PITTSFIELD, Mass. (Top40 Charts/ Pittsfield City Jazz Festival) - The Pittsfield CityJazz Festival and the Colonial Theatre today announced a collaboration that will return the festival to that historic venue for a headline concert on Oct. 17. "Jazz Meets Symphony" will feature the New
Black Eagles Jazz Band and the Pittsfield CityJazz Youth Orchestra, performing traditional Jazz masterpieces that have been re-orchestrated for symphony configuration.
The fourth annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival will run from Oct. 10-19. Regionally-based musicians will be featured throughout the city on Columbus Day weekend (Oct. 10-12), the "Jazz in the Schools" program will occur Oct. 14-17, and headline concerts are scheduled for Oct. 17-19. Details will be announced later this spring, with news updates at www.PittsfieldCityJazz.org
"This is time-tested, and time-honored, material," said festival chairman Edward Bride. "It has been performed by the New
Black Eagles Jazz Band with the
Boston Pops, the Scottish
National Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Limburg Symphony, and more. And now, we are bringing this repertoire to Pittsfield for the first time."
One of the top traditional Jazz bands in the country, the
Black Eagles have performed at small clubs and large festivals around the world. The youth orchestra is an all-star group comprising members of the Jazz ensembles of Pittsfield and Taconic High Schools, and the Pittsfield Chamber Orchestra.
"It is very satisfying to be able to deepen our partnerships with local performers and performing arts organizations," said
David Fleming, Executive
Director of the Colonial Theatre. "We are particularly proud that the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival is returning for a headline concert that pairs the
Black Eagles, who opened the first festival in 2005, and the new Pittsfield CityJazz Youth Orchestra. This collaboration demonstrates the Colonial Theatre's commitment to community-oriented events that deliver memorable musical experiences. The concert is certain to shine a bright light on Pittsfield and continue to build on the festival's reputation for bringing high-quality music to downtown."
The concert is made available through a hospitality grant from the Crowne Plaza Hotel, as well as sponsorships from the Legacy
Banks Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and other organizations. Tickets go on sale May 6, from the Colonial Theatre's box office, 413-997-4444, and at www.TheColonialTheatre.org.
About the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival
The Pittsfield CityJazz Festival was established in 2005. Its goals are twofold:
• to present traditional, mainstream, and contemporary Jazz in an urban setting, and thereby contribute to the renaissance of downtown Pittsfield; and
• to enhance students' overall educational experience by introducing and presenting Jazz in an educational setting.
The Pittsfield CityJazz Festival is a collaboration of several organizations, including Cultural Pittsfield (the city's Office of Cultural Development), The Berkshire
Music School, and other business and cultural institutions.
