Jazz in Boston, USA.

So, I’m back from travelling around New England USA.  There hasn’t been much time to post here but I have tried to hunt down some good live Jazz whilst staying in the various towns and cities of Massachusets and Maine.

First stop Boston – I expected big things here.  Sadly I drew a blank; it was difficult to find much going on apart from the regular acts in a handful of small clubs and bars, some of which looked a little uninspiring.  Given that it was the week following the 4th July celebrations, this may explain why the schedules were a little thin.  The website ‘Jazz Boston’ at http://www.jazzboston.org shows many more acts and listings this week, so I suspect I may have just been unlucky with the timing of my trip.

However I do feel that I should commend the performance of the resident Jazz trio at ‘Top of the Hub’, the bar and restaurant on the top floor of the Prudential Center in downtown Boston.  The Bob Nieske Band played various Jazz standards, mostly lounge style material but with some excellent improvisations all tying in nicely to create an entertaining but unintrusive atmosphere for the restaurant.

I’d recommend heading up to the Skywalk for the sunset view over Boston, Fenway Park and the Back Bay area if you haven’t seen it before, then take the elevator up to the next floor and head to the bar for a cocktail.  They may be a little pricey at $12.00 each, but the entertainment more than makes up for it.