jazz

Next Jazz Legacy, a collaborative program between the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and New Music USA, is days away from granting its first six fellowships to women and nonbinary improvisers in jazz.

Jazz musicians released albums this year to celebrate life after incubation brought on by the pandemic. Six albums stand out with enough depth, surprise and harmony to bear listening to weekly. One is a surprising discovery, recorded in 1961 and only released two weeks ago!

Pianist and composer Donal Fox performs Friday, Dec. 3 in a free, mostly virtual event as part of the JazzNOW series co-sponsored by GBH and JazzBoston.

Vocalist Daymé Arocena will be in concert on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center. Arocena, who hails from Cuba, defies genres in her integration of jazz, African percussion and the traditional sounds of her homeland.

Audiences will gather live at ArtsEmerson for the first time after a 20-month pandemic hiatus to see the world premiere of “Iphigenia.” Composer Wayne Shorter and librettist esperanza spalding have reimagined the myth with a powerful score and a new perspective on one of the sacrificial daughters of Greek lore.

Bostonian Gregory Groover Jr. released his second album, “Negro Spiritual Songbook, Volume 2,” on August 16 on the Jazz Urbane label. A sax player, composer and Boston Public Schools teacher, Groover draws upon his upbringing and current involvement in the African Methodist Episcopal church as well as the rudiments and melodies of jazz

Saxophonist and Grammy Award-winner Kenny Garrett released his album “Sounds from the Ancestors” on August 27 and is back on the road to showcase its songs along with his earlier compositions.

Musicians are releasing new albums in August and September to showcase their strengths and concerns that incubated during the global pandemic.

The Dudley Jazz Festival is back this summer, showcasing three generations of jazz musicians at Mary Hannon Park on Saturday, Aug. 21, 12:30-4:30 p.m. The beloved festival has been bringing free music to the Roxbury/Dorchester community since 2016.

New England Conservatory faculty member and renowned jazz drummer Billy Hart has been given the highest honor bestowed on jazz musicians by the United States government: the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master title.

Jazz and soul vocalist Allan Harris is finding new audiences to add to his fan base that stretches back decades. A fixture of the NYC music scene, Harris has a new album out this year with all of the songs his own compositions, and he just completed a sold-out gig at Birdland, the legendary jazz club in midtown Manhattan.

Live jazz is back at the Mad Monkfish in Central Square, Cambridge. After a long hiatus of nearly 16 months due to the COVID pandemic, this small restaurant has put music back on its pan-Asian and sushi menu. In the month of July alone, 10 performances will take place, with two shows per scheduled evening.