Not only is Berkshire County a cultural resort, but it is a really well-rounded, locally-centered cultural resort. A person could literally never leave this county and still enjoy a hectic schedule of cutting-edge theater, dance, film, music and art available nowhere this side of SoHo. The same person could also enjoy provocative lectures and panel discussions at museums, colleges and churches, ranging from health care to foreign affairs to community development. Indeed, I often find myself having to choose one over the other on any given night, especially this time of year.
I consider the Berkshire itself as a kind of work of art. And a good work of art, in my opinion, should not only be well-rounded; it should be relevant to its local surroundings and reflect the sensibilities and experiences of its audience, while educating them about things with which they aren’t already familiar, and challenging them to look even further.
When I look at the many cultural events taking place over the past few years, I get a sense that the organizers of these events have the same perspective as I do.
Witness the MASS MoCA phenomenon: here is a museum that proves art appreciation is much more than looking at static objects while being prompted by an audio guide. A museum is also about theater, about multimedia shows, children’s programs, dance lessons, silent movies, high-tech events, local history, and pertinent lectures and demonstrations. MoCA’s well-roundedness has been part of its evolution as it becomes an everyday fact of the North Adams community.
A good work of art draws connections. This year’s Williamstown Jazz Festival is a perfect example. Instead of just booking a series of bands, festival organizers made a conscious effort to include different styles of jazz, relate them to performances from past years’ events, and to include performers who have ties with the local area.
For three years now, the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce and Williams College have teamed up to bring top-name performers from classic and contemporary jazz to North Berkshire, and the event has become something of a tradition: an excellent way to usher in spring.
Already, the festival has brought the legendary Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra to MASS MoCA for an afternoon dance party, and the Mingus Big Band brought down the house at Chapin Hall during the festival’s inaugural season of 1999.
This year, the lineup included innovative violinist Regina Carter, a rising star in the contemporary jazz scene who has teamed up with artists as diverse as Wynton Marsalis, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel®, Aretha Franklin, Max Roach, and Dolly Parton. And the Saturday night headliner, the Vanguard Orchestra, has been the Monday night house band at the Village Vanguard in New York City since 1966, playing the swinging, quirky tunes of Thad Jones and others.
But in true form, the jazz festival included many other collaborations. At the Williams College Museum of Art, you could have seen Williams alumni playing in memory of artist Edward Hopper, whose haunting closely linked with the atmosphere of the Jazz Age. At Images Cinema, you might have caught a free screening of The Arturo Sandoval Story, the first time this documentary of the Cuban jazz legend has ever been seen on the big screen.
You might also have taken Lindy Hop lessons with energetic Mickie Davidson and Ron McKay, who led last year’s dance event at MoCA. In between, you could have seen collegiate bands playing at Chapin Hall in the intercollegiate jazz competition that first sparked the idea for a larger festival.
You could have been schooled on the tradition of “sacred steel guitar†by folklorist Robert Stone, and then be treated to a free concert of soulful steel guitar music by Big Ben and the Family Sacred Steel Guitar Band, about as legitimate as soul music gets. And at the end of the night, you could enjoy cocktails at local restaurants amid more live jazz.
Options abound at the Williamstown Jazz Festival — it’s a matter of fitting all of them into one’s schedule.
Of the two headliners, I was most impressed with Regina Carter. This young Detroit native creates a wonderful tension with her violin, an instrument not usually aligned with the jazz tradition. Carter uses her bow in much the same way as a trumpeter uses his mouthpiece. Her phrasings ranged from sounds of horns to to primal screams. She playfully interacted with her backup group during extended improvisations, and never missed a beat in difficult compositions ranging from Afro-Cuban to bebop to ragtime.
The concert had a world music feel, partially due to the personnel, which included Mayra Casales, longtime Cuban percussionist, and German pianist Werner “Vana†Gierig. Alvester Garnett kept the beat going on the drum set, and Chris Lightcap, a 1993 Williams graduate, danced skillfully with his upright bass.
Whereas the Friday night concert was more enjoyable than those of past years, there was something missing from the Vanguard Orchestra’s Saturday night show. Perhaps it was that the performance lasted little more than an hour; perhaps it was that Chapin Hall wasn’t completely packed with eager fans; for one reason or other, the concert never really reached its potential.
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, formed 35 years ago by Thad Jones and the late Mel Lewis, has performed continuously at the famed Village Vanguard in New York ever since. The current band is a combination of older members who played for Jones (who left the band in 1979 to head the Danish Radio Orchestra in Copenhagen) and younger members fusing in their own influences. Saturday’s show included ballads, a blues piece, a waltz, samba and foxtrot, mostly from Thad Jones original works.
I enjoy the format of big band jazz, but Jones’ compositions often call for interruptions by the horn section during solos. In understand this is an experimental stylistic approach, but I think it tends to interrupt the energy of the soloist, who should be the focus of the audience as he works toward a crescendo.
Perhaps I was just remembering back to the Mingus Big Band show of 1999, which was so packed that people were just about hanging from the balconies. Those familiar, classic Mingus tunes just seemed to connect better with an audience that contains both younger students, older, more mature listeners and residents looking for an enjoyable evening out.
Perhaps in the future the Williamstown Jazz Festival could look toward a younger generation of jazz performers — similar to Regina Carter — who are bringing the jazz tradition to a new audience. I’m thinking particularly about the amazing Charlie Hunter concert the Clark Art Institute hosted in March, which demonstrated that club-type jazz music based on group improvisation is alive and well. I saw far fewer Williams students at the show than in previous years.
For a small-town festival, the Williamstown Jazz Festival packs a big-city punch. For those who know nothing about jazz to those who are lifelong devotees, there was something to be learned from this festival. May the jazz continue.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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