Kenny Wollesen and the Himalayas at MASS MoCA

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[Photo provided by Mass MoCA]
North Adams - The phrase "I love a parade" could have been coined by drummer and band leader extraordinaire Kenny Wollesen. A musician of versatility, skill, and ingenuity, Wollesen, with his ever-changing, ever-expanding music group Himalayas, has no qualms about leaving the stage to create an impromptu marching band and lead a parade. At MASS MoCA during April school vacation week from Tuesday, April 22, through Friday, April 25, Wollesen will hold daily instrument- and music-making workshops at 11 AM.

The workshops may spontaneously lead to a parade through the MASS MoCA complex or possibly downtown North Adams. A final blow-out performance/ jamboree with members of Himalayas and the community will finish out the residency on Saturday, April 26, at 4 PM in the Hunter Center.

Kenny Wollesen has been playing music practically his entire life. Since the late '80s he has recorded and toured with a host of legendary players including Tom Waits, John Lurie, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Myra Melford, and John Zorn. Wollesen was a co-founder of the klezmer/rock/jazz group Klezmorim, is a member of the long-running group Sex Mob, fronts Himalayas on a regular basis, and is always ready to work with other musicians whenever the opportunity arises. The Brooklyn Rail says, "Wollesen's talent might be described as the ability to capture what's indispensable in a given musical tradition - be it New Orleans jazz, afro-Cuban, or klezmer - and raze its boundaries with his own imagination."

Wollesen's latest musical venture, Himalayas, was co-founded with saxophonist Jonathon Haffner and percussionist Jennifer Harris. Based on the idea of mobility and with a mission to inspire people in innovative ways, the band is marked by a constant influx of New York's finest musicians led and inspired by Wollesen's contagious spirit. Using a cache of original compositions from today's outstanding composers including Frisell, Zorn, Bernstein Apfelbaum, Wilson, Mottel, Wieselman and Harris, Wollesen leads his band through endless styles of music, on rambunctious parades and offstage adventures. Of his fondness for taking the performers into the audience Wollesen said, "I'm about playing anywhere. We take the band through the streets year-round - organize parades, events, whatever. That's where the hippest people are, out on the street, the people who stop and listen on their way."

At MASS MoCA community members of all ages can catch some of Wollesen's contagious enthusiasm for music. Using everyday objects, participants will learn how to build personal musical instruments and pitch in on the creation of one gigantic instrument that will require 20 - 30 people to play and will fill a corner of MASS MoCA's cavernous Hunter Center when it is complete. For more information on daily workshops visit http://www.massmoca.org/.

Tickets for Kenny Wollesen and Himalayas on Saturday, April 26 at 4 PM are $20 adults / $15 students/ $10 kids. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets for the workshops are free with museum admission and free to members. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams, open from 11 AM  to 5 PM Wednesdays through Mondays. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413-662-2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org 
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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