Turnip Cake Jazz Sextet in Pittsfield Feb. 12, 2010

Berkshires Jazz, Inc. opens its 2010 concert series on Feb. 12 with a performance by Turnip Cake, a jazz sextet from Williams College under the direction of Andy Jaffe. The concert, which is free and open to the public, starts at 7:30pm at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 29 Renne Ave. in downtown Pittsfield.The student group will be performing compositions from various jazz greats including Clifford Brown, Billy Taylor, Randy Newman and Ellis Marsalis. Andy Jaffe, Director of Jazz Activities at Williams College, will be providing direction to this exciting group which includes Rob Pasternak (junior) on piano and arranger, Connor Kamm (senior) on trumpet, Andy Quinn (freshman) on tenor saxophone, Danny Schwartz (freshman) on guitar, John Morgenstern (junior) on bass and Joe Mastracchio (senior) on drums.This event is the first of the 2010 series of free concerts provided by Berkshires Jazz, Inc., an emerging non-profit organization committed to presenting jazz performances and promoting jazz education in Berkshire County. Berkshires Jazz is also responsible for sponsoring the annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival in mid-October.