CAPE ANN JAZZ Trumpeter Terence Blanchard, a five-time Grammy Award winner, will bring his unique sound to the fifth annual Rockport Jazz Festival at the Shalin Liu Performance Center Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 11-14.
A New Orleans native, Blanchard is known for his frequent collaborations with filmmaker Spike Lee and his scores for other films.
He’s also been recognized for his own projects, ranging from hard bop to classical and fusion. Blanchard’s most recent collaboration is with the E-Collective quintet, showcasing a new funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel hybrid sound.
Blanchard and the E-Collective perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. Tickets are $45-$59.
Other festival headliners include pianist and composer Harold Lopez-Nussa; Hammond organ player Lonnie Smith; jazz saxophonist Ravi Coltrane; and the rising big band, Thinkin’ Big.
Lopez-Nussa, a young pianist and composer with an Afro-Cuban style, will be joined by his trio at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. Tickets are $29-$39.
Smith has been treading the line between soul, jazz, and funk for nearly half a century. He performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Tickets are $45-$59.
Thinkin’ Big, an 18-piece swing band made up of graduates and graduate students from the Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, performs classics from the American Songbook, big band standards, and some original tunes.
Styles range from swing, to funk, to Latin, pushing the traditional expectations of a big band.
Thinkin’ Big performs at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. Tickets are $15-$20.
The festival closes with an appearance by Coltrane at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug, 14. The son of musical artists John and Alice Coltrane, he’s forged his own 20-year career and released six recordings. Tickets for his performance are $45-$59.
The Shalin Liu Performance Center is at 37 Main St. Call 978-546-7391 or visit rockportmusic.org.
WONDERLAND “Through the Looking Glass,’’ an exhibit of paintings by Jill Pabich and porcelain pieces by Karen Orsillo, is at the Lexicon Gallery in the Magnolia section of Gloucester through Aug. 19.
Pabich’s oil paintings pay tribute to children and their unbridled imaginations.
Orsillo melds highly-sanded porcelain into rich and intricate patterns, then stains them with different color palettes.
The gallery is at 15 Lexington Ave. Call 781-962-7177 or visit lexicongallery.com.
A TASTE OF SUMMER Salem’s Ice Scream Bowl offers an opportunity to sample cool and tasty treats from the area’s many premiere shops.
Visitors can enjoy classic flavors, as well as experiment with more adventurous combinations.
Businesses serving samples include Captain Dusty’s, Cherry Farm Creamery, Maria’s Sweet Somethings, and Melt Ice Cream.
The event runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, on Salem Common and features games, takeaways, and information about local kid-focused community groups and organizations.
Cost is $6; $4 for children. Proceeds benefit Salem Main Streets, a nonprofit whose goal is revitalizing downtown Salem as a year-round retail, dining, and cultural destination.
Call 978-744-0004, ext. 15, or visit salemmainstreets.org.
PIECING IT TOGETHER The Gallery at Spencer Lofts in Chelsea presents “Memories and Familiar Spaces,’’ an exhibit of work by assemblage artist Cathy Cahill, from Monday, Aug. 8, through Sept. 4.
Cahill creates her work from found materials. Each assemblage is a visual narrative, which Cahill hopes is both nostalgic and evocative for the viewer.
An opening reception is 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. The gallery is at 60 Dudley St. Call 617-466-0403.
ART IN AUGUST A show of work by 24 members of The Greater Haverhill Art Association is at the Merrimac Public Library through Aug. 21.
A reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21. The library is at 86 West Main St. Call 978-346-9441 or visit merrimaclibrary.org.
Wendy Killeen
Wendy Killeen can be reached at wdkilleen@gmail.com.
