Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

"The Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival is Boston’s biggest block party—a free, annual outdoor concert open to the public that has delighted hundreds of thousands of music lovers over the years with its host of jazz, Latin, blues, funk, and groove performances, along with an array of food vendors and free activities for kids. Each year, the festival is the place to be in Boston on the last Saturday in September as the community comes together in a bond forged in the joy of great live music." (Source: Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival website).

It was perfect fall weather for the event this year.  Above, one of the three stages is in a park beside Columbus Avenue. A few of Boston's Back Bay skyscrapers are visible in the background.

This six-block stretch of Columbus Avenue in the South End is closed to automobile traffic and becomes pedestrians-only for the duration of the event.

There are plenty of vendors lining the roadway selling food, drink, products, and services.

But the people are clearly here for the music - tens of thousands of them as the afternoon progressed, sometimes pressing shoulder to shoulder in front of the stages.

This is one of the two stages erected at opposite ends of the closed street.

It is a party atmosphere  - all about music, fun, food, family, and friends

The following images are random portraits of some of the performers.

Depending on where you stood or walked, the three stages of music sometimes flowed and blended into each other.

This always popular percussion band also made an appearance walking through the crowd with their driving beat.  Their sound make it feel like my chest wall was flexing to the beat like an old fashioned paper cone speaker.

I met these Boston police officers who were willing to mug for a photo.  It got me thinking about how thousands of regular folks can hang out in peace with very little law enforcement presence visible - happy, friendly regular people getting along with each other is the default here - not the typical picture the mainstream press is fond of promoting on the news.  Why do humans seem to like bad news so much? 

Anyway, it looks like a great duty assignment for these officers - no wonder they're smiling and happy.  They get to spend their workshift with thousands of friendly, music-loving neighbors out on a sunny, fall day to hear the magic of live music outdoors created by extraordinarily talented musicians.

These musicians have spent their entire lives passionately pursuing their craft and art - and it sounds like it!  I'm already looking forward to next year.

Kudos to Boston's own Berklee College of Music for producing this event.