Jared Sims Quartet

Rescheduled from Feb 2025, cancelled due to weather. Saxophone and flute player Jared Sims (credits include Duochrome, Hellbender, Dead Cat Bounce, Miracle Orchestra etc), is recently back in Boston after some years away, and we're glad to present one of his newer projects, this quartet featuring Rebecca Cline on piano, Fernando Huergo on bass and Gen Yoshimura on drums. Expect upbeat and funky original music infused with Latin rhythms. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students / fixed income $10, kids under 18 free. Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at the wonderful Tavolo, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Peabody Hall, Parish of All Saints

Zahili Zamora & Claudio Ragazzi

Our May 2025 Dot Jazz concert will feature the Zahili Zamora and Claudio Ragazzi Duo. Cuban pianist Zahili Zamorá and an Argentinean guitarist Claudio Ragazzi blend vibrant Afro-Cuban rhythms with the soulful melodies of Argentinean tango and folk music. Expect original compositions, intricate improvisations, fiery solos, and heartfelt harmonies, taking the audience on a musical journey through Latin America. Zahili Gonzalez Zamora is a pianist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and educator. Born in Manzanillo, Cuba, she started playing piano at the age of six, and graduated from the National School of Music with a performance degree. She feels most defined by her Cuban heritage and her status as an immigrant. Her passion for music has taken her to Canada, to Southeast Asia and, now, to the United States. Her rich musical background, career experience and extraordinary improvisation skills render her a leader in the modern Latin jazz idiom and an influential, emulated musician. Guitarist Claudio Ragazzi is a Grammy winner and an Emmy-winning film composer who has performed with some of today's most respected musicians at renowned concert halls in the world. On May 10th he'll add Peabody Hall to an impressive list of venues he's performed in the past: Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, The Blue Note Jazz Club (NY and Tokyo), and Lincoln Center. Claudio has performed with a who's who of influential and respected musicians, including Gary Burton, Yo-Yo Ma, Regina Carter, Randy Brecker, Danilo Perez, Pablo Ziegler, Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett and Paquito D'Rivera. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10 and kids under 18 free at the door. Advance ticketholders can get 10% off dinner (alcohol excluded) at Tavolo, just around the corner from the venue. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Rich Greenblatt Group

Boston based jazz vibraphonist Rich Greenblatt plays with "dazzling speed and a truly magical touch" (John Blenn, Good Times magazine). He draws inspiration from the swinging style of Milt Jackson and the four-mallet technique of Gary Burton. Rich has released five albums as a leader or co-leader, most recently 'Green Sky,' a collaboration with pianist and composer/arranger Mark Shilansky. He has played in jazz and blues festivals in the U.S. and Europe and recorded with The Be-Bop Guitars, The Jazz Composers' Alliance, Hide Tokunaga, The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, The Paramount Brass Quintet, and Inspector Tuppence. Over the years he has played with such great artists as Kurt Elling, Billy Mitchell, Kevin Hayes, Valery Ponamarev, Bill Charlap, Yoron Israel, Dennis Irwin, Winard Harper, Joe Hunt, Teddy Charles and Oscar Castro-Neves. For this Mandorla Music appearance at Theodore Parker Church, he'll be joined by Greg Hopkins on trumpet and flugelhorn, Rick Dimuzio on tenor sax, Keala Kaumeheiwa on bass and Steve Langone on drums. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students/fixed income $10, kids under 18 free at the door.

Theodore Parker UU Church

Yulia Musayelyan Quartet

The April 2025 Dot Jazz concert will feature the Yulia Musayelyan Quartet. Yulia Musayelyan, flutes Maxim Lubarsky, piano Fernando Huergo, bass Gen Yoshimura, drums Flutist and composer Yulia Musayelyan was born in Moscow, Russia. A versatile performer and improviser across musical styles, she leads an original quartet and a tango-jazz project, and co-leads the Macayú Trio. Yulia collaborates regularly with the Fernando Huergo Quintet and Big Band, Greg Hopkins Big Band, Gaia Wilmer, Dario Acosta Teich, Vadim Neselovskyi, Louis Cole Big Band, and Knower. She also has extensive credits in the classical music world. Yulia has released 5 albums as leader, recorded flutes on over 35 albums as a sideperson, and toured the US, the UK, Europe, Central and South America with various musical projects. Strange Times, her fifth album as a leader, was released on Wherego Music in November 2024. The project is a musical chronicle of Musayelyan’s experience in and through the pandemic, a collection of original works and arrangements that explore uncertainty and hope. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students / fixed income $10 and kids under 18 free at the door. Advance ticket holders can get 10% off dinner at Tavolo Ristorante, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Ave. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Peabpdy Hall, Parish of All Saints

