Friday, February 14, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Bits & Bytes: ‘Gratitude’ at Race Brook Lodge; ‘Messiah’ sing-in; Sprague/Jaffe/Ennis trio with Claire Daly; ‘Little Women’ reading; Rock & Soul Holiday Show

The Sprague/Jaffe/Ennis Trio is a new ensemble featuring long time collaborators with strong Berkshires roots: Miro Sprague on piano, Marty Jaffe on bass and Jason Ennis on guitar.

Race Brook Lodge to host ‘Gratitude’ concert

Sheffield — On Saturday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Race Brook Lodge, the Unifier Festival and the HeARTbeat Collective will present Arouna & Biko; Incus; and I,Star for a show titled “Gratitude.”

Combining the percussion of Biko Casini from Rising Appalachia with the ngoni and balafon of Arouna Diarra, the duo Arouna & Biko have come together to create a musical tapestry of folk, world and West African rhythms.

Jason Cohen, the visionary force of Incus, produces healing and expressive arts gatherings with a focus on reverence for nature and inspiring people through creativity. He will be joined by Nash Atkins on guitar, Thomas Matherly on bass, and Jed Blume on tablas and percussion.

Encompassing MC/poet Truth-I Manifest’s potent lyrical flow and singer/songwriter Aradhana Silvermoon’s angelic melodies, husband-and-wife duo I,Star give performances of hard-hitting rhymes and evocative refrains that build to harmonies.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Race Brook Lodge at (413) 229-2916 or info@rblodge.com.

–E.E.

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Berkshire Bach Society to offer ‘Messiah’ sing-in

Great Barrington — The Berkshire Bach Society will present its annual sing-in of Handel’s “Messiah” Saturday, Nov. 30, at 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 251 Main St., with Frank Nemhauser conducting the Berkshire Bach Players.

The Berkshire Bach Players are a seasoned instrumental ensemble of professional musicians that includes Lucy Bardo on cello and Allan Dean on trumpet along with Ron Gorevic and Emily Smith on violin, Eric Martin on viola, and Manon Hutton-DeWys on piano.

The event is free but donations are appreciated. Participants may bring their own scores, or borrow or buy one (G. Schirmer version) from the Berkshire Bach Society for $15. For those who wish to practice in advance, online videos of the parts are available. For more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Berkshire Bach Society at (413) 528-9555 or info@berkshirebach.org.

–E.E.

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Sprague/Jaffe/Ennis Trio to perform with guest artist Claire Daly

Claire Daly. Photo courtesy Berkshires Jazz

Great Barrington — As part of Fair Saturday, Berkshires Jazz will present the Sprague/Jaffe/Ennis Trio with guest artist baritone saxophonist Claire Daly Saturday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint James Place.

The Sprague/Jaffe/Ennis Trio is a new ensemble featuring long time collaborators with strong Berkshires roots: Miro Sprague on piano, Marty Jaffe on bass and Jason Ennis on guitar. Infused with influences from Brazil, classical chamber music, funk and more, the trio’s music features intricate group improvisation, inventive arrangements, and a deep sense of beauty and groove. Recognized as an interpreter of such legends as Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan, award-winning saxophonist Daly has performed in a wide range of ensembles, and has appeared in the Berkshires in both big-band and small-group settings.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Berkshires Jazz at (413) 442-7718.

–E.E.

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Reading, tea to celebrate audiobook adaptation of ‘Little Women’

Image courtesy Alison Larkin Presents

Lenox — Actress Anne Undeland will return to Ventfort Hall to celebrate the release of an audiobook adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” Saturday, Nov. 30, at 3:30 p.m. After the reading, Undeland and Alison Larkin, founder of Alison Larkin Presents, the Berkshire-based audiobook company that is issuing “Little Women,” will discuss Alcott’s early feminist roots, her links to Massachusetts, and “Little Women” then and now. A Victorian tea will follow.

The new audio production gives the listener the March sisters — rough-and-tumble Jo, graceful Meg, gifted Beth and willful Amy — in one year, from Christmas to Christmas, as they move from childhood to adulthood in Civil War-era New England.

Undeland has been featured in numerous radio productions for BBC Radio, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and NPR affiliates in the U.S. Writer and comedienne Larkin’s Alison Larkin Presents has won eight AudioFile Earphones Awards for excellence.

Tickets are $28 in advance and $32 the day of the reading. Reservations are recommended due to limited seating. For more information or to make reservations, contact Ventfort Hall at (413) 637-3206 or info@gildedage.org.

–E.E.

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Berkshire Theatre Group to present Rev Tor & Friends’ Rock & Soul Holiday Show

Wanda Houston performing a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro, Vermont, in December 2016. Photo: Jeff Lewis, courtesy Vermont Jazz Center

Pittsfield — Berkshire Theatre Group will present Rev Tor & Friends’ Rock & Soul Holiday Show featuring Wanda Houston, Gina Coleman and Tony Lee Thomas Friday, Nov. 29, at 8 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre, 11 South St.

Rev Tor & Friends will kick off the holiday season with a night of rockin’ soulful renditions of holiday classics in a concert for all ages. The evening will feature performances by renowned vocalist Wanda Houston, along with local favorites Gina Coleman of Misty Blues and Tony Lee Thomas of the Alchemystics. Brian Benlien will provide pre-show entertainment at 6:30 p.m. in the Garage.

Tickets are $25. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Colonial Ticket Office at (413) 997-4444.

–E.E.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

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