The Arlington Jazz Festival has been held annually since 2012, usually in April, a timeframe that has become known internationally as Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). Festival originator/organizer/producer and Arlington-resident Dan Fox initially dubbed his vision as the A-Town Jazz Festival, when it was more of a relatively small but ambitious experiment. Fox’s first efforts proved to be mighty enough that he has continued programming the Festival on a yearly basis. Even without missing a beat in 2020, when it needed to go virtual. Now the annual Festival has blossomed to the point that tickets to this year’s festival headliner — master jazz guitarist Mike Stern and his new quintet — are almost sold out!
This year the Festival stretches over 8 days. Many of the following concerts, most held in Arlington or nearby Medford, are free and open to all. Here is the basic calendar of events, with basic information regarding each concert.
Jazz Fest 2025
Sunday, March 30
K&R Quartet
6:30PM, Morningside Annex, 108 Summer St.
ADVANCE TICKETS (recommended) – limited availability at door.
$23 general admission
Monday, March 31
Subject2Change
7:30PM, Town Tavern, 201 Massachusetts Ave.
no cover charge
Tuesday, April 1
Bill Ward & Ian Coury
7:30PM, Morningside Annex, 108 Summer St.
Morningside Music Studio Adult Jazz Ensemble 7:30PM
Bill Ward & Ian Coury 8:15PM
no cover charge
Wednesday, April 2
Morningside Minutemen & That Trio!
7:30PM, Morningside Annex, 108 Summer St.
Morningside Minutemen 7:30PM
That Trio! 8:15PM
no cover charge
Thursday, April 3
Cuatro Gatos
6:00PM, Tryst Restaurant, 689 Mass Ave
no cover charge (reservations recommended)
and
Anouk Chemla Quartet
7:30PM, Morningside Annex, 108 Summer St.
no cover charge
Friday, April 4
Boston Universal Music Collective & Meridian 71
8:00PM, Arts Collaborative Medford, 162 Mystic Ave. #1
Boston Universal Music Collective 8:00PM
Meridian 71 9:15PM
ADVANCE TICKETS (recommended) – limited availability at door $20 general admission; $10 students and seniors
Saturday, April 5
Vertigo Trio
12:00PM, Morningside Annex, 108 Summer St.
Morningside Music Studio Adult Jazz Ensemble 12:00PM
Vertigo Trio 1:30PM
no cover charge
and
Caleb Texier Group
4:00PM, Morningside Annex, 108 Summer St.
no cover charge
and
Jonathan Fagan’s Ally Project & Open Jam
8:00PM, Donut Villa Back Room, 319 Broadway
Jonathan Fagan’s Ally Project 8:00PM
Open Jam Session with Dan Fox & Friends 10:00PM
no cover charge
Sunday, April 6
Mike Stern Group
with Dennis Chambers
7:30PM, Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St.
ADVANCE TICKETS (RECOMMENDED)
The Festival, supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture (ACAC), also receives organizing and production assistance from Arlington-based Morningside Music Studio, which is under the direction of Dan Fox. He has this solid mission: to raise awareness and appreciation of jazz through the confluence of top performers, local rising ensembles, and student groups. He is also dedicated to fostering a sense of community and an appreciation that Arlington and surrounding towns outside of Boston-proper can also be cultural destinations. Morningside’s motto: “keep the groove in your life.”
