Green Sky 

Mark Shilansky, called a “superior modern mainstream pianist" by Jon Garelick at the Boston Globe, and his longtime Berklee colleague vibraphonist Rich Greenblatt ("dazzling speed and a truly magical touch" - John Blenn, Good Times) come together for the co-led project Green Sky. Their self-titled 2022 debut, on which they were supported by ace rhythm team Greg Toro on bass and Mike Connors on drums, is an upbeat collection of tasteful and grooving original compositions and imaginative arrangements of jazz classics. Greenblatt has released four other albums as a leader, and teaches in the Ear Training and Ensembles departments at Berklee. Shilansky has released four albums as a leader, as well as a collection from his jazz/Americana project Fugue Mill. For many years, he has taught jazz piano and ensembles at his alma mater UNH, and ear training, arranging, harmony, and ensembles at Berklee. For their Dot Jazz appearance, Greg Loughman is in for Greg Toro on bass, and the core quartet configuration will be augmented by guitarist Caio Afiune. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. Kids under 18 free at the door. **Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at 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

Jacob William's Trio Spanning

On April 26th, bassist Jacob William convenes his Trio Spanning at the QArts Gallery (1229 Hancock St, Quincy) for an evening of spontaneous musical creation. Born in Chennai and raised in Bangalore, India, Jacob began playing bass guitar in his teens and was quickly performing with forward-thinking jazz musicians throughout India. He studied finance and economics before a music scholarship brought him to the US in 1991. He studied jazz bass at Berklee and holds a Master of Arts in Music from Wesleyan, where he continued studies in contemporary jazz and improvised music while also training in South Indian Carnatic music and percussion. He has performed and recorded with a very wide array of luminaries in jazz and improvised music. Jacob’s performances span continents, with appearances in Asia, Europe, and the United States, including Indian National Television and Radio DRS in Zurich. He has contributed to over 20 recordings, with releases on labels such as Warner, Intuition, Magnasound, Not Two, and Ayler Records. ​As an educator, he has taught at Wesleyan University, Bridgewater State University, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth At QArts, he’ll be joined by Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela, whose sweeping command of Afro-Cuban rhythm and modern jazz drumming have enriched the bands of such jazz luminaries as McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano and Kenny Barron, and Jim Hobbs, a Boston-based alto saxophonist and improviser who has spent decades building a raw, lyrical, playful sound in the Fully Celebrated Orchestra and other projects. William and Mela have only recently begun to explore sound together, but have already proven themselves a formidable and adventurous unit. William and Hobbs have a deep musical relationship, having played together in various configurations for decades. The three will come together for the first time on April 26th with no compositions, no arrangements, and no map but with a shared commitment to deep listening, spontaneous creation and newfound understanding. This concert is presented with generous support from the Quincy Arts Council. Q Arts Gallery is located a very short walk from Quincy Center station on the Red Line. Street parking is free on Sundays. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. $10 for students. $5 for EBT/WIC cardholders. Free for kids under 18.

QArts Gallery

Dave Zinno's Z3

We close the 2025-2026 Dot Jazz year with bassist Dave Zinno’s Z3 featuring Rafael Barata on drums and Dino Govoni on tenor saxophone. Dave Zinno has been performing professionally since 1980 and is on faculty at The University of Rhode Island, Salve Regina and Brown University. With over sixty recordings, Dave’s discography includes recordings with Greg Hopkins, Mick Goodrick, Hal Crook, Bob Gullotti, Leo Genovese, John Medeski, Shawnn Monteiro, Scott Hamilton, Jay Azzolina, Adam Nussbaum to name a few. He has also released three recordings as a leader on the Whaling City sound label. Recent touring and performances include festivals and concerts with Unisphere in Boston, Portland ME, and Rockport MA, with Baptiste Herbin and in Duduka da Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro,and a tour with award winning Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas that included a set at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival and concerts in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In March 2025, Dave was a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in their “Coltrane Legacy for Orchestra” concerts featuring Terance Blanchard. Z3 features Zinno’s longtime musical associates Rafael Barata on drums and Dino Govoni on tenor saxophone. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. Kids under 18 free at the door. **Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at Tavolo, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Seth Meicht Quartet

On May 17th, saxophonist Seth Meicht and his quartet perform at the QArts Gallery (1229 Hancock St, Quincy). The quartet, which also features Eric Hofbauer on guitar, Nate McBride on electric bass, and Curt Newton on drums, bring a new energy to some hidden and less frequently performed compositions in the jazz canon. The band transforms and extends pieces by such jazz idealists as Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Eddie Harris and Wiliiam Parker. Members of the group have spent decades committed to creative collaboration and have performed together in multiple ensembles in Boston, including Eric Hofbauer's Five Agents, Charlie Kohlhase's Explorers Club, Jorrit Dijkstra’s Blink, the Eric Hofbauer Quartet, Matchbox, and The Makanda Project in addition to this new quartet setting. This concert is presented with generous support from the Quincy Arts Council. Q Arts Gallery is located a very short walk from Quincy Center station on the Red Line. Street parking is free on Sundays. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. $10 for students. $5 for EBT/WIC cardholders. Free for kids under 18.

