LuluFest Lenox
LuluFest Lenox Jazz Festival “Where the traditions meet the progressives, and all the leaders are women”
Featuring these brilliant women-led bands: The Suzi Stern Quintet, Mary Ann McSweeney’s Urban Fado Project, The Peggy Stern Quartet, and The Sara Caswell Quintet.
Fri. Afternoon
July 14th
Free Jazz Master Class 1:00 to 2:30 at the Lenox Community Center 65 Walker Street open to middle school and high school aged students and aspiring adult jazz musicians. For more info. Contact Darlene McCauley 413-637-5535
Fri. Evening
July 14th
Kick off concert at Gateways Inn 51 Walker Street, Lenox 01240 6:00PM to 9:00PM
(Free event but reservations are strongly suggested)
The Suzi Stern Quintet
Vocalist and composer Suzi Stern with George Oldziey piano / Mary Ann Mc Sweeney bass / Paul Ostermayer (of Leonard Cohen fame) on sax / Conor Meehan drums
July 15th
At The Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare and Co. 70 Kemble Street, Lenox MA.
7:00
Mary Ann McSweeney Urban Fado Project with bassist and leader Mary Ann McSweeney / Jason Ennis guitar / Todd Isler drums / and Sara Caswell violin _______________________________________________
8:00
The Peggy Stern Quartet with renowned pianist Peggy Stern / Lew Scott bass / Ron Horton trumpet / Peter O’Brien drums ______________________________________________________ 9:00
The Sara Caswell Quartet and her 2023 CD release with
Grammy nominated Sara Caswell violin / Jesse Lewis guitar / Ike Sturm bass and Jared Schonig drums
For more information on these wonderful artists and tickets for July 15th at Bernstein Theatre visit Lulu-fest.com
LLF Lenox Artists:
Grammy® Nominee Sara Caswell “is a brilliant world-class violinist…one of the very best of the present generation of emerging young jazz stars” according to the late David Baker, internationally-renowned jazz educator and Director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Rooted in an early exposure to a variety of musical genres, Sara’s technical facility intertwined with her gift for lyricism continue to attract growing attention to her artistry as a jazz soloist, sideman, and teacher.
Sara’s artistry and unique sound led international recording artist/violinist Mark O’Connor to write: “Most good violinists will never experience what Sara creates with her instrument. It is beautifully refined emotion that lifts the spirit…Jazz violin needs a universal ambassador…a player who can pick up where the last generation left off. Sara is well on her way to extending that tradition to touch new audiences.”
LLF Lenox Producer-director Suzi Stern is a jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and educator living in Lenox MA.
She has released 8 C.D.s under her own name (Viewpoint Records, Aardvark Records and Bus Biscuit Records) and has performed on a myriad of other artists projects. “Seven Stars”, her recording project with famed pianist Denny Zeitlin garnered rave reviews from Downbeat and Jazz Times.
Suzi is a published poet and her lyrics appear in the Bill Evans second edition fake book and David Friesen’s book of transcriptions “Years Through Time” both Hal Leonard publications. Collaborations with the late famed saxophonist Joe Henderson, married her lyrics to many of his compositions recorded by artists worldwide. She has performed with jazz greats Bud Shank, Leroy Vinegar, Denny Zeitlin, Randy Porter, Rick Margitza, David Friesen, Jessica Williams, Mal Waldron to name only a few.
Stern was recently inducted into the 2023 Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame for her many years of contributions to the Texas music scene.
Bassist, composer Mary Ann McSweeney has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Joanne Brackeen, Lee Konitz, Gil Goldstein, and Bucky Pizzarelli. She has also played for renowned conductors, Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams. McSweeney has performed with Renee Rosnes, Vic Juris, Ken Peplowski, Dennis Mackrel, Lewis Nash, and Larry Goldings. Big Band performances include Maiden Voyage and Diva, and she has performed with her own quintet at the Seixal Jazz Festival in Portugal, and with the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center. She has arranged for and recorded with Warner Brothers artist, Lea Delaria. Recent engagements include the Berkshire Jazz Festival, backing up Veronica Swift, and traveling to the Roswell Jazz Festival in New Mexico to perform with Ken Peplowski, Randy Sandke, Holly Hoffman, Chuck Redd and Mike Wofford. McSweeney has toured Europe and has performed with David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness and five-time Tony award winning vocalist Audra McDonald. Her orchestrations can be heard on Chita Rivera’s CD entitled “Now I Swing” and her version of “Avenue Q Swings” is available on iTunes. McSweeney performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival with Claire Daly and the Baritone Monk Band, which was rated in the top ten on jazz radio in the USA.
Jazz Pianist, Composer, LLF Austin director Peggy Stern has toured throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan.
Since May 2013, Peggy makes her home in Austin, Texas, to be near her family, joining the vibrant music scene there, where she performs, records, and composes.
In 2004, Peggy created the Wall Street Jazz Festival (“where the traditions meet the progressives, and all the leaders are women”) in Kingston, NY; the Festival was held twelve consecutive years to date. In 2017 Peggy introduced LuluFest Austin to Texas, currently approaching its sixth year, an eclectic music festival again featuring women leaders. Over the years, the Festivals have featured Sheila Jordan, Ingrid Jensen, Christine Jensen, Jay Clayton, Dena DeRose, Su Terry, Claire Daly, Jamie Baum, Teri Roiger, Roberta Piket, Virginia Mayhew, Laura Dubin, Sheryl Bailey, Allison Miller, Maryann McSweeney, Marilyn Crispell, Francesca Tanksley, Erica Lindsey, Sara Caswell, Suzi Stern, Leeann Atherton, Emily Gimble, Rose Sinclair, Nina Sheldon, Betty MacDonald, Rebecca Coupe Franks, Jenny Scheinman, Natalie Cressman, Amy Shook, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Dawn Clement, Carrie Rodriguez, and Peggy Stern’s band Estrella Salsa. There is a Retrospective Film, completed in June 2022, available for viewing: www.lulu-fest.com.