2024 Pittsfield CityJazz Festival Schedule

Apr. 18-28, 2024

Downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Spanning 11 days of events

Swing Dance ... Jam Session ... Annual Jazz CrawlJazz Prodigy Concert ... Jazz Brunches And world-renowned headliners

Here are the details for the eighteenth annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, which runs from Apr. 18-28 in various locations throughout the City. Starting with an open jam session and ending with a jazz brunch at Dottie’s, the events include the popular Jazz Crawl, a swing dance, the jazz prodigy concert introducing two young musicians to Berkshires audiences, and headline concerts featuring Brandon Goldberg and Marcus Roberts.The festival is a highlight of Jazz Appreciation Month, a national observance that was conceived by the Smithsonian Institution in 2001, and later sanctioned by Congress. It also falls on the eve of Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday anniversary, which will be observed during some of the performances.The 10-day festival kicked-off with an open jam session at Hot Plate Brewing, on Thursday, April 18, curated and refereed by pianist Dave Bartley. The festival’s annual Jazz Crawl anchors the weekend events; sponsored by Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, the crawl features local artists in restaurants and lounges throughout the City. On Saturday, Apr. 20, the Wandering Dance Society will hold a swing dance at Proprietor’s Lodge, preceded by an hour of instruction for those interested in the increasingly popular dance movement. A Sunday jazz brunch at Dottie’s on North Street caps the first weekend.The Jazz Prodigy Concert kicks-off “headline week” on Tuesday, Apr. 23, 7pm at the Berkshire Athenaeum. The concert presents two young artists in their performance debut together, pianist Jasper Zimmerman and alto saxophonist Zach Catalano, backed by Pete Toigo on bass and Conor Meehan on drums. Sponsored by Friends of the Athenaeum, the Jazz Prodigy Concert has represented the first actual gig for many of today’s rising artists.Headline concerts include trios headed by two phenomenal pianists at different phases of their careers, the teenage prodigy Brandon Goldberg and the masterful Marcus Roberts. Another jazz brunch at Dottie’s concludes the festival on Sunday, Apr. 28.

Headline Artists

18-year-old Brandon Goldberg has been playing piano since he was three years old, making his Newport Jazz Festival debut at the age of 13. He has played at the most important jazz festivals in the world, and on the stages of the most prestigious jazz clubs, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s Club, The Side Door, and Birdland Theatre, among others. He first appeared in the Berkshires in 2022, to a turn-away crowd at Ventfort Hall. His Pittsfield performance will be a CD-release concert for his brand new recording, “Live at Dizzy’s”.JazzTimes called Goldberg “a gifted pianist and composer, a sensitive interpreter, and an inventive improviser who is deeply immersed in jazz." His recording “In Good Time” drew this comment from Downbeat Magazine: "…unassailable technique, advanced harmonic understanding, a deep sense of swing and, most impressively, a clarity and plethora of ideas executed to near-perfection."

As part of the Jazz Appreciation Month observances across the country, Berkshires Jazz presents a wide range of music, much of it represented in Marcus Roberts’ extended composition, “From Rags to Rhythm,” an anthology of jazz styles. Roberts is considered one of the preeminent American jazz pianists of his generation. During the first fifteen years of his career, he completed more than thirty recordings; and all, whether solo piano, with trio, big band, or symphony orchestra, have been critically acclaimed. His life and work were featured in a CBS’s 60 Minutes episode, “The Virtuoso,” which traced his life from his early years in Jacksonville, Florida, and at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, to his award-winning career as a performer and composer.

Marcus Roberts’ musical spectrum represents a perfect message for our Jazz Appreciation Month observations. From his early days with Wynton Marsalis to his work as an ensemble player and a leader, to his role as guest soloist, Marcus Roberts has impressed audiences for 40 years. Duke Ellington was born on Apr. 29, 1899, and Roberts’ first set will include music from the Ellington playbook. His performance is entitled “From Rags to Rhythm to Duke,” Bride said.

The Berkshires Jazz All Star Youth Band will open this final concert of the festival. A curated ensemble hosted at Reid and Herberg Middle Schools, the band has drawn wide acclaim at openings for such festival headliners as Dave Brubeck, the Diva Jazz Orchestra, and Emmet Cohen. This concert is sponsored by a generous grant from The Feigenbaum Foundation. Additional major sponsorships and donations come from Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, the Mill Town Foundation, the Berkshire Eagle, and HiBrid Cannabis Dispensary.Berkshires Jazz, Inc. is 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. Tickets are on sale for both of the headline concerts, see links below.

Day-to-Day Schedule

Thursday, April 18
Open Jam Session (Dave Bartley coordinating)
Hot Plate Brewing Co.
7-10pm

Friday, Apr. 19
Jazz Crawl
Local artists and venues throughout the city
Schedule below*

Saturday, Apr. 20
Swing Dance, with the Wandering Dance Society
Proprietor’s LodgeLesson with Jason Fenton, 6pmDancing 7-10pm with the Don Mikkelsen Quartet.

Sunday, Apr. 21
Jazz Brunch
Dottie’s
10am-2pm
Music until noon with Brian Hailes

Tuesday, Apr. 23, 7:00pm
Jazz Prodigy Concert
Jasper Zimmerman, piano
Zach Catalano, alto saxophone
with Pete Toigo, bass, and Conor Meehan, drums

Friday, Apr. 26, 7:30pm
The Brandon Goldberg Trio
CD Release tour, “Live at Dizzy’s”
Details and tickets

Saturday, April 27, 7:30pm
The Marcus Roberts Trio
“Rags to Rhythm to Duke”
Plus the Berkshires Jazz All Star Youth Band
Details and tickets

*2024 Jazz Crawl Schedule, Friday, April 19

6-8pm
Don Mikkelsen Trio
Methuselah
391 North St.

6-9pm
Evan Lanoue
Dorothy’s
438 North St.

6:30-8:30pm
Paul Ostermayer Trio
Tito’s
34 Depot St.

7-9pm
Andy Kelly, guitar
Woody Strobeck, trombone
101 Restaurant
1 West St. (Holiday Inn & Suites)

7:30-9pm
George Oldziey, piano
Hotel on North, Lobby
297 North St.

8-10pm
Dave Bartley Trio
Jae’s at Hilton Garden Inn
1032 South St., behind Guido's

See you there, and there, and there…

The jazz crawl is sponsored by Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.