JazzBoston at BeanTown
JazzBoston would like to thank its volunteer crew, the Berklee College of Music, and the Boston-based musicians who helped make our second appearance at the BeanTown Jazz Festival on September 29 a resounding success. Throughout the afternoon, hundreds of festival-goers stopped by the JazzBoston tent on Columbus Avenue to meet some of the talented musicians who call Boston their home and contribute their words to the interactive exhibit, "What Does Jazz Mean to You?" For some snapshots of the scene at JazzBoston's big tent, see the slideshow below.
Meet Boston's Musicians
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The "Meet Boston's Musicians" program was designed to give jazz fans and music lovers in general the opportunity to make a personal connection with an outstanding group of musicians who reflect the diversity of Boston's lively jazz scene. Every hour from noon to 6:00 PM, two or three musicians took their places at the table in the center of the tent to talk with passersby about their music and the local scene. The steady stream of visitors ranged from friends and aficionados to newcomers and out-of-towners curious to know what was happening in our city.
Participating in the event were Egui Castrillo, Arni Cheatham, Dominique Eade, Laszlo Gardony, Yoron Israel, Charlie Kohlhase, John Kordalewski, Yoko Miwa, Vanessa Morris, Tiger Okoshi, Carmen Staaf, Valerie Stephens, Robert Stringer, and Patricia Zarate.
What Does Jazz Mean to You?
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Jazz means many different things to many different people. Using an interactive installation created in collaboration with The Art Connection, we asked visitors to the JazzBoston tent to contribute their reflections about the role jazz plays in their lives. Writing on colored strips of paper that they affixed to the display with pushpins, dozens of people shared some of their innermost thoughts with us. Here are a few examples:
"Jazz is all the rainbow colors of the human soul, made sound: joy, despair, ecstasy, agony, confusion, nonchalance, playful seriousness and serious play!"
"It means freedom — pure, true, sonic freedom."
"Jazz is the essence of the American dream."
"Jazz is life, love, and laughter. When I hear jazz music, I feel so many souls and loved ones that it keeps those that have passed alive."
"Life itself!"
"Jazz is what my brother does for a living, as much as possible."
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This show contains 13 photos. Click on the image for rapid advance.
