As we circled the globe looking for the best of jazz, I admit, I was surprised to find a trend fostered by the French language; it seems that most romantic language lends itself to this passionate music. From New Orleans, LA in the United States to Marciac, France, here are the best of the best:

Coming in at, perhaps, the most popular and best known is the New Orleans Jazz Festival in Louisiana which this past year featured such superstars as The Neville Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Tim McGraw, and Santana. The best of the U.S. can arguably be summed up with the New York Jazz (running now) and San Francisco Jazz Festivals, creating a cross-continent tour to keep you entertained. Usually mid-October through November 30, the forthcoming San Francisco Jazz Festival brings the best and brightest to the beautiful Golden Gate setting for epic and intimate concerts at venues throughout the city.

Head north from your U.S. tour to Montreal then south to Havana (as you can’t get there from the U.S.) to finish a North America tour including Canada’s Montreal Jazz Festival starting June 26 at the Place des Arts, and The Havana International Jazz Festival. Design by Cubans and… Canadians (apparently, yes really), first time and returning visitors to the Havana Festival get to know Cuban culture while experiencing the best of Latin and international jazz; be sure to bring some of that Montreal experience with you and you’ll fit right in.

From the U.S. to Europe, the Montreux Jazz Festival kicks off in early July starting you at the foot of the Alps on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, in a region known for its unique climate and quality of life as “The Swiss Riviera”. Wrap up Europe with time in France at the Jazz in Marciac summer festival which has just tapped Wynton Marsalis with his Septet, Quintet and friend Richard Galliano. From Marciac to Paris for the ongoing Paris Jazz Festival in beautiful Parc Floral.

Not found in a specific place so much as being throughout the Caribbean, the annual Jazz Party at Sea is a Week long Jazz Cruise featuring the likes of the Cyrus Chestnut Trio and Harry Allen Quartet. With 30 top musicians playing in various combinations on different nights, you get to know them personally in intimate settings granting the possibility of joining an amateur jam

I’d be remiss without adding a local favorite; the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco, CA this Independence Day weekend. Say hello to Brooks for me.

Not enough? Find your local jazz festival with Zvents or any one of our local partners. For more Jazz news and music, give Jazziz a read or visit All about Jazz.

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Major league baseball is in full-swing and Shysterball, a well-known blogger and serious baseball fan, is now hosting a Photo Contest! In an effort to build up Zvents’ image gallery for baseball park venues, teams, and players, he’s now generously hosting an independent photo contest for all of you baseball fanatics. Here’s the info you need to participate (for more details, check here):

Send me a photo that best represents your team’s home ballpark and/or a photo that best represents your home team without prominently including the team’s logo. It could be a field action shot, a team photo, a uniform shot, a picture of the team name that doesn’t include the actual logo, whatever. Examples that spring to mind: the ivy — or, I dunno, drunken Lincoln Park Trixies — at Wrigley. Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The McCovey cove at AT&T Park. General apathy at Rogers Centre. Adam Dunn eating a four way at Skyline. Something — anything — that defines your team and/or its stadium in a picture without actually showing the logo.

The only catches are (1) the photos must be 1MB or large JPG; and (2) must be taken yourself, not horked off the web.

The winning photos for each team/venue will have the pride of placement as the official photo of the stadium venue, and as the official photo of the team “performer” on Zvents (the photo will also show up on the Zvents-affiliated papers too, which means your picture of the Green Monster, for example will be in the Globe whenever people search for Sox events). One grand prize for best overall photo will get $100 and a Zvents t-shirt, and one almost-grand prize will get a t-shirt.

Please send Mr. Shysterball an email with your baseball pictures!

Play ball!

*Flickr Photo Credit: Wisdoc

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