"(Re)Building a Vibrant Boston-Area Jazz Community Post-Pandemic": virtual town meeting.

The “(Re)Building a Vibrant Boston-Area Jazz Community Post-Pandemic” panel discussion and town meeting, organized by local community advocate JazzBoston (jazzboston.org), is intended to start addressing head on the dire situation experienced by the Boston-area jazz community due to the COVID-19 pandemic — with music venues closed indefinitely, festivals cancelled, on-site live gigs non-existent. The meeting will bring together panelists who represent the various aspects that constitute the community — musicians, audiences, venues/presenters, and the media – in order to brainstorm, to seek a path forward, and to advise the new leadership of JazzBoston on how it can be most helpful to the community.

The meeting will begin with welcoming words from the Dean of Boston Jazz Radio, JazzBoston Board member Eric Jackson. Incoming JazzBoston Board President, saxophonist/composer Ken Field, will then introduce the panelists who will share information and perspectives on financial and other resources for jazz musicians and venues/presenters, as well as concrete ideas for community building and support on the part of jazz fans & audience members. Panelists will include:
— Kevin Harris, Faculty, Berklee College of Music;
— Adrienne Petrillo, Senior Program Director, New England Foundation for the Arts;
— Larry Ward, Co-Founder, Cambridge Jazz Foundation;
— Dan Blask, Program Officer for Music Composition, Massachusetts Cultural Council;
— Jon Garelick, Jazz Writer, Boston Globe, Arts Fuse;
— Julia Ryan, Artist Resource Manager, Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, City of Boston.
Following the panel presentations, there will be time allocated for JazzBoston leadership to hear attendees’ questions and comments regarding the role of JazzBoston within the shared jazz community. To conclude the event, there will be an online live performance by acclaimed pianist, composer, and educator Kevin Harris (kevinharrisproject.com).