Quoted from Berklee News:

Berklee Brings Music Mix to the North Shore for Salem Jazz and Soul Festival “Berklee Summer Series,” May 10–August 9

No need to stay land-locked when there’s great music on the North Shore. Berklee and the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival are cosponsoring a pre-festival line-up of some of Berklee’s best starting May 10. An appetizing menu of artists for the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival “Berklee Summer Series” at Derby Square will have music lovers salivating for what’s to come. The crowd can sample these artists during the four-part series one Saturday a month through August 9, between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. in front of Old Town Hall, Front Street, Salem, Massachusetts.

Featured will be Juan Chavez, the Zach Hillyard Band, La Timbistica, and Manami Morita. The concerts are free and open to the public. This venue is within walking distance of the Salem stop on the Newburyport/ Rockport line. For more information visit salemjazzsoul.com or call 978 744-8258.

After a tantalizing taste of these Berklee groups, crowds are sure to be eager for the entree. The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival Concert Series aims to add some soul and funk while renewing the rich musical history that began when Duke Ellington and other big band musicians played the Salem Willows. Proceeds from the festival will support music education in Salem and fund the festival. The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival “Berklee Summer Series” Schedule:

May 10, Juan Chavez – This salsa violinist hails from Dallas, Texas, where he attended the Dallas Performing Arts High School before coming to Berklee. He is widely recognized for his knowledge of Afro-Cuban music, and has taught many classes and workshops, including a 2004 Afro-Cuban Strings Seminar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Chavez has traveled and performed throughout the country at such venues as the Kennedy Center, Disney’s Epcot Center, and the San Jose Jazz Festival and was featured live on the XM Satellite Radio Salsa station, Caliente. He is currently working on his first album, Salsa for Strings, and is writing a book on contemporary Afro-Cuban violin. Chavez studies with violinist and Berklee professor Rob Thomas (Mahvishnu Project, String Trio of New York). For this performance he will be backed by an eight-piece group, complete with horns, strings, and percussion.

June 14, Zach Hillyard Band (funk, r&b, soul, pop) – An amalgam of talent, the Zach Hillyard Band has been touring the New England music scene, with stints in New York and Southern California, playing for audiences of all ages and musical interests. Performing songs with elements of pop, funk, and soul, this group offers a little something for everyone. Recently the band was named the Best College Band in New England after winning OurStage.com’s College Clash Competition. Zach Hillyard Band Photo provided by the artist