Berkshire Jazz Showcase re-scheduled to Sept. 28

Berkshires Jazz brings five of the most popular regional bands to the stage for the second annual Berkshire Jazz Showcase.

Originally scheduled for Aug. 3, 2019, the event will take place on Sept. 28, noon-5pm, rain or shine.

Berkshires Jazz brings five of the most popular regional bands to Pittsfield Common for the second annual Berkshire Jazz Showcase, Sept. 28 from noon-5pm. The wide-ranging lineup for the jazz extravaganza will include (in this planned sequence):• Gina Coleman and Misty Blues• Paul Green and Two Worlds• Andy Wrba’s Berkshire Jazz Collective• First Take with Mary Ann Palermo• Kyle Murray QuintetA free event, the Showcase will also include food vendors, as well as a beer and wine garden. The event will be held on the field adjacent to the First Street Common’s playground and "splash park". Prelude music will be provided from 10am until noon at The Pittsfield Farmer’s Market. Audiences are advised to bring blankets or chairs.Berkshire County enjoys a long-standing reputation as a hotbed of jazz talent, going back nearly 75 years to Music Inn, and now enjoying renewed popularity throughout the region. On any particular weekend, and some weekdays, audiences can find dozens of locally-based world-class musicians in clubs and lounges, but rarely on a main stage. Berkshires Jazz addressed that oversight in 2018, when the showcase took off, from the City of Pittsfield’s outdoor stage as the launching pad. This year’s event includes all new bands.The performing arts represent the heart and soul of the Berkshires. And yet, despite signature jazz festivals that feature headline talent during the shoulder seasons, there is no other main-stage jazz event during the high tourist season. Compounding that absence was the fact that there had been no event that celebrates and showcases the rich variety of local talent who call the Berkshires home. We’re delighted to be presenting such excellent groups in such a proud setting.Many of these artists could easily establish careers in jazz havens like New York, Chicago, New Orleans or San Francisco, but they live in the Berkshires because this is where they want to be. Visitors and locals alike will be amazed at the talent that calls the Berkshires home.Lead sponsor for The Berkshire Jazz Showcase is The Berkshire Eagle, with additional support from MountainOne Financial, The Pittsfield Cultural Council, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the City of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held indoors in the Common Room of Zion Lutheran Church, which is adjacent to the Pittsfield Common.