Beantown Jazz Festival 2014
A crowd of more than 60,000 gathered for music, food, and fun at the 2014 Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Led by Berklee alumnus Marcus Santos, fan favorites Bloco AfroBrazil, brought their brand of jubilant drumming back to the festival for the ninth year in a row.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Regarded as Boston's biggest block party, the Beantown Jazz Festival brings music, games, and fun for the whole family.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Legendary drummer Sheila E. works the stage during her raucous late-afternoon performance.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Brooklyn-based Snarky Puppy performs their signature instrumental fusion sound to a packed crowd.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Known for their energetic and upbeat performances, Snarky Puppy engages with the audience during their afternoon concert.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Vocalist, songwriter, and instrumentalist Aubrey Logan belts it out onstage at this year's festival.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
The Screaming Headless Torsos live on stage, with Berklee professor Dave Fiuczynski delivering the kind of searing solos the band has become known for.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
Natixis CEO, John Hailer (pictured right), presents a scholarship to Berklee student Christoff Glaude. Joining them onstage are, from left: Terri Lyne Carrington, festival artistic director; Krystal Banfield, dean of City Music; and Larry Simpson, senior vice president of Academic Affairs/Provost.
Photo by Sean Hafferty
The 14th annual Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival brought more than 60,000 fans out into Boston's South End for a packed day of eclectic music, food, and fun that energized all in attendance. Speaking to the overall success and record-setting crowd at this year's festival, Grammy-winning drummer, composer, and Berklee professor Terri Lyne Carrington said, "The 2014 Beantown Jazz Fest had the best turnout ever and was a great day for all, with Sheila E., Snarky Puppy, Dionne Farris, and Ambrose Akinmusire setting the stages on fire!" Other notable performances included saxophonist and MacArthur "genius" fellow Miguel Zenón, and festival mainstays and crowd favorites Bloco AfroBrazil.
This year's theme was "Jazz: The Global Ambassador" and highlighted the genre's ability to expand cultural borders and bring a diverse crowd together. Faculty and alumni also played a major role, with performances by faculty artists, including Bill Banfield's the Jazz Urbane with special guest Grace Kelly; the Yoron Israel/Bill Pierce Quintet; the Screaming Headless Torsos, led by David Fiuczynski; and Marco Pignataro Jazzet featuring Eddie Gomez; as well as alumni acts such as Melissa Aldana and Crash Trio, and Aubrey Logan.
For the fifth year, Berklee was the recipient of the Access to Artistic Excellence grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support this year's festival. Reflecting this year's global theme, the NEA cited the festival as a celebration of Boston’s diversity as evidenced by the attendees, music, food, and crafts.