Winter pop preview
by Seth Rogovoy

(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Jan 29, 1999) -- The forecast for live pop music in and around the Berkshires in the coming weeks and months includes folksingers, a mini-jazz festival and the return of some dinosaurs of classic rock.

Up in Williamstown, the Clark Art Institute continues to lay claim to the February and March concert season with its third annual winter series. This time out, the Clark presents three singer-songwriters in "Different Voices," beginning Feb. 20 with Grammy-nominated "new Dylan" Loudon Wainwright III, followed Feb. 27 by new-Celtic artist Susan McKeown and The Chanting House. Wainwright's fellow "new-Dylan," Steve Forbert, closes the Clark's series on March 6.

The old Dylan -- that's Bob to you -- can be seen right around the same time when he bookends our region, at the RPI Fieldhouse in Troy, N.Y., on Feb. 22 and at the Mullins Center on the U. Mass campus at Amherst on Feb. 24. Natalie Merchant warms up the crowd for both of those shows.

Williamstown will also be the setting for a four-day jazz program in early April. A cooperative venture between Williams College and the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce, "Jazztown '99" will build a festival of some significance around the Collegiate Jazz Festival that takes place on campus each year. Among the performers slated to appear are the Ted Rosenthal Trio on April 8, the Mingus Big Band on April 9, and the Art Lande Duo and Joe Mulholland Sextet on April 11. In addition, there will be lectures and other jazz-related programming throughout the weekend. Call 458-9077 for more information.

The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield typically presents one show per month at this time of year, but the organization has decided to apply its programming efforts elsewhere this winter. Over in Lenox, the National Music Foundation has no music scheduled, period. At a time when most organizations are putting together their summer seasons, the foundation has yet to book acts for its annual music festival in May.

A few other local club dates are worth noting. North County rock 'n' roll band Coyote Radio performs at the Key West Lounge in North Adams tomorrow night at 9, and Quintet Essential, featuring saxophonist Fred Haas with guitarist Jason Ennis, is at North Adams's Manic Stage next Friday, Jan. 29. The Pioneer Valley-based roots-rock band the Lonesome Brothers is at Pittsfield's La Cocina on Feb. 19, followed by Boston-based rock duo SmokStik, featuring Chapman Stick player John Kiehne and drummer Hilary Koogler, bringing its original brand of smart, hardcore-funk, on Feb. 20.

In Pittsfield, the Friends of the Athenaeum are sponsoring a series of free programs at the Berkshire Athenaeum, kicking off on Feb. 18 with jazz singer/violinist Teresa Broadwell's Thrivin' on a Riff band, followed on Mar. 10 by a showing of King Vidor's 1928 silent film classic, "The Crowd," with pianist Mike Schiffer providing a live, extemporised score. The series continues with the Berkshire Brass Quintet (Mar. 15), the Berkshire Big Band (April 11) and Almost Them (May 23).

In Great Barrington, the Castle Street Café's Celestial Bar continues to feature top-notch jazz from throughout the region. The Albany-based group Sonny and Perley performs its blend of standards, cabaret and Brazilian music tonight at 8:30. Upcoming performances include the John Menegon Trio (Feb. 14), the Pete Tomlinson Trio (Feb. 20) and the Ted Perry Trio (Feb. 26).

With the recent success of groups like the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, swing music is all the rage once again and one of the nation's hottest trends. But swing is nothing new in Albany, where for the last 20 years, Doc Scanlon's Rhythm Boys have consistently kept things swinging across the Capitol Region and around the world as far away as Finland and St. Petersburg. In honor of their two decades of non-stop swing, Albany, N.Y., mayor Gerald Jennings has proclaimed tomorrow as "Doc Scanlon's Rhythm Boys Anniversary Day." The band and city will celebrate with a concert party beginning at 7:30 at the eba Dance Theater in downtown Albany. Call (518) 465-9916 for more information and reservations.

Classic-rock fans willing to drive a bit are well-served in the region's arenas in the next few weeks. In addition to the aforementioned Bob Dylan shows, baby-boomer favorites coming to the region include Rod Stewart (Pepsi Arena, Albany, Feb. 25), Billy Joel (Pepsi Arena, March 13) and, ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones (Hartford Civic Center, March 28 and 29).

Concerts by newer artists include gospel sensation Kirk Franklin (Pepsi Arena, Jan. 31), with CeCe Winans on warm-up duty, and boy-pop sensations 'N Sync (Pepsi Arena, March 15). Rusted Root (Feb. 23) is at SUNY-Albany's RACC, and the Black Crowes (Feb. 28) are coming to Albany's Palace Theatre. Alanis Morissette headlines at the Mullins Center in Amherst (Feb. 11), with Liz Phair opening.

The Troy (N.Y.) Savings Bank Music Hall is presenting an impressive array of programs boasting artistic integrity and thematic unity -- the sort of lineup one might expect from a non-profit organization dedicated to the perpetuation of our nation's musical heritage.

Like many musical organizations across the country, Troy is honoring the legacy of jazz composer Duke Ellington this year on the occasion of the centennial of his birth with a series of concerts, including the Marcus Roberts Trio (March 26), Milt Jackson and Ellis Marsalis plus the Stefon Harris Sextet (April 17), and the Marian McPartland Trio (May 1). Each of these performers will pay special tribute to Ellington in addtion to drawing on their own repertoire. Troy is also presenting the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis in an all-Ellington program on May 14.

Marsalis will also be at Troy tonight with his septet, along with harmonica legend Toots Theilemans and pianist Kenny Werner, in a special benefit that begins at 7. Proceeds from the concert will be distributed to four, youth-oriented, music education programs.

Troy is also presenting a weekend celebrating fiddle music in late April. Fiddle legend Mark O'Connor will join Jay Ungar and Molly Mason and the Albany Symphony Orchestra on April 23, followed by a jazz violin summit featuring Vassar Clements, Johnny Gimble, Mark O'Connor and Claude Williams the next night. Other events at Troy this season include an evening of traditional Celtic music with Cherish the Ladies and Bonnie Rideout on Feb. 14, and jazz-bluegrass fusion group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones on Feb. 20.

It's one, long, ongoing celebration of American and world music over in Northampton, where the Calvin Theatre will feature Chick Corea and Gary Burton (Feb. 6), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Feb. 11), jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson (April 16) and tenor saxophone great Sonny Rollins (April 23). The Calvin will also present Beatles producer George Martin in a multimedia event entitled "The Making of Sgt. Pepper" (Feb. 19). Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar, a great influence on the Beatles, performs with his daughter Anoushka Shankar on April 25.

The Iron Horse Music Hall kicks off its 20th anniversary birthday celebration at the Calvin with a star-studded concert featuring Maura O'Connell, Tuck and Patti, The Nields, the Bobs, Salamander Crossing and Dave Van Ronk on Feb. 24. In coming weeks the Iron Horse itself presents such top names as country/bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs (Feb. 3), Jennifer Kimball (Feb. 6), Dr. John (Feb. 7), Southside Johnny (Feb. 16) and The Seldom Scene (March 19).

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[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Jan. 29, 1999. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1999. All rights reserved.]