SALEM — Local, live jazz, blues and funk return to Salem this summer for the weekend-long Salem Jazz & Soul Festival.
The two-day concerts at Salem Willows are free and family-friendly and draw crowds that bring chairs, picnic lunches and stay for the day.
"When you sit there and watch the boats sail by in the background and listen to great music, it really is our own little mini-Newport," said Matt Caruso, one of the festival organizers.
It's the third year for the festival, which features a mixture of local musicians and some from just outside the North shore.
"Each year it gets a little bigger and a little more interesting and a little more diverse," Caruso said.
Nearly a dozen bands will take the stage over the course of the two days.
"When you go to these events ... you really see an incredible cross-section of all people," Caruso said.
Besides the festival, Caruso's group will also host the Salem Jazz & Soul Festival/Berklee Summer Series, a collaboration with Berklee College, featuring Saturday night performances at Derby Square throughout the summer.
The concerts will run from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 13, July 11 and Aug. 8.
"We want to make sure we always support music on the North Shore," Caruso said.
IF YOU GO
What: Salem Jazz & Soul Festival
Where: Salem Willows
When: Saturday, Aug. 15, 10:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 16, noon to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
