By Kyle Sutton
Family and friends exchanged hugs and handshakes amid the sounds of live music Saturday afternoon at the fifth annual Beantown Jazz Festival. From noon to 7 p.m., the strip of Columbus Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and Burke Street was transformed into a thriving jazz community and attracted about 40,000 people, event planners said.
The event officially kicked off the night before with a concert performance by Lalah Hathaway at the Berklee Performance Center, where tickets started at $25. Saturday afternoon’s festivities were free and open to the public. The lineup of artists and performers was cross-genred and diverse, stretching from gospel singer Tracey Gibbs to big band bangs led by Kendrick Oliver featuring Kevin Mahogany and the Latin grooves of Mango Blue.
Three stages were set up (with another canopied set for VIPs and invited guests only), one at each end of the strip and another in Carter Playground, where jazz aficionados could be seen huddled around and grooving to the music. Northeastern students and those of other nearby colleges didn’t seem to hesitate to see what all the fuss was about on Columbus.
“It was a nice day and I wanted to hear good music,” said Josh Cristiano, a senior English major who admitted he gave up studying in the library to check out the event.
One crowd-pleasing performance featured saxophonist Art Sherrod Jr. off-stage, feeding off the energy of an encircling audience that jived right along with him. Meanwhile, the vocalists of his band back on-stage took the forefront, encouraging the crowd to sing along to contemporary rap hits such as Nelly’s “Flap Your Wings” and “Lean Back” by the Terror Squad before transitioning right back into the smooth jazz that preceded it.
As in previous years, minimum donations of $5 were accepted at the entrances to benefit Prostate Cancer Awareness ‘ Research organizations. Donors were treated with a program and miniature colored beads reminiscent of Mardi Gras.
Walking down Columbus Avenue, the tantalizing aromas of an assortment of fried and ethnic foods filled the air. Local favorites like Bob’s Southern Bistro and Tremont 647 were on hand serving their popular dishes, with several other vendors serving Indian, Thai, Mexican and carnival treats such as fried dough and ice cream pops.
The cultural aspect of the Beantown Jazz Festival was unmistakable, as men, women and children from all walks of life strolled the avenue. From many canopies hung rugs, paintings and reggae hats. Many tables were adorned with jewelry, stone carvings and ethnic pieces for sale.
To appeal to younger attendees, the festival also featured jousting, moon jumps and other inflatable amusements in the park.
On the street, balloon artists crafted various animal hats for the children as stilt performers walked among the crowd and greeted the diverse passersby below.
“You see a lot of different people coming together,” said Christina Holder, a senior at Boston Latin Academy.
Holder also expressed interest in tasting all the different foods Beantown had to offer.
“And [we’re] out to see the jazz,” said her mother, Kimberly.
Christina and her mother weren’t the only ones to notice the festival’s sense of unity.
“I really enjoyed it because there was a feeling of community there,” said Andrea Tateosian, a freshman journalism major.
Along with the streetside vendors were promotional stands that included local radio stations like WILD 1090 AM and health organizations like the Osiris Group. One unique booth featured a tournament of bid whist, a card game, sponsored by Emerson College. Even Northeastern had a booth of its own, running a lottery for free tickets to the upcoming John Coltrane Memorial Concert.
Darryl Settles, producer of the Beantown Jazz Festival and owner of Bob’s Southern Bistro, recognized this year as the best turnout yet, especially with press. In the future, he would prefer to keep the event in Boston’s South End.
“It’s where the jazz’s history is at,” Settles said.
