(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Vocalist Stephanie Nakasian will perform with the Hod O’Brien Trio at Panchos Mexican Restaurant on Saturday, February 13, at 8pm, in a program paying tribute to 10 of the great historic jazz singers, including Ethel Waters, June Christy, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln. The program is presented by Berkshires Jazz as part of Pittsfield’s 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival.

A national recording artist, Nakasian is renowned for her unique vocal insights and capabilities that enable her to sing in the styles and with the sensibilities of her subjects. The performance and contextual information are based on research she conducted as part of her vocal jazz course at the University of Virginia, and which serve as the foundation for her recording “Thrush Hour: A Study of the Great Ladies of Jazz.”

A prolific recording artist with a dozen celebrated albums, including her recent “Billie Remembered,” which was featured on NPR’s “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross, Nakasian performs regularly with ensembles, orchestras or in small groups with her partner, pianist Hod O’Brien.

The Hod O’Brien Trio includes David Clark on bass, George Schuller on drums, and O’Brien on piano.

The event is part of Pittsfield’s annual 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival, during which cultural institutions present 10-themed programs, such as new 10-minute plays; readings of 10 poets; 10 days of play at the Berkshire Museum, etc.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the event, and are available online at Berkshires Jazz.

A 501c3 non-profit organization, Berkshires Jazz, Inc. presents jazz events and promotes jazz education in Berkshire County. Its keystone event is the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, a signature cultural event of the fall foliage season in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts.