Jazz stars salute Hendrix to raise funds for tsunami relief

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A jazzy salute to Jimi Hendrix will raise cash for tsunami relief
PITTSFIELD-Four of the world's greatest jazz saxophonists will blow their horns in a tribute to Jimi Hendrix to raise funds for longterm housing in Sri Lanka for victims of this winter's tsunami. The legendary World Saxophone Quartet, featuring David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake and Bruce Williams, will be performing Saturday, March 26, at 7pm at the Berkshire Music Hall in Pittsfield. Pittsfield's own youth drum and dance group, Youth Alive, will open the benefit concert, a collaborative presentation between Helsinki Presents and the Railroad Street Youth Project (www.rsyp.org), in cooperation with the City of Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development. Media sponsors include the Valley Advocate. Proceeds from the concert will go to Tsunami Relief, Inc., a not-for-profit Sri Lankan-based charity dedicated to providing permanent shelter to Sri Lankans displaced by the tsunami that devastated the Indian Ocean region last December. "The goal of this show," noted Railroad Street Youth Project director Amanda Root, "is to offer the Berkshire Community the opportunity to participate in global giving, and to empower people by presenting them with the opportunity to view the world as a whole community, raising awareness about the global community." Local community groups will also be invited to have a presence at the Berkshire Music Hall during the evening's concert. The World Saxophone Quartet will be playing jazz arrangements, with the addition of trombone, electric bass, and drums, of songs by Jimi Hendrix from their latest album, "Experience," which features classic Jimi Hendrix tunes such as "Little Wing," "Hey Joe," and "The Wind Cries Mary." The Pittsfield concert is the only performance by the Quartet in the region, and will be followed by a week of benefit shows by the World Saxophone Quartet at New York City's famed Jazz Standard nightclub. Jon Pareles of the New York Times called the World Saxophone Quartet "the most original and important group to emerge since Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane redefined group improvisation in the late 1950s." The Quartet places consistently in the top five groups listed in Down Beat's Annual Critic's Poll and tours extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. Members of the Quartet have worked with Charles Mingus, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Babatunde Olatunji, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Benny Carter, David Sanborn, McCoy Tyner, and Jack DeJohnette. The members of the World Saxophone Quartet are Hamiett Bluiett on baritone saxophone; David Murray on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet; Oliver Lake on alto and soprano saxophones; and Bruce Williams on alto and soprano saxophones. They will be joined in this special performance by Craig Harris on trombone, Reggie Washington on electric bass, and Lee Pearson on drums. Youth Alive is a volunteer-run drum and dance group based in Pittsfield's Westside neighborhood. Participants in Youth Alive range in age from 6 to 18, and practice bucket drumming, step dance and other performing arts weekly year-round. The group will be celebrated its tenth year in 2006. The Berkshire Music Hall is located at 30 Union Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. For tickets or more information about the World Saxophone Quartet benefit tsunami concert on Saturday, March 26, please call 413-528-3394 or visit www.clubhelsinkiweb.com . For more information about Tsunami Relief, Inc, please visit www.tsunamireliefinc.org .
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EPA Seeks Applicants for Environmental Education Grants

WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced up to $3.2 million in funding for environmental education grants to support local, community-driven projects that help Americans protect their water, health, and natural surroundings.

EPA expects to award up to 16 grants nationwide, ranging from $200,000 to $250,000 each through the Environmental Education Grant Program.

The Environmental Education Grant Program is designed to give Americans the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about their environment; from protecting local waterways to supporting responsible stewardship in their own backyards. These grants support hands-on projects that help people better understand environmental challenges in their own communities and take practical steps to address them. Projects supported under this program emphasize real-world learning, community engagement, and solutions that can be applied at the local level.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now posted on www.grants.gov and the Environmental Education Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity webpage and applications are due on March 3, 2026.

EPA's Environmental Education and Stewardship Division will host a webinar on February 5, 2026, to provide a general overview of the current NOFO, discuss how to write a competitive application, and answer commonly asked questions. Webinar registration details will be available on https://www.epa.gov/education/grants#webinar.

Stay up to date on all environmental education grant information, including announcements related to upcoming webinar registration, by subscribing to the Environmental Education listserv. 

 

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