Wintersounds: Mike Rivard & Fabio Pirozzolo

The Eustis Estate and Mandorla Music invite you to a series of intimate Sunday afternoon concerts in the mansion. Your ticket includes admission to the museum and refreshments. Doors open at 4:00 and music will begin at 5:00. Our March 23rd concert will feature Mike Rivard and Fabio Pirozzolo. Bassist Mike Rivard's career has found him performing in such diverse situations as legendary rock band Hypnosonics, the Boston Pops, singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke's band, global music powerhouse Grand Fatilla, and local jazz institution Either/Orchestra. Since the late 90s, his collective project Club d'Elf has blended jazz, Moroccan rhythms, psychedelia and more, earning an enthusiastic following and critical acclaim. Along the way he's become a serious student of the sintir, a 3-stringed Moroccan lute. This special duo performance will feature Mike on sintir and his Grand Fatilla and Club d'Elf bandmate Fabio Pirozzolo on percussion and vocals. Historic New England members $25; nonmembers $35. In the event of inclement weather, events may be postponed or cancelled. Please call 617-994-6600 for more information.

The Eustis Estate

Daniel Ian Smith & the Generations Ensemble

Our March Dot Jazz concert will feature Daniel Ian Smith and the Generations Ensemble. Daniel Ian Smith is a New England based saxophonist, flutist, educator and composer with over 35 years of experience on the national and international stages. He has taught in the Harmony and Jazz Composition departments at Berklee for almost 30 years. His extensive credits included several critically acclaimed releases from his New World Jazz Composers Octet, appearance as a featured soloist on the 2023 Grammy nominated recording by the Boston Modern Orchestra project of Anthony Davis’ The Life and Times of Malcolm X, and regular local appearances with the Fernando Huergo Big Band, the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Felipe Salles' Interconnections Ensemble and the New World Jazz Composers Octet, among many others. For full bio visit: <a href="https://danieliansmith.com/bio?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3nvJ8pExjJzXcsP0LfHfzwZj95K1eaqiiWZ-PR_ciR7Xsxwfd8AiaAdzM_aem_hcpz3npA4zPFFsyyZ554tg">https://danieliansmith.com/bio</a>. For this performance, Daniel will be joined by pianist Camila Cortina Bello, electric bassist Gerson Lazo, and drummer Mark Walker.

Man On Land + Lihi Haruvi 

Mandorla Music returns to Theodore Parker Church with a very exciting evening of original jazz featuring local favorites Man On Land with saxophonist Lihi Haruvi, celebrating the release of their collective album 'Echo The Hills.' Man On Land (bassist Greg LoughMAN, drummer Austin McMahON, pianist Brian FriedLAND ) is a collectively led trio made up of three ubiquitous Boston players. They play original compositions and arrangements by all three members. A Mediterranean soul immersed in the Jazz tradition, Lihi is an active member of the international jazz scene as a saxophonist, composer and educator. She's known as a passionate improvisor with a strong belief in the healing power of music.

Wintersounds: Devon Gates & Charles Overton

The Eustis Estate and Mandorla Music invite you to a series of intimate Sunday afternoon concerts in the mansion. Your ticket includes admission to the museum and refreshments. Doors open at 4:00 and music will begin at 5:00. On February 23, we'll feature Devon Gates and Charles Overton. Harpist Charles Overton and bassist &amp; vocalist Devon Gates have each wowed Eustis Estate audiences with their own projects in the past, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to debut their new duo collaboration. Charles Overton began studying harp at age 10 and performs in jazz, orchestral, chamber and world music settings, performing regularly with Shabaka, Trio Oko, Ganavya Doraiswamy and others. Originally from Atlanta, Devon Gates has earned recognition for her composition and songwriting, and has worked with top jazz artists such Terri Lyne Carrington, Linda May Han Oh, Vijay Iyer, Danilo Perez and esperanza spalding. Historic New England members $25; nonmembers $35. In the event of inclement weather, events may be postponed or cancelled. Please call 617-994-6600 for more information.

