FREE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES SALEM’S RICH HISTORIC CONNECTION TO JAZZ AND SOUL MUSIC AND BENEFITS LOCAL MUSIC EDUCATION

You may know Salem for being spooky in October, but in summer it’s groovy and soulful, Daddio!  Don’t miss the return of the nonprofit Salem Jazz and Soul Festival for their 18th season event on August 17, 2024 from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. at Salem Willows park at 165 Fort Avenue in Salem, Mass.  

Plan for a beautiful oceanfront day at the Willows Bandshell getting down to a showcase of fantastic bands providing soulful melodies and jazz rhythms, enjoying music education clinics for the community, craft booths, artisan vendors, merchandise tents and a refreshing beer and cider garden. All funds raised go towards supporting music education initiatives throughout Boston’s North Shore. Great music for a greater cause! 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

11 a.m. – Noon – Salem High School Jazz Band

Salem High School Jazz Band

Kicking off our day is the talented Salem High School Jazz Band. These young musicians have earned outstanding ratings at national festivals and even performed at the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans! Led by the accomplished Cyndi Napierkowski, this ensemble represents the bright future of jazz and the excellence of Salem’s music education.

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Barrence Whitfield and Four Piece Suit 

Barrence Whitfield and Four Piece Suit

Get ready for a high-energy performance as Barrence Whitfield joins forces with Four Piece Suit. Whitfield, known for his incredible vocals and boundless energy, brings the spirit of classic soul screamers to the stage. Four Piece Suit, with their eclectic instrumental style, provides the perfect backdrop for Whitfield’s powerful delivery. Expect a set that will get you up and moving!

2 p.m.  – 3 p.m. – The Jambalaya Horns Orchestra

The Jambalaya Horns Orchestra

Transport yourself to the streets of New Orleans with The Jambalaya Horns Orchestra. This 14-piece ensemble, led by Carlos Menezes Jr., delivers a vibrant mix of funk, soul, and brassy second-line rhythms. With a rotating cast of the North Shore’s top horn players, they’ll bring the Big Easy right to Salem Willows.

3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Yahuba Garcia’s Boogaloo Collective

Yahuba Garcia’s Boogaloo Collective

Yahuba Garcia-Torres brings us the Boogaloo Collective, a project celebrating the merger of Salsa and R&B from 1960s-70s New York City. With an all-star lineup of New England musicians, including special guests, this performance promises to be a journey through a pivotal era of music history. Get ready to dance to the infectious rhythms of boogaloo!

5:30 p.m.  – 7 p.m.: Sonya Rae Taylor

Sonya Rae Taylor

Closing out our festival is the dynamic Sonya Rae Taylor. Known for her soaring vocals and masterful guitar work, Taylor, along with her husband Ryan Taylor and a stellar band, delivers a sound that’s deeply rooted in blues, jazz, funk, and soul, yet uniquely modern. With catchy hooks and captivating songcraft, Sonya Rae Taylor is the perfect act to cap off an incredible day of music.

Between All Live Music Sets – DJ Skot Void 

DJ Skot Void

DJ Skot Void has been a presence in and around Salem and the North Shore for the past 15 years. A record collector and DJ first, Skot plans on spinning a set of northern soul, rare funk and deep disco jukebox 45s from his expansive vinyl collection.

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The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is recreating and renewing the vibrant jazz scene that began at the Salem Willows in the early 20th century, when the leaders of the Big Band era played at the seaside park’s ballroom. The festival builds on this rich jazz history — adding soul, blues, and funk to the mix — by offering a series of free concerts to the public throughout the year, concluding with our annual main festival.

“It’s an opportunity to bring our community together over a shared love of jazz and soul and an appreciation of art and education at a historic place where you can still hear echoes of Duke Ellington resonating from his engagement here almost 100 years ago,” said Festival president Larry Claflin Jr.  “We aim to amplify those good vibes with the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival and with our giving initiatives in the community, as well as a lot more evenings of entertainment throughout the year.”

The Salem Willows of the 1920’s featured the Charleshurst Ballroom at the location that now houses the Willows Casino.  Due in part to the convenience of its location on the east coast circuit’s coastline pathway, the nightspot attracted big bands from around the country.  Owner Charlie Shribman facilitated appearances of many of the greats in the Salem area: Count Basie; Guy Lombardo; Glen Miller; and perhaps most notably Duke Ellington for a run of shows in the summer of 1927, shortly after Bostonians Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney joined Ellington’s line up on alto and baritone sax, respectively.  Reviews of the day confirmed that Ellington’s appearances “…set New England ‘dance crazy’,” and the Jazz And Soul Festival is here to keep it that way!

ABOUT SALEM JAZZ AND SOUL FESTIVAL

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival began in the early aughts, when a group of imaginative residents of Salem – a city teeming with gifted musicians – proposed the idea of starting a music festival celebrating the rich history of jazz and soul music in the area.  Set with a goal to bring the diverse community together with a plan to use the festival as an engine for music education, the group grew into a team, adding musicians, actors, writers, promoters, and businesspeople from the North Shore until the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival was fully formed with a dedicated board of directors. The festival’s inaugural fundraiser, a sold-out event, took place on April 21, 2007.

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival draws thousands of visitors each year to enjoy a free day-long concert at the Salem Willows as well as several concerts and events throughout the year.  So far, the festival board has hosted over 100 free concerts and raised more than $70,000  to support music education efforts throughout the North Shore. 

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces free concerts and supports music-education causes on Massachusetts’ North Shore.  The festival is passionately dedicated to enriching the North Shore’s cultural landscape. It orchestrates a spectacular array of free concerts that showcase a vibrant mix of jazz and soul music as well as other genres. Moreover, the organization actively fundraises to provide vital financial support to music education initiatives throughout the North Shore region, fostering the next generation of musical talent.

Salem Jazz And Soul Festival Website 
Facebook Festival Page   
Facebook Event Page  
Instagram Page  

GIVING INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Made grants to area group homes and after-school music programs
  • Initiated music education program at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem
  • Donated money and new equipment to North Shore high school jazz bands
  • Produced more than 100 free concerts
  • Developed an intern program in which local students can learn audio production
  • Running an annual music-related art contest for children in elementary school
  • Funded an 8-week interactive workshop for children in the neurodivergent spectrum
  • Disbursed scholarships for students to attend regional music camps
  • Created a monthly music series for grade-schoolers at Salem Public Library and homeless families at a North Shore hotel
  • Won Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Gold Star Award in 2013

2024 FESTIVAL SPONSORS

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