I was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as were my mother and grandfather and many of my other relatives. I call Lenox, MA, home, but Pittsfield is close to my heart, too. That’s why I was happy to see this story in the Berkshire Eagle:
Fostering city jazz
By Benning W. De La Mater, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Friday, May 15PITTSFIELD — The local jazz scene just got a boost from its friends.
The people behind the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival have formed a new, nonprofit organization with the goal of growing jazz education and offering more live jazz performances.
Berkshires Jazz, Inc., will kick off its founding on July 2 with a concert at the First United Methodist Church featuring the American Jazz Repertory Orchestra.
Edward Bride, president of the organization, said the goal is to give birth to a new generation of jazz fans.
“Jazz is America’s only indigenous art form, and we don’t want it to disappear,” he said. “It allows for freedom of expression, group thinking and collaboration. It gives students a foundation of music that appreciates improvisation.”
You can read the rest of the article at the Berkshire Eagle site.
I recorded my interview with Barbara Dennerlein at last year’s Pittsfield CityJazz Festival. This year the festival features guitarist Frank Vignola and some pianist named Brubeck*. With any luck, they’ll be on future episodes of The Jazz Session. Congrats to the folks at Berkshires Jazz in Pittsfield for supporting this great music!
*Yes, I know who Dave Brubeck is.