Eustis Estate

Ethan Setiawan & Maurizio Fiore Salas

The Eustis Estate and Mandorla Music invite you to a series of intimate Sunday afternoon concerts in the mansion. Your ticket includes admission to the museum and refreshments. Doors open at 4:00 and music will begin at 5:00. On January 26, we'll feature Ethan Setiawan and Maurizio Fiore Salas. Ethan Setiawan has won both the National Mandolin Championship at Winfield, KS, and the Rockygrass Mandolin Championship. Named “creative and virtuosic” by WBUR, the Portland (ME) - based musician's path has wended its way through traditional bluegrass, to Bach partitas, to free jazz. Maurizio Fiore Salas is an accomplished performer, composer, and arranger, originally from Venezuela and is now based in Massachusetts. His unique style on guitar and cuatro draws on elements from Latin American folklore, jazz improvisation and western classical technique. Their exciting duo project combines elements of jazz with traditional music of the Americas. Historic New England members $25; nonmembers $35. In the event of inclement weather, events may be postponed or cancelled. Please call 617-994-6600 for more information.

Dan Rosenthal/Eric Hofbauer Quartet

We are excited to kick off 2025 with the Dan Rosenthal/Eric Hofbauer Quartet! Trumpet player &amp; Berklee educator Dan Rosenthal can be seen regularly on Boston bandstands with Charlie Kohlhase's Explorers Club, the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, the Fernando Huergo Big Band, among many others. He was also a longtime member of Russ Gershon's Either/Orchestra, and sometimes plays in a family band with his father, bluegrass legend Phil Rosenthal. Guitarist Eric Hofbauer can be seen performing regularly with Charlie Kohlhase's Explorers Club, Tony Malaby's Firebath, the Dylan Jack Quartet and many others. He is Chair of Jazz Studies at Longy School of Music and runs the Creative Nation Music label. The two teamed up to release 'Human Resources' on Creative Nation in 2018, and we're very happy to have them reconvene to kick off Dot Jazz 2025! They'll be joined by bassist Andrew Schiller and drummer Austin McMahon. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10 and kids under 18 free at the door. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Ehud Ettun's Desert Snow Quartet

Israeli bassist Ehud Ettun has introduced himself to the international Jazz scene playing with George Garzone, Fred Hersch, Danilo Perez, Donny McCaslin, Anat Cohen, Eli Degibri and others. He is known for his unique approach to the upright bass as a melodic instrument, and not only as a bass instrument. His uniquely developed techniques, make him an in-demand bassist all around the world.&nbsp;He has performed in venues ranging from Blue Note, New York, to Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and concerts and festivals in Europe, North America South America and Asia. In recent years, Ehud started developing his own trio sound having had toured the world performing in New York, Toronto, Boston, Poland, Germany, Serbia, South Korea and more. For this Dot Jazz appearance, Ehud will debut a new project, the Desert Snow Quartet featuring Angela Varo on violin, Tim Ray on piano and Andre Sudol on drums. "Ettun can conjure the deep soulfulness of Charlie Haden." - The Boston Globe $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10 and kids under 18 free at the door. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Revolutionary Snake Ensemble

The November Dot Jazz show features Ken Field's Revolutionary Snake Ensemble!&nbsp; For this appearance, the RSE will be: Ken Field - saxophones Jerry Sabatini - trumpet Dave Harris - trombone &amp; tuba Blake Newman - bass Phil Neighbors - drums The Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is a funk/street beat improvisational brass band performing a unique blend of original and traditional music. Labeled “explosive” by the Boston Globe. Leader Ken Field is a saxophonist/composer/improviser/one of Boston’s most dedicated and versatile musicians. Since 1988, he has been a member of Birdsongs Of the Mesozoic, a New Music/ chamber rock ensemble that began as a spinoff from the legendary Mission of Burma. The story of the RSE began Field assembled an improvisational horn and percussion group in 1990 to entertain at a pagan women’s ritual celebration. Field decided to continue the project, conceiving it initially as an improvisational group rooted in Boston’s free jazz/improv scene. NYC Jazz Record writes that “Revolutionary Snake Ensemble has been putting its unique and somewhat twisted twist on the New Orleans brass band tradition for more than 25 years…hard-partying avant-funk, with boisterous soloing." KBCS Seattle Public Radio says that RSE “continues to mine the vein of New Orleans – with post-bop, and touches of Avant – this band cooks; edgy, raucous, fun, and first rate!” And the Boston Herald adds that “People tend to think of second line bands – brass bands steeped in New Orleans traditions – as instant party starters. It’s a great compliment, maybe the best compliment ever, but it limits the sonic and emotional range of these bands. Revolutionary Snake Ensemble can absolutely get a party started. But on the local horn collective’s fourth album,&nbsp;I Want That Sound!, the players also explore the wild outerlands of jazz." $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10 and kids under 18 free at the door. Special offer: Advance ticket buyers can show their ticket for 10% off dinner (alcohol excluded) at <a href="https://tavolodotave.com/">Tavolo</a>, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Ave. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Adam O'Farrill's Stranger Days

