10-fingered jazz: the piano stylings of ten masters

Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021
7:30pm. Free!
Livestreamed by Berkshires Jazz and broadcast by PCTV

Berkshires Jazz is taking part in the 10th annual 10×10 Upstreet Winter Arts Festival, generally in downtown Pittsfield. With severe limitations on what can be done in person –especially indoors—we are presenting our first-ever virtual event. A livestreamed concert featuring a masterful Berkshires favorite.

The program will feature pianist Matt DeChamplain playing the jazz stylings of 10 different pianists (with one or two encores anticipated with his wife, the amazing vocalist Atla DeChamplain).

Matt has made it a practice to study the styles of a vast number of jazz piano masters throughout its history. The program, developed especially for this 10×10 event, is a strong representation of the different eras of jazz piano and portrays a varying pace and degree of contrast. The program will be drawn from the works of James P. Johnson, Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, Barry Harris, Bud Powell, Mary Lou Williams, Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner. Possible encores will include vocals made popular by singer/pianists Blossom Dearie and Nat “King” Cole.

The selections range from rag to bop to modern, Matt is a student, a teacher, and a performer of all things jazz, and it will be great to have him back in the Berkshires…albeit virtually. Check back for details of accessing this one-time event.