Brooke Sofferman's Adventure Time

Mandorla Music is excited to be back at Theodore Parker Church for this concert by Brooke Sofferman's Adventure Time. Brooke Sofferman is a drummer and composer and an endorser of Sonor Drums, Istanbul Agop Cymbals and Vater Percussion. Sofferman is active on the Boston and New York jazz scene. His five releases as a leader have earned dozens of rave reviews from publications like the Boston Globe and Downbeat. He has been teaching at his alma mater, the New England Conservatory of Music, for 20 years, in addition to teaching posts at Berklee and UMass Boston. He's joined in Adventure Time by alto saxophonist Rick Stone, guitarist Nate Radley and bassist Sean Farias. Together, they play energetic and creative modern jazz, both original compositions and inventive arrangements. Doors at 7:30, music at 8. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students/fixed income $10, kids under 18 free at the door.

Theodore Parker Church

Wintersounds: FauxMenco

The Eustis Estate and Mandorla Music invite you to enjoy an afternoon of music and camaraderie inside the mansion at our final Wintersounds concert of the season. Catherine Capozzi and Rafi Sofer, performing as FauxMenco, draw musical inspiration from flamenco, surf, manouche, rock, metal, and classical influences. FauxMenco loves to explore and strives to create exciting nylon string guitar dreamscapes that are propulsive and timeless. Catherine is a genre-bending, award-winning film composer and producer who was selected by Brian May to win his famed Red Special guitar. Rafi is an engineer/producer at Q Division Studios and an educator at Berklee College of Music in Boston who also explores visual and digital media. Their recent self-produced debut EP is "Speed X Volume = FauxMenco." Your ticket (Historic New England members: $25, non-members: $35) includes admission to the museum and refreshments. Doors open at 4:00, and music starts at 5:00.

Eustis Estate

Catherine Bent's Brasil Sonoroso

The Eustis Estate and Mandorla Music invite you to enjoy an afternoon of music and camaraderie inside the Estate's 19th century mansion! Catherine Bent is a pioneering cellist in the Brazilian musical traditions of Choro and Forró. She is an Associate Professor at Berklee and on faculty at Choro Camp New England. Her wide-ranging career has included recordings, performances and tours with Cirque du Soleil, Joe Jackson, Lee Konitz, Greg Osby, Merce Cunningham Dance, Enya, Kanye West, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, and poet laureate Robert Pinsky.&nbsp; Rob Curto (accordion and vocals) grew up immersed in swing era jazz and moved to Brazil after falling for Choro and Forró. He helped introduce the music to a broader international audience an original member of the NYC band Forró in the Dark. He has toured the US and Canada with his project Rob Curto's Forró For All.&nbsp; Seba Ramírez (percussionist) is from Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. His playing is steeped in jazz, Paraguayan, Brazilian, and other South American musical traditions. He came to Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute after studies at the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona and extensive experience touring and recording.&nbsp; Tickets include admission to the museum and refreshments. Historic New England members $25, non-members $35. Through our participation in the Card to Culture program, EBT/WIC card holders get in for $10. Doors open at 4:00, and music starts at 5:00.

Felipe Salles Quartet

A native of São Paulo, Brazil, saxophonist, flutist and composer Felipe Salles has been a professor of Jazz and African American Music at UMass Amherst since 2010. He has performed and recorded with prominent jazz artists, including Randy Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, David Liebman, Melissa Aldana, Lionel Loueke, Jerry Bergonzi and many more. He has toured extensively in Europe, North and South America, India, and Australia, as a sideman and as a leader of his own group.. His arrangements and compositions have been performed by some of the top groups in the world including The Metropole Orchestra, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Amazonas Band, Helsinki Philharmonic Violas, Meta4 String Quartet, Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra, New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra, and New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, among others. For this concert, he’ll be joined by pianist Nando Michelin, bassist Keala Maumeheiwa and drummer Bertrem Lehmann to perform music from his most recent recording, Camera Obscura, released on the Tapestry label in June 2025. “Camera Obscura does not dazzle with spectacle. It seduces with shadows, with carefully chosen silences, with the slow unfurling of a vision that refuses to conform to immediacy. In a world saturated with speed and surface, Felipe Salles reminds us that depth takes time, and that sometimes, the clearest truths appear not in the light, but in the half-light, where imagination and memory meet." - Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move, June 1, 2025. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. Kids under 18 free at the door. **Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at Tavolo, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue . The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

