By Hugh Willett, News Correspondent
Columbus Avenue was closed to commuter traffic and transformed into “Boston’s Biggest Block Party” on Sept. 24 for the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival.
This was the centerpiece of the weekend’s festivities, the finale of Berklee’s 2011 Summer in the City outdoor concert series. Columbus Avenue alone boasted two concert stages — the Subaru of New England Stage around the Burke Street entrance, as well as the Berklee Stage, which was located at the intersection at Massachusetts Avenue. A third stage was situated in Carter Playground, which was transformed into the Natixis Global Asset Management Family Park.
The family-friendly park had everything from moonwalks to balloon animals and face painting, but in a day dominated by music, it was the neon-colored maracas that got the most attention. Street performers like Marcus Santos & Bloco AfroBrazil paraded up and down the closed off street as if it was an event at the FIFA World Cup.
Another tent in the park was labeled the Berklee Instrument Petting Zoo, which replaced live animals with live instruments, from drums and saxophones to flutes.
Wearing green t-shirts, the support staff was mostly made up of Berklee College of Music staff and students promoting their new green initiative of composting, which could be found along with their trash and recycling at various waste stations throughout the festival. Northeastern University Division of Public Safety and the Boston Police Department were also present and canvassing the event.
Columbus Avenue became a bustling neighborhood representing many cultures. The food aromas varied from burritos to burgers, jambalaya to Korean BBQ. Though it wasn’t a particularly hot day, it was humid, making lemonade a very popular item for many vendors. For those on a tighter budget, there was a free water stand.
One of the biggest draws at the festival was Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Legacy Band, which featured Hayes, a former drummer for Cannonball Adderley, who also played with many other jazz greats such as Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery and John Coltrane. Another popular favorite was the Berklee P-Funk Ensemble, a Berklee class playing George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic numbers.
“It’s a great relationship between Berklee and the City of Boston,” John Arcaro, an assistant professor in Berklee’s Piano Department, said. “We try to vary who we bring in, but we always have a lot of Berklee staff and students play.”
While it was a Berklee event, Northeastern students mingled all around in the densely packed blocks filled with music, food and family-friendly activities. The event took place right outside university dorms Davenport A and B, just a couple blocks down from International Village.
“My friends had gone to this last year and said it was a really good time,” Kristen Silva, a senior studying nursing, said. “I’m living on Columbus this year so I figured I’d come check it out and enjoy the free music.”
With everything the festival had to offer, the one thing that seemed most enticing to everybody was the free admission.
“My girlfriend was visiting for the weekend, and we figured this would be a fun thing to do, because we love jazz and live music, especially when it’s free,” James Rothman, Northeastern sophomore said. “I’m currently undeclared but I have a passion for music. Jazz is great, but really any music in particular.”
With over 70,000 attendees last year, the festival is one of the biggest jazz events in the country. When asked to describe his thoughts on the event, Fred Bouchard, a Berklee Music journalism professor didn’t mince words: “Eclectic, electric, acoustic, dynamic.”
