The BeanTown Jazz Festival: Eight Must-Hits

As summer sadly winds its way to an end, take heart: there is one last, wildly exuberant outdoor music fest to hit up before you put away your flip-flops for good. This weekend, Berklee’s 11th annual BeanTown Jazz Festival is taking over downtown Boston and drowning out the blare of traffic with the sounds of the greatest jazz voices of modern time. Last year’s event drew a crowd of 70,000, and this year looks to trump that. And if, amidst the six-block sea of people, instruments, and music, you can’t decide what to hit, not to worry: we’ve plucked out the most anticipated, not-to-be-missed sounds, sights, and foods to get the max out of your experience. — Meara Hamidiani & Becca Fox