TIm Ray Trio

We kick off the 2026 Dot Jazz Series with the Tim Ray Trio on Saturday 1/10 at 8pm. Pianist Tim Ray’s wide-ranging skills as a soloist and accompanist have afforded him the opportunity to perform with legendary artists across musical genres. He is perhaps best known as Tony Bennett’s pianist and musical director from 2016 until his retirement in 2000. He regularly performs with leading figures in the jazz world, among them Kurt Elling, Gary Burton, Esperanza Spalding, Phil Woods, Terri Lyne Carrington, Scott Hamilton, Dave Douglas, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Lewis Nash and Rufus Reid. Tim has performed in concert with an extensive list of pop music icons, notably Aretha Franklin, Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt, Jane Siberry and Soul Asylum. His classical credits include solo performances and concerts with the Boston Pops, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the Glens Falls (NY) Symphony. The concert will feature Tim’s original compositions and arrangements. He’ll be joined by a dream rhythm team: bassist John Lockwood and drummer Austin McMahon. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. Kids under 18 free at the door. **Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at Tavolo, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue. The Dot Jazz Series is co-produced by Mandorla Music and Greater Ashmont Main Street.

Zambra Collective

The December 6th Dot Jazz Series concert features Zambra. Zambra (from the Arabic word for "gathering") is a unique collaboration of global artists from Andalusia, NYC, Atlanta, Catalonia, and Tehran. Zambra creates imaginative arrangements that bridge flamenco, Persian classical, Indian, Catalonian, and jazz traditions. Through original compositions and traditional melodies, the quintet celebrates cultural connection, innovation, sisterhood, and the art of improvisation. Devon Gates (bass, vocals) Queralt Giralt Soler (cello, vocals) Ria Modak (guitar, vocals) Ángela Varo Moreno (violin, vocals) Bahar Badiei (oud, vocals) The quintet's members have been mentored by world-class musicians including Joe Lovano, Linda May Han Oh, Terri Lyne Carrington, Vijay Iyer, Danilo Pérez, Javier Limón, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade. Their collaboration emerged from the interconnected communities of Harvard University, New England Conservatory, Brown University, and Berklee College of Music—particularly its Global Jazz Institute and Jazz and Gender Institute. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. Kids under 18 free at the door. **Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at 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 at the Parish of All Saints

Kim Perlak & Francisco Mela

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. The duo of Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela connects the sounds of modern classical guitar and avant-garde percussion. Their original works and spontaneous composition feature modern, impressionistic, lyrical guitar playing, and a full range of imaginative textures from the drumset. Through this new music, and an open spirit, the duo invites listeners to become a part of each performance in spirit through their active listening presence. The Perlak/Mela Duo was founded at Berklee College of Music in the summer of 2024, where Kim serves as Chair of Guitar, and Francisco serves as professor of Percussion. Historic New England members $25,&nbsp;Nonmembers $35.&nbsp; Doors at 4:00 and concert at 5:00.

The Mandorla Collective Celebrates George Russell

Together with musical directors Rick McLaughlin and Jesse Taitt, we are thrilled to announce the launch of The Mandorla Collective. Each year, a select ensemble of top Boston-based musicians will celebrate the music of a figure central to Boston jazz history whose influence continues to reverberate.&nbsp; Launching this project is an exciting next step in Mandorla Music’s evolution. Since 2013, we’ve been shining a light on the extraordinarily rich and diverse jazz scene of today’s Boston. Working with Rick and Jesse to pay homage to those who’ve come before is a deep honor. On Sunday, November 9th, in Peabody Hall at Dorchester’s Parish of All Saints, The Mandorla Collective’s debut performance will feature a celebration of the music of the late George Russell.&nbsp; Personnel for this performance will be: Allan Chase - saxophones Peter Kenagy - trumpet Randy Pingrey - trombone Amaury Cabral - guitar Liz Sinn - piano Rick McLaughlin - bass Brooke Sofferman - drums $50 - Mandorla Collective Founder $20 - advance general admission ($25 at the door) $10 - college students $5 - EBT/WEC cardholders Kids free To help raise funds to support this ambitious new project, we're offering a special Mandorla Collective Founder ticket option, which includes a pre-concert reception. Come learn more about this new project from Mandorla Music founder Mark Redmond, Mandorla Collective Music Directors Rick McLaughlin and Jesse Taitt, and 2025 Collective members as available. **Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at Tavolo, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue. Peabody Hall is wheelchair accessible, and accessible restrooms are available.

