PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If music be the food of love, as the Bard professed, then jazz music feeds the soul. And Berkshires Jazz founder Ed Bride has made sure the people of Pittsfield never go hungry for tasty vibes and sizzling rhythms.
The annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, presented by Berkshires Jazz, returns with a heady mix of free and ticketed events at downtown venues from restaurants to the Colonial Theatre. Musicians over the past two decades have included local favorites, young emerging artists and veteran headliners.
The festival follows a widely-accessible format spread over 11 days from April 18-28 during nationally-recognized Jazz Appreciation Month. The festivities kick-off Thursday, April 18 with an open-jam session at Hot Plate Brewing Co. On Friday, April 19, the always-popular Jazz Crawl returns, bringing jazz enthusiasts to a variety of venues. A schedule can be found at berkshiresjazz.org. A swing dance with the Wandering Dance Society follows on Saturday, April 20 at Proprietor’s Lodge. Lessons by Jason Fenton begin at 6 p.m., with the dance floor opening at 7 p.m. Jazz brunches will be held at Dottie’s, 10 a.m. to noon, with Brian Hailes on April 21 and Natalia Bernal and Jason Ennis on April 28.