Posted in News • North Shore Jazz Project ALl Stars • Press

North Shore Jazz Project All Stars Alumni Nominated for Best New Artist!

By

Makutu with Bassist Ryder Hambley

A former member of the North Shore Jazz Project All Stars is in the running to win an award as one of New England’s Emerging Artists along with his band mates in Makutu.

August 28, 2016 – Salem, MA – Bassist Ryder Hambley of Rowley, 22, a member of the NSJP All Stars while a student at Ipswich High School, recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. His band, Makutu, is up for the award from “The Deli,” an online magazine focusing on the music scene in major cities known for music.

The contest is open until Aug. 31 and votes can be cast at http://newengland.thedelimagazine.com/snacks. Makutu bills itself as a band that plays “Ambient Gloom/Spooky Indie Rock.” Its Band Camp page is https://makutuband.bandcamp.com/releases.

Hambley, a 2012 graduate of Ipswich High, was also a member of the North Shore Youth Symphony Orchestra. He won the Ryder on Bass NSJP All StarsLouis Armstrong award while in high school and was named Most Valuable Player at the Northeast District Festival for the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education.

Additionally, he has shared the stage with Danilo Perez at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, with the All Stars, and has played the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival multiple times under the tutelage of NSJP All Stars director Mike Tucker.

His parents employed the state’s School Choice Program to get him into Ipswich High so he could study under the direction of Gerald Dolan, now the director of fine arts for Ipswich Public Schools.

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces free concerts for the public and raises money to support music education programs. Learn more at SalemJazzSoul.org

RickyExpress SJSF/Berklee Summer Series 8/13/16
Posted in Berklee • News • Press

RickExpress closes SJSF/Berklee Summer Series before Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

By

RickExpress a Berklee College of Music student, will play the last SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 with his band in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, Aug. 13.

The free show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience. Rain location is Koto Japanese Grill. 90 Washington St., Salem.

In a Pig’s Eye restaurant will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s last show before the main festival, Aug. 20-21.

RickExpress (Ricky McKinney) is a singer, songwriter/composer and pianist. The youngest of his siblings and the only boy, RickExpress’ talent was discovered at an early age and harnessed thereafter. He began singing gospel music at church when he was just 2 and by 6, he had written his first song. With his unique style and eccentric flavor, he has gained the likes of music lovers across the board, ranging from his peers to older generations. They find his music soothing, healing and timeless. While he lends himself to the Neo-Soul genre, he describes his sound as “soulful, moving and ahead of the times”.  He incudes inspirations from funk and rhythm and blues. Ricky has stated that many of the messages in his songs come from his time in Sanford, a small town in North Carolina and also deal with modern themes such as social action.

RickExpress has worked with many artist including Valerie Simpson, Sam Smith, Ledisi, Talib Kweli, Sinbad, Sheila E., Lady Gaga, Robert Glasper, Snarky Puppy and more.  Ricky continues to study music and perfect his genius as a newly minted graduate from the Berklee College of Music.

The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore. Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

Watch RickExpress perform his original “Ex Man” live at the Berklee Performance Center.

Published on Jul 13, 2016 | Source: Berklee College of Music

 

Posted in Berklee • Press • Shows

Selah Poitier Performing at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series, July 9 Derby Square

By

Selah Poitier will perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series on July 9 in Derby Square

Selah Portier bassist

Selah Poitier, a recent Berklee College of Music graduate, will play the third SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 with her band in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, July 9.

The free show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience.

The Lobster Shanty will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s third outdoor show of its 10th season Multi-talented Bahamian bassist and singer Selah Poitier is a new artist with an eclectic musical style influenced by fresh sounds from modern jazz/hip-hop fusion, blues, neo-soul and R&B to funk, gospel, Afropop and reggae, as well as traditional Bahamian music. Poitier is also a songwriter, poet, composer, actress, activist and recent graduate of Berklee College of Music. To her, music acts as a powerful tool for emotional healing, social change, spiritual transformation and to explore the profound aspects of the human experience. Selah describes herself as a storyteller and uses her music to not only relate to listeners from all over the globe but also to reflect the times. One more SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert will take place this year: RickExpress on Aug. 13. The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free. The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore. Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

Posted in Berklee • Press • Shows

Maddie Jay & the pH Collective Perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series June 11

By

Maddie Jay & the pH Collective will perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series on June 11 in Derby Square

Maddie Jay & the pH Collective press release web header
Maddie Jay & the pH Collective, a band consisting of students from the Berklee College of Music, will play the second SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, June 11.

The free show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience.

Creative Salem will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s second outdoor show of its 10th season

Maddie Jay & The pH Collective brings to the table a unique blend of acid jazz, old school beats and psychedelic girl rap. Since their inception in January 2015, they have garnered attention from online music magazines and fellow musicians with their two music videos “Throw Away Your Hate” and self-produced “No Going Back.” They serve up steaming plates of groovy original music, sautéed with spicy synth lines, creamy vocal harmonies and meaty bass fills. All music is composed by front woman Maddie Jay – rapper, writer and bassist, and is guaranteed to dish out something you have not heard before.

Two more SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concerts will take place this year: Selah Poitier on July 9; and RickExpress on Aug. 13.

The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore.

Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

###