2025 Bousquet Jazz Festival
Saturday, August 16 from 4–9pm
Bousquet Mountain
101 Dan Fox Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201
As the sun sets behind the Berkshires, the music takes center stage at the Bousquet Jazz Festival, presented by Berkshires Jazz — an open-air celebration of bold vocals, bold brass, and breathtaking mountain views. This one-of-a-kind outdoor concert brings together top-tier jazz musicians and music lovers for a laid-back evening of world-class performances and soulful summer vibes at Bousquet Mountain.
Featuring
Rob Putnam and his Good Vibes Organ Trio
Michael Benedict and Bopitude
Svetlana & the New York Collective
Peggy Stern Trio
Sponsored in part by Gateway Fiber, the concert will take place rain or shine. Attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. A selection of food and drinks will be available for purchase; no outside food or beverages will be allowed.
Local favorite Rob Putnam’s Good Vibes Organ Trio opens the festival, and will be playing an eclectic mix of jazz standards with soul and reggae flavor. The band consists of Rob Putnam (organ), Grisha Alexiev (drums), and Diana Herold (vibraphone). A mainstay on the local scene for decades, Putnam played at the 2024 Berkshires Jazz Summer Showcase, drawing raves from fans of a wide variety of music.
Michael Benedict and Bopitude is a hard-bop quintet that draws on the familiar of the hard bop era. They uncover material that has had little or no exposure from the past, bringing a 21st century approach to this important era of jazz. The group features Michael Benedict (drums and leader), Bruce Barth (piano), Chris Pasin (trumpet), Brian Patneaude (tenor saxophone), and Mike Lawrence (bass). They drew a standing ovation at the Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend in Lee, in 2022.
“Prepare to swing and be moved," advised JazzLives, as if to anticipate Svetlana and the New York Collective’s set. She transports audiences to the carnival of sound, seamlessly moving from sophisticated, tender tones to a rowdy “exuberant, foot-stomping music.” Fronted by energetic vocalist Svetlana, the band has headlined many sold-out shows in the US, from premier venues such as the Blue Note, Iridium, and Joe's Pub, to the packed and sweaty underground New York speakeasies, and the band's Times Square Swing Flashmobs. She played to an enthusiastic audience in Lenox during the summer of 2021.
The Peggy Stern Trio closes out the jazz festival. Stern has composed, played, recorded, and toured in a wide variety of situations: from solos to octets to jazz choruses. Her compositions range from highly original pieces to reharmonized jazz standards. “Everything she writes wants to dance,” wrote Ken Dais of Jazziz. She has worked and toured with many notable musicians, including Lee Konitz, Diane Schuur, David “Fathead” Newman, Jay Clayton, and Gerry Mulligan, among others. She performed an “apres-jazz” set after the 2024 Bousquet festival and is back by popular demand.
The Bousquet Jazz Festival is a collaboration between Bousquet Mountain and Berkshires Jazz, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve jazz — America’s indigenous art form — and nurture its growth by presenting high quality jazz programs, fostering jazz education, and promoting the local jazz scene.
