(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., April 3, 1998) -- While summer will undoubtedly bring a panoply of pop concerts to the county and the greater region, there's still plenty of good shows to catch between now and the Fourth of July, when the immortal Ray Charles will unofficially usher summer into the Berkshires at Tanglewood.

This weekend, folk duo Mustard's Retreat is in residence at the Spencertown (N.Y.) Academy, with a show tonight at 8 as part of the academy's Coffee House Folk series and a children's show tomorrow morning at 11. Michael Hough and David Tamuvelich of Mustard's Retreat have been entertaining audiences for almost a quarter-century. As heard on its latest CD, "The Wind and the Crickets" (Palmetto) -- produced by Garnet Rogers and featuring harmonies by Lucy Kaplansky and Jennifer Kimball -- the duo specializes in an old-fashioned, homespun-style of folk, including original topical ballads, love songs and humorous pieces.

Next in the series at the academy are regional bright lights Meg Hutchinson of South Berkshire and Bruce Allen of Columbia County, sharing the bill on April 24. Call (518) 392-3693 for more information on academy shows.

The Berkshires' own David Grover will perform "An Evening of American Folk Songs," including cowboy songs, civil-rights songs, sing-alongs and old-time songs at the National Music Center's Springlawn Mansion in Lenox on Saturday night at 7.

Next weekend Williams College presents its annual weekend of jazz, beginning Friday night, April 10, with a concert by Freddie Bryant and the Brooklyn Rain Forest Quintet, followed the next day by the sixth annual Collegiate Jazz Festival. Call the Williams Concertline at 597- 3146 for more information on those shows. Also coming to Williams is folksinger Cosy Sheridan, at Dodd House on April 15.

Speaking of folksingers, Vance Gilbert, who has a brand-new album, "Shaking Off Gravity" (Philo), is at Southern Vermont College in Bennington on April 16. Other area college dates include Jim's Big Ego at North Adams State College on April 25.

The Berkshire Museum takes on the aspect of an old-world Jewish wedding on April 18, when the Pioneer Valley's Wholesale Klezmer Band performs upstairs in the Crane Room. Also coming to the museum is singer-songwriter Suzzy Roche, formerly of the singing sisters The Roches, on May 16.

Berkshire folkies Bernice Lewis and Judy Lunseth along with keyboardist/songwriter Mark Kelso celebrate Earth Day AND their birthdays on April 22 with an "Earth Day Birthday Concert" at the Richmond Congregational Church at 7.

The first weekend in May is a busy one, beginning with a double-bill at the Studio in Pittsfield on May 1 featuring 10,000 Maniacs and The Nields, who got their start as a husband-wife-sister lounge act at the Williams Inn in Williamstown. Natalie Merchant is no longer with the Maniacs, but Maniacs co-founder John Lombardo has rejoined, bringing along his duo partner Mary Ramsey to the reconfigured group.

The next night, May 2, Nanci "I'm not Nancy" Griffith headlines the National Music Foundation's second annual Berkshire Music Festival, followed on May 3 by the Sunday showcase of local musicians.

Northampton-based singer-songwriter Brooks Williams returns to the Lorien Coffeehouse in nearby Grafton, N.Y., on May 10. The Bacon Brothers, featuring movie star Kevin Bacon, were such a big hit last summer the Barrington Stage Company is bringing them back for an encore performance at the Consolati Performing Arts Center in Sheffield on June 6 at 8.

Plans are afoot for not just one but two bluegrass festivals to take place this summer at Steele's Farm in Lanesboro. In addition to the annual Noppet Hill Festival, which happens in late July, a more progressive-oriented festival is taking shape for the weekend of June 19-21.

Those willing to travel an hour in either direction will find an abundance of great concerts to catch before the summer onslaught. Ani DiFranco bookends the Berkshires with a show at the Mullins Center at UMass-Amherst tomorrow night and again at the Palace Theatre in Albany next Friday, April 10.

Jonatha Brooke, formerly of The Story, now on her own, performs at Mt. Holyoke College's Chapin Auditorium on April 19. Other big shows coming to Pioneer Valley colleges include noise-rockers Sonic Youth at Smith College on April 24, jazz-funksters Medeski Martin and Wood at Mt. Holyoke on April 25, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at the Mullins Center on May 5.

In the Capital District, a great double-bill featuring John Wesley Harding and Steve Wynn is at Valentine's in Albany on April 19. That same night, the British Rock Symphony and Choir, featuring Peter Frampton and Zak Starkey, are at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Old- school rapper LL Cool J is at Siena College in Loudonville on April 21, Projekct Two, featuring King Crimson alumni Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew and Trey Gunn, are at Valentines on May 8, and pop-punk outfit Green Day is at Achilles Rink in Schenectady on May 10. Amy Grant is at the Palace Theatre on June 22.

Up in Weston, Vt., Berkshire bluegrass ensemble Bear Bridge Band shares the bill with the Warrior River Boys on April 25 at the Weston Playhouse.

Every night of the week the Iron Horse in Northampton boasts great music. Pittsfield native Adam Rothberg, best known for his work with Dar Williams, Bernice Lewis and the Big Waaagh Scratch Band, opens for Carrie Newcomer at the Horse next Wednesday, April 8, at 7.

The Rolling Stones finally make good on their promise to perform in upstate New York, after cancelling several dates there last winter, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on April 17. For more of the biggest in big-name entertainment, catch Radiohead and Spiritualized at the Worcester Centrum on April 15, Billy Joel at the Hartford Civic Center on May 6, 8 and 9, and the Dave Matthews Band at Foxboro Stadium on June 5. You can even get a pre-summer James Taylor fix this year by traveling to Great Woods in Mansfield on June 3 or 5.

Is your event not included in this preview? Do you think it should be? To have your shows considered for inclusion in seasonal previews or weekly concert updates, be sure to send announcements to one of the addresses at the end of this column.

[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on April 3, 1998. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1998. All rights reserved.]