A Jazz Square Celebration coming Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27 and 28, in and around the South End will celebrate the area’s rich musical history, with a range of free programming, including concerts and jam sessions, as well as an official Jazz Square dedication.
Presented by the Boston Jazz Foundation, this two-day celebration kicks off with the Jazz Square Opening Ceremony on Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at A.T. O’Keeffe’s at 911 Boylston St., where guests will eat, drink, and toast Boston’s vibrant Jazz scene at a pre-show cocktail hour.
Next up will be award winning pianist Julius Rodriguez and saxophonist Seba Molnar performing from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Red Room at Café 939 at 939 Boylston St.
Friday night’s festivities will conclude with a Late Night Set with Noah Preminger from 10 p.m. to12:30 a.m. at Wally’s Jazz Café – the venerable, family-owned jazz club at 427 Massachusetts Ave. (This and other events at Wally’s are all ages 21+.)
On Saturday, the official Jazz Square Dedication is set for 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the intersection of Columbus and Massachusetts avenues (in front of Cacao, a coffee shop located at 570 Columbus Ave.). Musicians from the New England Conservancy will be on hand to perform jazz selections for the occasion.
Bob Barney, president of the Claremont Neighborhood Association, said: “The Claremont Neighborhood Association is pleased to see the dedication taking place this month after the city agreed to name the corner of Massachusetts and Columbus Avenues Jazz Square in 2022. We are grateful for the partnership we have forged with some wonderful people such as Seba Molnar and Moriah Phillips from the Boston Jazz Foundation, Dzidzor Azaglo from the Reckonings Project at Northeastern University and of course Frank and Paul Poindexter at Wally’s.”
Guest speakers expected at the dedication include Bonnie Johnson from WICN’s Colors of Jazz, City Council President Ruthzee Louijene, District 7 City Councilor Tania Fernades Anderson, and State Rep. John Moran, added Barney.
The Mass Ave Coalition’s Community Fest 2024 will follow on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. in Chester Square Park, which will include music by Mike Garry Band as part of free community event, which will also feature children’s activities, food, and even an interactive game that will allow participants a chance to win prizes from local businesses.
The Community Fest 2024 will be the biggest undertaking to date for the coalition which now comprises Chester Square Neighbors, the Claremont Neighborhood Association, the St. Botolph Neighborhood Association, the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association, and the partnership’s latest addition, the Hurley Blocks Neighborhood Association. This event replaces the former Mass Ave Coalition Festival, which was held successfully first in 2022 and again last year in Chester Square Park.
(Visit the Mass Ave Coalition’s website at https://massavecoalition.wixstudio.io/home for more information on its Community Fest 2024.)
A Jazz Square Celebration continues on Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m., with the BJF Jazzy Jam Session, hosted by Jonathan Suazo, at Wally’s Jazz Café. While the evening concludes Late Night Set with Noah Preminger from 10 p.m. to 12:30 am., also at Wally’s.
Supported by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Jazz Square is a collaboration between the Claremont Neighborhood Association, Boston Jazz Foundation, Reckonings Project, Wally’s Cafe & Jazz Club, and JazzBoston.
For more information on A Jazz Square Celebration, visit bostonjazzfoundation.org.