Greg Caputo Big Band with guest soloist Phil Woods at Berkshire Gateway Jazz Series at First Congregational Church

The second annual Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend brings marquee performers and local jazz musicians to downtown Lee, Mass., July 25-28. In collaboration with Berkshire Gateway Preservation, Inc., Berkshires Jazz presents the Greg Caputo Big Band, Phil Woods, and the Freddie Bryant Quartet in the striking performance space at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, and other venues.

In addition to the headline performances on July 26 and 27, the weekend will include “jazz about town,” featuring local performers in an outdoor setting. Additional events will be announced as the event nears....

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The second annual Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend brings marquee performers and local jazz musicians to downtown Lee, Mass., July 25-28. In collaboration with Berkshire Gateway Preservation, Inc., Berkshires Jazz presents the Greg Caputo Big Band, Phil Woods, and the Freddie Bryant Quartet in the striking performance space at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, and other venues.

In addition to the headline performances on July 26 and 27, the weekend will include “jazz about town,” featuring local performers in an outdoor setting. Additional events will be announced as the event nears.

Tickets are now on sale at http://www.berkshiregatewayjazz.com/.


Described as “the keeper of the big band flame,” drummer Gregory Caputo fronts a 16-piece unit that will perform a salute to some of the biggest bands of the jazz era. His program, “Benny Goodman to Gordon Goodwin,” will feature the NEA Jazz Master and multiple Grammy Award winner Phil Woods, who returns to the Berkshires after two appearances at the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival in 2006 and 2011. Woods, a multiple Grammy winner and NEA Jazz Master, is a guest artist on Caputo’s CD “Velocity,” and their performance (Saturday, July 27, 7:30pm) will include much of the material from that live recording.

The Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend had its premiere last September, under the direction of Rich Vinette. In 2013, Berkshire Gateway Preservation, Inc. and Berkshires Jazz, Inc. combined efforts on this event, moving it to the peak weekend of the tourist season. Other performers to be announced. Information at www.BerkshiresJazz.org.

Berkshires Jazz, Inc. was established in 2009 to present jazz events and promote jazz education throughout Berkshire County in western Massachusetts. The organization is the sponsor of the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, the Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend, and other events throughout the year.

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