Jazz is alive in the Berkshires! Lee offers up a great weekend of top shelf Jazz in the Annual Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend! Stay at one of the many B&B’s and other Inns in the area! Visit the Lee Chamber of Commerce website for more information.Spend some time in downtown Lee, with its great shops and restaurants, ranging from American classic cuisine in an historic restaurant once owned by the Nat King Cole family to a great French bistro, a wonderful little Peruvian place and of course Starving Artist Creperie & Cafe. For great seafood don’t forget the Salmon Run Fish House, or try the varied menus at Pho Saigon, Timothy’s or Lucia’s Latin Kitchen. Check out these and more by visiting the Lee Chamber of Commerce site.

Jazz has always been part of the cultural scene in the Berkshires, and in fact the Berkshires have played a significant role in jazz history. In the 1950’s and 1960’s The Music Inn and the Lenox School of Jazz were at the forefront of innovation, hosting concerts, lectures, educational offerings and symposia, the likes of which had never been seen. These offerings featured Jazz greats such as John Lewis and the Modern Jazz Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmie Giuffre, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Jim Hall, Max Roach, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and many many more.

The natural affinity of Jazz and the Berkshires continues and some of the great artists that have had early ties to the Berkshires have come back time and time again. Young artists and innovators are still coming here. Recent Jazz offerings in the Berkshires have included Jazz giants such as Randy Weston, Sonny Rollins, Ahmad Jamal, young upcoming artists such as Grace Kelly together with masters such as Phil Woods, T.S. Monk, and Dr. Billy Taylor.

There is just something about the Berkshires…Please join us this summer. Don’t miss Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend!

Keep your eyes on the Berkshires for more great jazz offerings by visiting BerkshiresJazz.org

Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend is produced by Berkshire Gateway Preservation, Inc in collaboration with Berkshires Jazz, Inc., a non-profit organization which has as its mission presenting and preserving America’s unique art form, and continuing to make the Berkshires a welcome place for Jazz. Berkshires Jazz produces concerts and educational programs throughout the year. For more information about upcoming Jazz events in the Berkshires, visit www.BerkshiresJazz.org