Blind Boys of Alabama to perform in Pittsfield

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Blind Boys
Pittsfield - The beautiful and spacious sanctuary of Pittsfield’s First Methodist Church will be filled with the Grammy award-winning sounds of the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama on Friday, March 26th at 8 pm. Opening for the Blind Boys will be the new roots/gospel/blues group Ollabelle, featuring Amy Helm, daughter of Levon Helm, an original member of the Band. The concert is Helsinki Productions’ first Pittsfield presentation and is in cooperation with the Colonial Theatre. Performing both traditional and contemporary songs that shake the rafters and lift hearts wherever they go, the Blind Boys of Alabama just received their third consecutive Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for their latest release, “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” which features an impressive lineup of guest musicians, including John Medeski, George Clinton, Chrissie Hynde, Shelby Lynne, Mavis Staples, and Tom Waits. Vanity Fair magazine called the record "a rousing new album with a staggering guest lineup." The other two Grammy awards were for their two previous albums, "Spirit of the Century," and "Higher Ground, " called "two of the most exciting CDs in blues, soul or gospel in recent years" by Billboard Magazine. The albums includes traditional gospel numbers as well as powerful new “gospelized” versions of songs by Prince, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, Jimmy Cliff and others. The Blind Boys of Alabama were founded over sixty years ago at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. Recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, they have been embraced and celebrated by a whole new generation of performers. A concert film of their headline tour last year will be featured on PBS this fall, and they have toured with Peter Gabriel and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. "I was listening to the Blind Boys back in the Fifties," says Aaron Neville of the Neville Brothers. "My brothers and I used to walk down the street harmonizing, trying to sound like the Blind Boys. Their singing still sends chills down my spine - they've got that old soul!" The opening group Ollabelle was recently signed to Columbia Records by legendary producer T-Bone Burnett, who produced the bestselling “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack album. A bright star of the recent roots music revival coming out of New York’s East Village music scene, Ollabelle’s self-titled debut album is due in stores in March. The concert’s proceeds will help benefit the First Methodist Church’s role as a home for many community groups in downtown Pittsfield, as well as the free weekly dinners it provides to community members in need. Other concerts in conjunction with Helsinki Productions are being planned as part of the church’s goal of serving as a performing arts center in downtown Pittsfield. Helsinki Productions is the concert-producing arm of Club Helsinki, a renowned local nightclub and restaurant in downtown Great Barrington, MA. The club and restaurant will be the subject of a full-color book entitled The Helsinki Café Cookbook, to be published by Storey Publishing this October. To purchase advance tickets to the concert, which are $32 general admission and $42 for premium seats, please call 413-528-3394. Pittsfield’s historic First Methodist Church is located at 55 Fenn Street between North and First Streets. For more information on the Blind Boys of Alabama, please visit their website at www.blindboys.com .
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Springfield Man Charged for Murder in Friday Night Pittsfield Stabbing

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Springfield man is being charged with murder in the stabbing death of a 36-year-old city man on Friday night. 
 
Zyrus Jaynes, 24, was charged with one count of murder, and is expected to be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Monday, June 1.
 
Police did not release the name of the stabbing victim. 
 
According to a police report by Lt. John Soules, officers responded to a report of an assault at a residence on Hall Place at about 10 p.m. on Friday. 
 
The found the Pittsfield man "suffering from a life-threatening stab wound." First responders treated him and transported him to Berkshire Medical Center, where the victim died of his injuries.
 
As a result of the ensuing police investigation, which included cooperation from a number of witnesses, a suspect was identified and arrested the following morning.  
 
While a suspect has been arrested, police say the incident is still under investigation in conjunction with the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office. Anyone who wishes to provide information is asked to contact Detective James Losaw at 413-448-9700, Ext. 572. Information can also be provided anonymously by texting PITTIP and your message to TIP411 (847411.)
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