All that jazz on tap for Pittsfield

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The New Black Eagle Jazz Band
PITTSFIELD - Downtown Pittsfield will host a weekend of jazz on October 14-16 with The Legacy Banks Pittsfield CityJazz Festival. The festival will bring world-class performers to the Berkshire Music Hall for two evening concerts, one of which will be recorded for a new CD. Local jazz musicians will also be featured throughout the weekend in venues around town. “This is another great cultural event that we’re bringing to downtown Pittsfield,” noted Pittsfield Mayor James Ruberto. “I expect this to become an annual event during the fall foliage season, when our residents and visitors can come and enjoy all this great city has to offer.” On Friday, October 14, at 8pm, the New Black Eagle Jazz Band, perhaps the country’s most respected exponent of traditional Jazz, will perform for the first time in Pittsfield. New York Times critic John S. Wilson once wrote that the Black Eagles are “so far ahead of other traditional bands…there is scarcely any basis of comparison.” On Saturday, October 15, the New England Jazz Ensemble’s live performance will be recorded for its fourth CD. Award-winning New York City vocalist Joyce Breach and the Keith Ingham Duo will also be featured at the Saturday concert, which begins at 7:30pm. Tickets for the Friday and Saturday night concerts at the Berkshire Music Hall, 30 Union Street in downtown Pittsfield, are $25 for front orchestra seats, and $15 general admission. The New England Jazz Ensemble will be also recording at its open rehearsal beginning at 1:30pm on Saturday, October 15. Admission to the open rehearsal is free to students and youth under 18 years of age, and $5 for all others. “It’s an excellent opportunity, especially for music students, to watch a jazz big band at work,” noted Megan Whilden, Director of Cultural Development for the City of Pittsfield. J. Williar Dunlaevy, chairman and CEO of Legacy Banks, said, “This jazz festival is another great example of the renaissance of downtown Pittsfield, and we are pleased to partner with Mayor Ruberto and the City to make it happen. Legacy Banks is committed to Pittsfield and the Berkshires, and this sponsorship is another dimension of our investment in the community. We have heard the Black Eagles Jazz Band several times at Ozawa Hall on the Tanglewood campus, and we are thrilled to now help bring them to Downtown Pittsfield.” The Black Eagles have performed in countless venues across the United States and in Europe, and have been featured on broadcasts for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), including This Old House and Roaring Through The 20's, in which they were featured with Claude Hopkins and Bobby Short. Saturday’s concert is a double bill, with the famed New York vocalist Joyce Breach and the Keith Ingham duo, followed by the New England Jazz Ensemble. Breach, known for her distinctive voice and her sophisticated interpretations of classic American popular songs, won the 2000 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award for Best Jazz Performer and won the 1998 Bistro Award for Best CD (This Moment). Writing in the NY Observer, Rex Reed described Breach as "a throaty peach [who] has been adding a new luster to Manhattan's after-dark scene. Her husky voice, superb taste in songs, and unique way with a classy tune are worth waiting for." The New England Jazz Ensemble was formed in 1991 as a weekly rehearsal band and forum for new compositions by regionally-based artists. Over the years, it has also evolved into a professional performance group. It has three CDs to its name, including Duke Ellington’s adaptation of The Nutcracker, which was a highlight when the Ensemble performed it at last year at The Colonial Theatre’s holiday gala. Thanks to a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the New England Jazz Ensemble will be recording its concert for their next CD. The concert will mark the public debut of compositions by pianist and director Walt Gwardyak, saxophonist John Mastroianni, and trumpeters Jeff Holmes and Phil Person. Hearing the band for the first time was, “to put it succinctly, an unexpected pleasure of the first rank,” said Cadence Magazine reviewer Jack Bowers. The band, he added, “can flat out play!” In addition, local jazz musicians will be playing in a variety of local venues, including live "Jazz at Lunch" at the Central Block building at 75 North Street on Friday, October 14, and others to be announced. “We have wonderful musical talent right here in the Berkshires, which the CityJazz Festival will be highlighting as well,” said Whilden. Lead sponsor Legacy Banks and the presenter, the City of Pittsfield, are joined by co-sponsors the Berkshire Music School, Brix Wine Bar, Barrington Stage Co., Berkshire Bank, Downtown Inc., The Gables, and others to be named. The City of Pittsfield is located in the heart of western Massachusetts’ Berkshire County, considered America’s “premier cultural resort.” The Legacy Banks Pittsfield CityJazz Festival is being held at the height of the fall foliage season in the Berkshires, when thousands of visitors come to the area to enjoy the panoramic display of turning leaves amid the scenic Berkshire hills. Information on lodging and other nearby attractions can be found at www.berkshires.org or the Berkshire Visitors Bureau at 800-237-5747. Advance tickets are available at the Pittsfield Visitors Center. Phone reservations and credit card orders are being taken at 413-395-0105, Monday through Saturday, 8:30am to 5pm, Sunday, 10am to 5pm. General admission for the open rehearsal of the New England Jazz Ensemble will be $5, at the door, no advance ticket sales. Further information is available at www.CulturalPittsfield.com, the website of the city’s Office of Cultural Development. Friday, October 14, 11am-1pm Free! "Jazz at Lunch" with the Andy Kelly Quartet Central Block Concourse, 75 North Street, Pittsfield, MA www.culturalpittsfield.com Friday, October 14, 8pm The New Black Eagle Jazz Band Berkshire Music Hall, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA Tickets: $25 front orchestra/$15 general seating Contact: 413-395-0105 for tickets, M-Sat, 6:30-5pm; Sun 10am-5pm Saturday, October 15, 1:30pm The New England Jazz Ensemble Open rehearsal & live album recording Berkshire Music Hall, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA Free to students & under 18/$5 all others at the door Saturday, October 15, 7:30pm The New England Jazz Ensemble Joyce Breach & the Keith Ingham Duo Berkshire Music Hall, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA Tickets: $25 front orchestra/$15 general seating Contact: 413-395-0105 for tickets, M-Sat, 6:30-5pm; Sun 10am-5pm
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Friends of Great Barrington Libraries Holiday Book Sale

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Friends of Great Barrington Libraries invite the community to shop their annual Holiday Good-as-New Book Sale, happening now through the end of the year at the Mason Library, 231 Main Street. 
 
With hundreds of curated gently used books to choose from—fiction, nonfiction, children's favorites, gift-quality selections, cookbooks, and more—it's the perfect local stop for holiday gifting.
 
This year's sale is an addition to the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Stroll on this Saturday, Dec. 13, 3–8 PM. Visitors can swing by the Mason Library for early parking, browse the sale until 3:00 PM, then meet Pete the Cat on the front lawn before heading downtown for the Stroll's shopping, music, and festive eats.
 
Can't make the Holiday Stroll? The book sale is open during regular Mason Library hours throughout December.
 
Proceeds support free library programming and events for all ages.
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