Pittsfield CityJazz Festival

Rescheduled From Mid-October to Late April.

By: Ed Bride - Sep 13, 2021

 

The long hiatus from indoor concerts has given Berkshires Jazz, Inc. an opportunity to reflect on the many aspects of our programming. As a result, we have re-scheduled the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival from mid-October to late April. Celebrated nationally as Jazz Appreciation Month (a 2001 initiative of the Smithsonian Institution, and recognized by Congress), “JAM” is the perfect opportunity to focus on America’s cultural gift to the world.

Besides the worrying current trend of COVID-19, there are many positive reasons to have made this switch. The first is Jazz Appreciation Month itself: we now have the opportunity to participate in a nationwide initiative to call attention to our country's indigenous art form. Second, the participation of student ensembles has become an important part of our Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, but it has always been a scheduling challenge to rehearse this curated band and have it ready for a main-stage concert by mid-October. With our new dates, the student musicians will have nearly a full academic year to develop their music ideas, rehearse, and prepare for the festival.

Our new dates are April 22-30, with the headline weekend on April 29-30. Emerging more recently through UNESCO, a worldwide celebration of our music takes place on April 30: International Jazz Day, which in 2022 is the day of our capstone concert.

We know this will take some adjusting, but the past year has cultivated our adaptability. Berkshires Jazz is excited to look ahead to the new scenario, optimistic that we’ll all be breathing a little more easily.