"There’s little disagreement that [Adam O'Farrill] is among the leading trumpeters in jazz — and perhaps the music’s next major improviser." - NY Times Trumpet player Adam O’Farrill and his quartet Stranger Days will appear in concert at Theodore Parker Church on Saturday evening, October 16th. The"omnipresent, omnivorous young trumpeter” (David A. Graham, The Atlantic) and his brother Zack come from a rich musical background: their grandfather was the Afro-Cuban-Irish composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill; their father is the cultural boundary-pushing composer and pianist Arturo O’Farrill, and their mother Alison Deane is a classical pianist and educator.&nbsp; O’Farrill’s music is both abstract and personal, his compositions reflecting such diverse subjects as being mixed race, growing up in New York, family history, and spirituality, while drawing inspiration from film, literature, and folk traditions. In addition to his work as a bandleader, O'Farill is an in-demand sideman, performing regularly with bandleaders Hiromi,&nbsp;Mary Halvorson, Anna Webber and others. Stranger Days also features Xavier Del Castillo on tenor sax, Walter Stinson on bass and Zack O’Farrill on drums. Doors open at 7:30 and music starts at 8. General admission tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Students with ID $15 at the door only. Kids under 18 are free.

Parish Hall, Theodore Parker UU Church

Jason Robinson's Janus Ensemble

The music of American composer, saxophonist, flutist, and scholar Jason Robinson ("rugged and scintillating," New York Times) thrives in the fertile overlaps between improvisation and composition, acoustic music and electronics, tradition and experimentalism. Initially a devotee of post-1960s jazz and creative music, Robinson is celebrated for bringing together various historical directions in jazz--bebop, post-bop, the avant-garde--with an improvisatory and compositional sensibility drawn from and extending the languages of John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Lester Young. His musical interests, however, span far and wide. Born in 1975, he is a critically acclaimed distinctive voice in a generation of creative musicians in equal dialogue with jazz, popular music, experimental music, and electronic music. Jason Robinson’s Janus Ensemble&nbsp;ranges in size from quartet to full 11-piece ensemble featuring pianists Joshua White and Angelica Sanchez, guitarist Liberty Ellman, bassist Drew Gress, percussionists Ches Smith and George Schuller, trombonist Michael Dessen, trombonist and tubist Bill Lowe, tubist Marcus Rojas, and fellow reedists Marty Ehrlich, JD Parran, and Oscar Noriega. Members of the group reside across the United States, from California, to New York City, to small town New England. The group's latest releases are the first two albums in Robinson's Ancestral Numbers composition series, Ancestral Numbers I and Ancestral Numbers II, the first released in May 2024 and the second on 8 October 2024, both on Playscape Recordings and featuring a quintet version of the ensemble with Robinson, trombonist Michael Dessen, pianist Joshua White, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Ches Smith. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10 and kids under 18 free at the door.

Catherine Bent & Ian Coury

Ian Coury is an award-winning 10-string bandolim (Brazilian mandolin) player from Brazil who has shared stages with Brazilian legends like Toninho Horta and Hamilton de Holanda. Still in his early 20s, he is a gifted composer and a phenomenal master of his instrument. English-born cellist and composer Catherine Bent, an alumna of Cirque du Soleil, has performed and recorded with artists as diverse as Joe Jackson, Lee Konitz, Donna Summer, and poet laureate Robert Pinsky. She tours in Brazil and Europe and has a worldwide reputation as the leading cellist in Brazilian choro music. The two have a musical connection that transcends their backgrounds and crystallizes around their passion for the Afro-European traditions of Brazil. Catherine Bent has developed a rhythmic technique for playing the cello that replaces the guitar and percussion in a traditional rhythm section. Each instrument deftly contributing melody, rhythm and harmony, the duo is complete in itself: lyrical, harmonically sophisticated, and deeply grooving.&nbsp; Ian and Catherine's unique instrumentation and flights into spontaneous territory set them apart from other choro musicians in Brazil and beyond. In addition to representing both classic and modern repertoire, they also perform their original compositions in choro, samba and forró styles. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10 and kids under 18 free at the door. Advance ticket buyers can show their ticket for 10% off dinner (alcohol excluded) at Via Cannuccia, down the street at 1739 Dorchester Ave. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S19: interest based

WBUR’s 75th birthday celebrations 💫

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.