Trade Those Dusty Guitars for Blues and Jazz Stars

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Jun 19, 2013 —  That guitar has been gathering dust in the back of your closet for a while. It was an excellent idea when you bought it, and for two weeks you even took lessons. But real life got in the way of musical fantasy and now you’re stuck listening to John Mayer songs thinking, “That guy’s personal life is questionable, but man, he’s a damn good guitarist.”

Don’t wallow in your failed music career. Instead, join your fellow dusty guitar owners at one of the many excellent American blues and jazz jubilees, like the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival in Boston. Taking place in September, this musical celebration draws more than 80,000 people annually to a six-block, groove-filled stretch in the South End.

Meanwhile, Windy City denizens flock to the free Chicago Blues Festival every June at the scenic Grant and Millennium parks. Past performers at this beloved bash include legends like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, and Chuck Berry. In New York City, people head to the eclectic Blue Note Jazz Festival during the same month to enjoy the rapid growth of an event that started as a club-centered soiree.

You can always pick up that forgotten instrument again one day. Until then, there’s nothing wrong with living vicariously through talented blues and jazz musicians at one of these awesome festivals.