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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Dalton Announces New Supplier for Energy Program

DALTON, Mass. – The Town of Dalton has signed a thirty-four month contract with a new supplier, First Point Power.
 
Beginning with the January 2026 meter reads, the Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program will have a new rate of $0.13042 per kWh. The Program will also continue to offer an optional 100 percent green product, which is derived from National Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), at a rate of $0.13142 per kWh.
 
For Dalton residents and businesses who are enrolled in the Town's Program, the current rate of $0.13849 per kWh will expire with the January 2026 meter reads and the new rate of $0.13042 per kWh will take effect. This represents a decrease of $5 per month on the supply side of the bill given average usage of 600 kWh. Additionally, this new rate is 3 percent lower than Eversource's Residential Basic Service rate of $0.13493 per kWh. Residents can expect to see an
average savings of $3 per month for the month of January 2026. Eversource's Basic Service rates
will change on Feb. 1, 2026.
 
Dalton launched its electricity program in January 2015 in an effort to develop an energy program that would be stable and affordable. From inception through June 2025, the Program has saved residents and small businesses over $1.7 million in electricity costs as compared to Eversource Basic Service.
 
It is important to note that no action is required by current participants. This change will be seen on the February 2026 bills. All accounts currently enrolled in the Program will remain with their current product offering and see the new rate and First Point Power printed under the "Supplier Services" section of their monthly bill.
 
The Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program has no fees or charges. However, anyone switching from a contract with a third-party supplier may be subject to penalties or early termination fees charged by that supplier. Ratepayers should verify terms before switching.
 
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