JGJ Institute Group featuring Terri Lyne Carrington / José Soto

Join us for a powerful evening of music, community, and recognition at Union Church on October 24th. Doors open at 5:30pm and music starts at 6:00pm. The event will honor the legendary Sonny Carrington with the Boston Jazz Luminary Award, celebrating his lifelong contributions to Boston’s jazz community and his role in inspiring future generations of musicians. Admission is FREE and open to all ages.

This event is free to attend, but if you are able, we encourage you to make a donation. Your generosity helps ensure that the Boston Jazz Foundation can continue providing free, world-class programming to the Boston community.

The night will feature a performance by —NEA Jazz Master, four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer, composer, producer, and educator, and daughter of Sonny Carrington. Terri Lyne is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, as well as Artistic Director of both the Next Jazz Legacy program (a collaboration with New Music USA) and the Carr Center in Detroit, MI. Over her 40-year career, she has performed on more than 100 recordings and toured with luminaries such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, and Esperanza Spalding. Her acclaimed album Waiting Game with Social Science earned an Edison Award and a GRAMMY nomination. In 2022, she released the groundbreaking New Standards project—featuring a book, album, and art installation—that won the GRAMMY® for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

Opening the evening is , a Costa Rican pianist and composer whose work blends Latin American traditions, improvisation, and jazz. A Berklee Global Jazz Institute graduate, Soto has performed internationally and collaborated with artists such as Luciana Souza, George Garzone, and Danilo Pérez. His debut album, The Ancestral Call, reflects his passion for creating music that carries deep cultural and social resonance.

Jazz Square celebrates the historic neighborhood between Mass Ave and Columbus Ave, once home to iconic clubs like the Savoy Café, Hi-Hat Club, Eddie’s Café, and Wally’s Café Jazz Club. Supported by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Jazz Square brings together concerts, walking tours, and community events to honor Boston’s storied past and keep its cultural spirit alive.

Thank you to our sponsors:
Jazz Square is made possible with support from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and by collaborators: Boston Jazz Foundation, Claremont Neighborhood Association, The Reckonings Project, Wally’s Jazz Café, and Union Church.

Host or Publisher Boston Jazz Foundation