Jorrit Dijkstra's BLINK

Saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra’s new group BLINK is an avant-garde jazz/improv group that grew out of his Porch Trio, formed for Quincy Porch Fest in 2016. Porch Trio bassist Nate McBride and drummer Eric Rosenthal are joined by two electric guitarists, Boston jazz veteran Eric Hofbauer and young talent Gabe Boyarin. &nbsp; The group draws from various traditions in free jazz and improvised music, and the use of analog electronics and a vintage electric bass gives the band a grungy, experimental rock and noise edge. The band uses a microtonal tuning system between the instruments, which gives it a mesmerizing and dreamy sound, inspired by classic African High Life bands, Indonesian Gamelan and delta blues guitar players. Dijkstra’s compositions are full of collective melodic and multi-rhythmic layerings, and form a springboard for open improvisations. &nbsp; Born in the Netherlands in 1966, Jorrit moved to the United States in 2002. He works as a composer and is a Professor at Berklee College of Music and a faculty member of the New England Conservatory in Boston. His composition and playing draw from the jazz tradition in spirit and sound, but has crossed stylistic and cultural borders in order to express a strong, evolving personal vision. He spent his formative years in Amsterdam’s vibrant improvisation community playing jazz, free improvisation, and world music. Since moving to the United States in 2002, Dijkstra has deepened his affinity with the experimental forces of American music, while staying in touch with his Dutch musical roots. &nbsp; This concert is presented with generous support from the Quincy Arts Council. &nbsp; Q Arts Gallery is located a very short walk from Quincy Center station on the Red Line. Street parking is free on Sundays. &nbsp; $15 in advance, $20 at the door. $10 for students. $5 for EBT/WIC cardholders. Free for kids under 18.

Andrew Stern & John Lockwood at the Eustis Estate

The Eustis Estate and Mandorla Music invite you to a series of intimate Sunday afternoon concerts in the mansion. Our October 12th concert features a pair of top Boston instrumentalists, guitarist Andrew Stern and bassist John Lockwood. In any given week, Andrew Stern can be found playing in a very wide range of musical situations, lending his inventive guitar sound to jazz, Americana, rock, and beyond. His most recent release is Lonely Hunter, a solo guitar album featuring original compositions and interpretations of works by such diverse musical voices as Hank Williams, Neil Young, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. John Lockwood is one of Boston’s most in-demand bass players, best known for holding down the low end for local free jazz legends The Fringe for over 40 years. In addition to a busy schedule on the Boston scene, he’s toured with major jazz figures and performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, and MIT Symphony. Andrew and John have performed together in duo and trio formats over the past 10 years. Traversing Monk to Mingus, Beatles to Beach Boys, they enjoy a unique, in-the-moment rapport that inevitably leads to lively musical adventure. Your ticket (Historic New England members: $25, non-members: $35) includes admission to the museum and refreshments. Doors open at 4:00, and music starts at 5:00.

The After Times at the Dot Jazz Series

During COVID lockdown, childhood friends Josiah Reibstein (bass), Malcolm Campbell (piano) and Joe Musacchia (drums) frequently met to play music&nbsp;in each other's yards. What started as a loose session for stretching out on jazz standards turned into a workshop for original music. As The After Times, they released their debut recording <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4XusyOqvVBVFg4mpyDT5ZM?si=UCDlN7GnSJWkYZ5D95lrbA">'The Feather Room'</a> earlier this year. We're looking forward to having them in Peabody Hall next Thursday!&nbsp; There’s free parking at the venue, which is located just around the corner from the Ashmont/Peabody Square Red Line station. Make an evening of it! Show your advance ticket for 10% off dinner (excluding alcohol) at the wonderful <a href="https://tavolodotave.com/">Tavolo</a>, around the corner at 1918 Dorchester Avenue. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students $10. $5 for EBT/WIC card holders. As always, kids under are 18 free. <a href="https://events.humanitix.com/the-after-times">TIX HERE</a> 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

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 🚨

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

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

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

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.

Where

joyraft.host54980

Experiences