Arts & Entertainment
Jazz & Soul Fest Brings Taste of New Orleans to Salem
Jazz and Soul Festival to feature professional acts from New Orleans as well as student performers, local vendors and music education activities.
The North Shore will get a taste of the French Quarter this year at the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival.
The fifth annual event kicks off Saturday, Aug, 20, with New Orleans band Bonerama and lasts through Sunday, Aug. 21, with headliners Big Sam’s Funky Nation.
The free weekend festival will also feature student performers, regional bands and professional acts, as well as local vendors.
The festival’s Executive Director Larry Claflin promises that this year’s event will be the biggest and most diverse since its inception in 2007.
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He’s especially excited to introduce the North Shore to Bonerama’s eclectic “brass funk rock” style and the band’s award-winning trombone section.
“It’s nice to be able to bring New Orleans here to let them experience it,” Claflin said. “Especially after Katrina, to allow the people from this area see what they have overcome in the past few years… it’s just tremendous.”
Claflin said the organizers of the festival have tried to “step it up” this year by bringing a second New Orleans-based band into the festival — Big Sam’s Funky Nation. This funk jazz band, which was recently featured on the HBO show, Treme, will headline Saturday’s performances.
Charles Neville and the Harvey Diamond Quartet will also be gracing the stage in Salem, providing North Shore residents with the opportunity to see one of the Neville brothers up close and personal.
Several Boston-based bands will be making the trek up Route 95, such as Goldberg, Miksis & Langone, with the North Shore’s own Eric Goldberg tickling the ivories. The Jazz Band and the North Shore Project, both student bands, will open for these acts.
“There’s never a shortage of great musicians in this area,” Claflin said. “We’re trying to showcase what the North Shore has to offer as well.”
In addition to all of the musical acts, the festival will have an educational component. There will be workshops throughout the weekend for jazz enthusiasts of all ages and smaller instruments for kids to jam on.
All of the events will take place in the , with performances on the Willows Main Stage. Festival organizers are looking to help benefit Willow’s businesses and the event will offer a beer garden in addition to fare from local vendors.
“We want this to be a real community event where everyone can take something away from it,” Claflin said.
The festival runs Aug. 20-21 in the Salem Willows. For more information and exact show times, see the festival website. All shows are free.
