Salem Jazz And Soul Festival

About the Event

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival (SJSF) is excited to announce its return to Salem Willows on Aug. 17, 2024 for a full day of music and celebration. This free festival will showcase a fantastic lineup of local, regional, and national bands. Our funding comes from various sources, including merchandise sales, personal contributions, grants, and corporate sponsors. We are a community-focused organization managed by a group of North Shore residents who volunteer their time to serve on our board of directors.The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is recreating and renewing the vibrant jazz scene that began at the Salem Willows in the early 20th century, when Duke Ellington and other musicians from the Big Band era played at the seaside park in Salem, Mass. The festival builds on this rich jazz history — adding soul, blues, and funk to the mix — by offering a series of annual free concerts to the public, concluding with our annual main festival.Rekindling the sparkling jazz ambiance that once echoed through Salem Willows in the early 20th century – a time when iconic figures like Duke Ellington and other Big Band era virtuosos graced the seaside park in Salem, Massachusetts – the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival breathes new life into this rich musical legacy. Incorporating an eclectic blend of soul, blues, and funk, we offer a series of annual concerts, free for the public to enjoy, culminating in our signature festival at the Willows every third weekend in August.

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