2011 festival reviews
Follow this link for a review of the 2011 festival:
Berkshire Fine Arts.
Here is a report of Pittsfield Sister City Jazz Ambassadors 2011 season, including feedback from the schools.
Follow this link for a review of the 2011 festival:
Berkshire Fine Arts.
Here is a report of Pittsfield Sister City Jazz Ambassadors 2011 season, including feedback from the schools.
BerkshiresJazz presented the U.S. Air Force jazz ensemble, the Liberty Big Band, in a special concert with trumpeter Marvin Stamm as guest soloist, at the Colonial Theatre on April 8, 2011, in the first event of Pittsfield’s 250th birthday celebration. More photos and video should be added soon.
Photos: Lee Everett/Fine Line
Art teachers engaged in the project were coordinator Colleen Quinn, Pittsfield High School; Lisa Ostellino and Barbara Patton, PHS; Marybeth Eldridge, Taconic H.S.; Dale Zola, St. Joseph’s H.S.; Ellie Kreischer and Sophie Lee from Miss Hall’s. Judges were Bill Cormier, of Cormier Art Gallery, and Ken Green of Museum Facsimiles. Project coordinator is Art Niedeck, a Jazz musician and music educator, and chairman of the Education Committee of Berkshires Jazz, Inc. In addition to a cash prize, each of the first three works was framed by Museum Facsimiles, courtesy of Ken Green.
The American Jazz Repertory Orchestra shares the stage with the Berkshires Jazz Youth Orchestra, in the grand finale to the 2010 Pittsfield CityJAZZ Festival. Events took place at Pittsfield’s (Mass.) historic Colonial Theatre on Oct. 16, 2010. Maestro Clem DeRosa at the helm. Meghan Kelly photo.
These performances were part the 2010 Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, including the Jazz About Town and Jazz in the Schools programs.
The Pittsfield Sister City Jazz Ambassadors introduce music to students of all ages, as an ancillary event to the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival. In this case, they visit Kittredge Elementary School in Dalton, Massachusetts.
Bringing professional jazz musicians into the schools helps introduce youngsters to wholesome entertainment while they are still impressionable enough to internalize it. Not only do they hear the music, they learn about its history, and about the evolution of jazz.
Buster Rides Again, with the Brazilian Jazz Trio, featuring Warren Byrd (piano), Jay Schwartz (bass), and Tom Parker, leader (drums). Ushering-in the headline weekend of the 6th annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival
Actually a quintet, the Barbershop Jazz Quartet includes Rob Fisch (brass), Ben Kohn (keyboard), Andy Kelly (guitar), Dan Broad (bass), John Haddad (drums).
The New England Jazz Ensemble’s first “live” recording, at the inaugural Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, was so successful that the band decided to go live again with its new album. In concert at the Polish National Home theater in Hartford, June 5, 2010.
The May 29 Randy Weston African Rhythms Duo with Alex Blake concert at the Berkshire Museum was an unqualified success. We’ll be aggregating reviews, comments, photos, video, and other news here, beginning with the following seven minute video clip and a link to Ron Baker’s review and photos on BerkshireLinks.com.
One aspect of the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival that has drawn significant local attention over the past two years is the Student Art Contest. This year, there were 56 entries from all four public and private high schools in Pittsfield. Here are the winners:
There were five honorable mentions. From Pittsfield High School: Paola Pinero, Kyle Muzzy, and Connor Murphy; and, from St. Joseph’s High School: Martha Horton and Breanne Reilly. The teachers of these talented students are Colleen Quinn, Pittsfield High School; Marybeth Eldridge, Taconic High School; Dale Zola, St Joseph’s High School; and Ellen Joffe-Halpern, Miss Hall’s.
Judges for the contest were Grier Horner, Ann Pasko, Craig Langlois, and Mark Tomasi. The student art contest was coordinated by Art Niedeck, chair of the Education Committee of Berkshires Jazz, and Colleen Quinn. Joleigh Ferro’s winning entry, which will be posted soon, will become the visual symbol of this year’s Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, and will be seen on the festival’s poster, web site, advertising, and program cover.
Here is an item that my cousin turned me onto via Facebook. Let’s see what happens when we post share-able items; the idea is that you will be inspired to share your own favorites and cool discoveries right here via the comment form below.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v_Y3Pbiims[/youtube]World Premiere of Noah Baerman’s “Know Thyself,” an extended suite for jazz septet, 8pm Friday, November 13 at Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University, Wyllys Ave. Middletown, CT.
Wayne Escoffery – tenor and soprano saxophones
Erica von Kleist – alto saxophone and flute
Chris Dingman – vibraphone
Amanda Monaco – guitar
Henry Lugo – bass
Vinnie Sperrazza – drums, marimba
Noah Baerman – piano, melodica, composer
www.wesleyan.edu/cfa
8:00 start time (1 set of tunes featuring the band members, followed by “Know Thyself”)
Admission $15 (various discounts available for students, seniors and Wesleyan community)
Made possible through generous support from Chamber Music America’s “New Works: Creation and Presentation” program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.