Joe’s Jazz and Blues Festival provided a wonderful opportunity for attendees to enjoy good music in a natural setting on Saturday.

By SC

The Somerville Arts Council presented the annual Joe’s Jazz and Blues Festival, a free, all-day, outdoor event in beautiful Powderhouse Park, on Saturday, June 15, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Bands and artists that performed on Saturday included the Somerville High School Jazz Band, Meridian 71 – led by Italian drummer and composer Giuseppe Paradiso – Joe Bargar & The Soul Providers, Ken Field Nonstandards, Shokazoba, and BJ Magoon & Driving Sideways.

The band Nonstandards, and their lead saxophonist Ken Field, played many of his original songs, like The Skunk Is D’Funk’d, Tensleep, Strange Cults, Buck, Under the Skin and Present.

Many of the musicians that played on the festival are well known in the international world of Jazz music, including Helen Sherrah a violinist who has played with Jon Lord, Herbie Flowers, Sam Brown and others.

Guitarist Jeff Lockhart has recorded for Beyoncé and Dido, apart from being a former musical director for Brian McKnight.

Bassist Mike Rivard has played with members of the Velvet Underground and forms part of the band Club d’Elf, that has toured internationally with artists like DJ Logic and Marc Ribot.

Jazz drummer Yoron Israel has toured with Tony Bennett and is an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music.

Ken Field, who is also a composer, said that when he was putting together a band to play on Saturday he knew exactly which musicians would make a great contribution to the ensemble.

He also said that he is incredibly thankful for The Somerville Arts Council because producing a jazz festival is not easy, and he appreciates having the opportunity to perform some of his original songs.

Everybody who attended the festival, whether sitting down, dancing to the music, or taking pictures, enjoyed both the beautiful weather and the lively atmosphere that Joe’s Jazz and Blues Festival had to offer.

~Photos by SC