A highly selective preview of cultural events taking place this weekend in the greater Berkshires region, including an avant-jazz ensemble at MASS MoCA; a folk-rock legend at the Mahaiwe; an exhibition of new photography in Lenox; klezmer in Spencertown, N.Y.; and quirky indie-pop at Club Helsinki Hudson.
Allison Miller
ALLISON MILLER BRINGS JAZZ ALL-STARS to MASS MoCA
(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) — Bandleader Allison Miller brings her eclectic, funky jazz group Boom Tic Boom!, featuring a veritable all-star lineup of downtown jazz talent, to Club B10 at MASS MoCA on Saturday, May 7. The band includes violinist Jenny Scheinman, pianist Myra Melford, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Todd Sickafoose, and cornetist Kirk Knuffke – all leaders of their own projects and legends in their own right. Together, on the just-released album, “Otis Was a Polar Bear,” they have made one of the most adventurous musical recordings of the year, leaping across genres, swapping rhythms and melodies with dizzying ingenuity, and simply expanding the notion of jazz and art music in the 21st century.
John Hiatt
JOHN HIATT to BRING ECLECTIC FOLK-ROCK to MAHAIWE
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Critically lauded folk-rock singer-songwriter John Hiatt brings his rich, diverse catalog of songs and his quirky delivery to the Mahaiwe on Friday, May 6, at 8pm. While mass success has remained elusive over the course of his 40-plus-year career, Hiatt has hit the top of the charts via a veritable who’s who of singers who have recorded versions of his songs, including Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash, the Jeff Healey Band, Mandy Moore, and Bob Dylan. He has also acquired a rightful reputation as an entertainer par excellence, delivering songs with brutal honesty and turning on a dime and making an audience laugh with a quip or a satirical number, an approach he shares with the likes of Randy Newman, Loudon Wainwright III, John Prine, and the late Warren Zevon. Singer-songwriter Rick Brantley will warm up the crowd for Hiatt.
Bob Schneider
BOB SCHNEIDER BRINGS INDIE POP to HELSINKI HUDSON
(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Austin-based artist Bob Schneider brings his singular brand of indie-pop to Club Helsinki Hudson on Friday, May 6, at 8pm. Schneider stands out in Austin as not just another roots-music based artist, but as a kind of pop genius – a singer-songwriter who writes catchy, hook-laden melodies that connect the Beatles to soul music to New Wave to U2 to dream-pop to electronica. Think of him as Brian Wilson without the angst.
Steven Duede, ‘Evanescence XIII ‘
JURIED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION at SOHN FINE ART GALLERY
(LENOX, Mass.) – A reception for the 5th Annual Juried Exhibition showcasing the photographic work of 22 finalists, takes place at Sohn Fine Art Gallery on Saturday, May 7, from 4pm to 6:30pm. Artists in the exhibition include April Aldighieri, Mark Bennington, Matthew Bialer, Debra Bilow, Steven Duede, Steven Edson, George Grubb , Erin Gordon, Jonathan Hankin, Steve Knight, Lear Levin, Allan Markman, Rebecca Moseman, Paul Murray, Kathryn Nee, Lori Pond, Eric Rennie, Richard Schatzberg, Brian Sesack, Sue Palmer Stone, Ken Tannenbaum, and Samantha VanDeman. Schatzberg and Markman will also be signing copies of their new books at the event, during which the winners will be announced. The exhibition is on view through June 25. Members of the public can vote for a People’s Choice Award anytime during the run of the exhibition.
Clarinetist Paul Green
KLEZMER QUARTET to PLAY SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY
(SPENCERTOWN, N.Y.) — Paul Green and Klezmer East will perform a mix of traditional and contemporary klezmer favorites at Spencertown Academy on Saturday, May 7, at 8pm. The concert will include Yiddish dance tunes and hits from the Yiddish theater. Led by clarinetist Paul Green, Klezmer East features Pete Sweeney (drums), Bruce Krasin (saxophone), and Alan Gold (piano/keyboards).
Conzett House by Stephen Dietemann (photo Paul Puiia)
WORK BY ARCHITECT STEPHEN DIETEMANN FEATURED in BERKSHIRE MUSEUM EXHIBIT
(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – An innovative exhibition of the work of Berkshire architect Stephen Dietemann, along with that of three photographers who have documented his work, is on view in the BerkshireNow gallery space at the Berkshire Museum through Sunday, May 22. There will be a reception and panel discussion on Friday, May 6, from 5 to 8pm, in conjunction with Pittsfield’s First Fridays Artswalk, when the museum’s BerkshireNow gallery is open to the public at no cost.