Barbara Carroll

(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Legendary jazz pianist, composer, and vocalist Barbara Carroll, accompanied by her longtime musical partner, the bassist Jay Leonhart, performs at the Mahaiwe on Sunday, July 24 at 7. With a career that has spanned some 65 years, Carroll has long been regarded as one of the most fascinating purveyors of swinging jazz piano and rhythmic, expressive vocals. Whether she is rendering a composition by Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, Billly Strayhorn, or Thelonious Monk, her inventive piano playing – she is generally regarded as one of the first women to play bebop — and unique vocal sound ensure that she transforms that composition into her own art.

Carroll began her career in the late 1940s as a bebop pianist, leading her own trio, which worked briefly with Benny Goodman. After a hiatus from performing in the 1960s, the Worcester, Mass.-native returned to show business in the 1970s, first touring with Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson, and then establishing herself as a cabaret artist with a gig at the Hotel Carlyle that lasted a quarter century.

For this intimate performance, the audience will sit onstage at cabaret-style tables and enjoy drinks and dessert during the show. There is very limited availability given the onstage nature of this event. Tickets ($75 per person and $280 for a table of four) go on sale to Mahaiwe members on Wednesday, July 6 and, if there is still availability, to the general public on Thursday, July 14. For reservations, call 413.528.6415 ext. 1.