With so much going on culturally speaking in our region, this is my highly selective, curated snapshot of some of the most promising events happening this weekend …
Terence Blanchard (courtesy MASS MoCA)
TERENCE BLANCHARD BRINGS JAZZ to MASS MoCA
Jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard stops by MASS MoCA with his Grammy Award-nominated quintet The E-Collective, joined by the acclaimed Turtle Island Quartet, performing music from Blanchard’s 2021 album Absence, inspired by the music of Wayne Shorter, tonight at 8pm. (Fri, Aug 26)
Grace Kelly (photo Taso Papadakis / courtesy artist)
GRACE KELLY BRINGS NEW POP-JAZZ SOUNDS to BERKSHIRES JAZZ
Speaking of jazz, saxophonist Grace Kelly brings music from her brand-new album, All That I Need, to the Lee Meeting House, in Lee, Mass., on Sunday at 7pm, as part of the Berkshires Jazz series. Kelly’s connections to the Berkshires are long and deep, going back to the age of 14, when she sat in with alto saxophonist Phil Woods at the 2006 Pittsfield CityJazz Festival. Five years later, at age 19, Kelly was the headliner and Woods was her guest. Kelly is also now a singer-songwriter, and her new album features a jazzy, hard-rocking original composition about female empowerment, “We Will Rise,” inspired by Maya Angelou. (Sunday, Aug 28)
Ruth Garbus (photo Annie Flanagan/courtesy The Clark)
RUTH GARBUS BRINGS ELECTRO-FOLK to THE CLARK
Brattleboro, Vt.-based singer-songwriter Ruth Garbus brings her moody, electro-folk sounds to the Clark in Williamstown, Mass., tonight at 6pm in a free, outdoor concert. With her soaring soprano and unusual jazz chords, Garbus sounds like a Joni Mitchell for the techno era. (Fri, Aug 26)
Yoko Miwa (courtesy artist)
YOKO MIWA BRINGS MODERN PIANO JAZZ to THE FOUNDRY
Yoko Miwa, a rising star of jazz piano, brings her adventurous trio to The Foundry in West Stockbridge, Mass., on Saturday at 7pm, in a concert presented by the West Stockbridge Historial Society. The Japan native boasts a muscular approach to her instrument, one that makes full use of the keyboard, especially the lower registers. From a home base in straight-ahead jazz, Miwa and her trio venture into territory including bebop, pop, gospel, rock, and classical, and in addition to original compositions, her repertoire includes songs by the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, and Billy Preston. (Sat, Aug 27)
Andre Courville plays Don Giovanni
BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL STAGES ‘DON GIOVANNI’ at THE MAHAIWE
Berkshire Opera Festival’s 2022 season culminates with a new staging of Mozart’s comedy-tragedy masterpiece Don Giovanni at the Mahaiwe tonight at 7:30pm. (Fri, Aug 26)
Martin Sexton (courtesy artist)
SINGER-SONGWRITER MARTIN SEXTON PLAYS CAFFÉ LENA
Virtuosic singer, songwriter and guitarist Martin Sexton is at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for two shows on Saturday at 5 and 8pm. (Sat, Aug 27)
Jupiter Quartet (courtesy artist)
JUPITER QUARTET BRINGS HAYDN and MORE to MUSIC MOUNTAIN
The Jupiter Quartet makes its Music Mountain debut in Falls Village, Conn., performing works by Haydn, Steve Taylor, and Tchaikovsky on Sunday at 3pm. (Sun, Aug 28)
Avery Sharpe (courtesy artist)
JAZZ BASSIST-COMPOSER AVERY SHARPE at CONCERTS AT 7 in PLAINFIELD
World-renowned bassist and Plainfield resident Avery Sharpe will present his composition 400: An African American Musical Portrait, in the Concerts at 7 series in Plainfield, Mass., on Monday at 7pm at the Plainfield Congregational Church. (Mon, Aug 29)