The Rogovoy Report: Berkshire & Hudson Valley Cultural Preview
Aug 18-24, 2023
With so much going on culturally speaking in our greater Berkshires/Hudson Valley region, this is my highly selective, curated snapshot of some of the most promising upcoming events …
DANIELLE PONDER BRINGS NEO-SOUL to MASS MoCA
Danielle Ponder brings her alluring blend of pop, R&B, blues, rock, and moody trip-hop to Courtyard C at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass., on Friday, August 18, at 8pm. Ponder, whose early influences including gospel artists such as Shirley Caesar and the Blind Boys of Alabama and blues shouters including Koko Taylor and Big Mama Thornton, left behind a career as a public defender to pursue her musical dreams, as encapsulated in the title of her debut album, Some of Us Are Brave. (Fri, Aug 18)
KENDRA McKINLEY BRINGS SOULFUL TUNES to THE CLARK
Hudson Valley-based singer-songwriter Kendra McKinley will bring her mix of psychedelic rock jams, raw love ballads, and neo-soul excursions to the Clark Art Institute on Saturday, August 19, at 5pm, as part of the Clark’s Evening Ecology celebration of its contemporary exhibition, Humane Ecology: Eight Positions, spanning indoor and outdoor spaces across the Clark’s campus. The self-described “California baby”’s music owes as much to the Beatles as it does to Erykah Badu, which gives listeners an idea of the depth and breadth of McKinley’s sound. (Sat, Aug 19)
PIANIST GERALD CLAYTON BRINGS JAZZ TRIO to OZAWA HALL
Six-time Grammy Award-nominated pianist-composer Gerald Clayton leads his jazz trio at Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass., on Sunday, August 20, at 8pm. Saxophonist Charles Lloyd has been Clayton's mentor; bassist John Clayton, Gerald's father, has been his role model; and Clayton has taken the lessons he has learned from both, as well as his conservatory studies -- including a year working with Kenny Barron at the Manhattan School of Music -- and established his own sound and approach to jazz piano. Clayton's inclusive sensibilities have allowed him to perform and record with such distinctive artists as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, John Scofield, Terence Blanchard, Dianne Reeves, Kendrick Scott, NEXT Collective, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Avishai Cohen. (Sun, Aug 20)
JOSH ROUSE BRINGS SOPHISTICATED FOLK-POP to EGREMONT BARN
Folk-pop singer-songwriter Josh Rouse brings his well-honed catalog of sophisticated modern folk songs, his gift for melodies, and his gorgeous, delicate tenor to the Egremont Barn in South Egremont, Mass., on Sunday, August 20, at 7:30pm. After years of living in Spain, the Nebraska native’s music has developed a Spanish tinge. Rouse should appeal to fans of Steve Forbert, Aimee Mann, and early Bruce Springsteen. (Sun, Aug 20)
BORROMEO QUARTET BRINGS BARTOK, BEETHOVEN to PLAINFIELD
The Borromeo String Quartet will perform Béla Bartók’s string quartet no. 6; Eleanor Alberga’s Remember (2000); and Beethoven’s string quartet no. 12, in E-flat major, op. 127, in the free Concerts at 7 chamber music series based at the Plainfield Congregational Church in Plainfield, Mass., on Monday, August 21, at 7pm. (Mon, Aug 21)
ROOTS-ROCK SUPERDUO DAVE ALVIN and JIMMIE DALE GILMORE at THE EGG
American roots-rockers Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore join forces with their band, the Guilty Ones, at the Egg in Albany, N.Y., on Thursday, August 24, at 7:30pm. Alvin, of the rocking rhythm and roots band the Blasters, and Gilmore, of the Americana supergroup the Flatlanders, will be swapping songs, telling stories, and sharing their life experiences from the stage. The duo will also perform at the Academy of Music in Northampton, Mass., on Sunday, August 27, at 8pm. (Thu, Aug 24)
DAVID McINTYRE’s ABSTRACT NATURE PORTRAITS ON VIEW at HUDSON HALL
Walking, a new solo exhibition by Scottish-born, Hudson-based photographer, filmmaker, and artist David McIntyre, inspired by the writings of Henry David Thoreau, opens at Hudson Hall in Hudson, N.Y., on Thursday, August 24, with an artist’s reception at 5pm. McIntyre brings the intricate patterns of nature to the forefront through a series of captivating, abstract, and digitally manipulated photographs taken on walks along trails in the Hudson Valley. The exhibit will remain on view through Sunday, October 8, 2023. (Thu, Aug 24-Sun, Oct 8)
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