For the fifth time, on July 12, 2025, the Boston Jazz Foundation (BJF) hosted the Charles River Jazz Festival in Herter Park Amphitheater, bringing together talented musicians and generations of jazz lovers. For the second year in a row, The Reckonings Project was honored to collaborate with BJF and the Claremont Neighborhood Association to engage audience members with an exhibit and interactive displays on the history of Boston’s vibrant jazz scene. 

As part of the Reckonings commitment to uplift community voices, dozens of attendees responded to the prompt “We celebrate jazz because…,” using Post-It notes to express personal and collective connections to jazz. Reckonings team members Dzidzor Azaglo and Uta Poiger took briefly to the festival stage to alert the audience to the history of jazz clubs in what is now known as Boston’s Jazz Square, to honor legendary pianist and band leader Sabby Lewis, and to introduce Freelance, featured performers at the festival. 

To see footage from The Reckonings Project exhibit and hear audience voices from the Charles River Jazz Festival, please visit this video.

Looking ahead, Boston Jazz Foundation, the Claremont Neighborhood Association, Union Church, and the Reckonings Project will host a celebration of Jazz Square on October 24 at Union Church, continuing the journey to explore, celebrate and honor the legacy of Boston Jazz through performances, stories, and community engagement. Stay tuned for details and join the Jazz Square activation collaborators on October 24 at Union Church.