Ben Cosgrove brings his unique, original compositions inspired by the natural world to Dewey Hall in Sheffield, Mass., tonight at 7pm. Cosgrove’s compositions, mostly keyboard-based, are lush and alluring and veritably breathe with the pulses and rhythms of the environment, while subtly acknowledging and commenting upon the complex relationship between humanity and the earth we inhabit. (Fri, Feb 24) Grammy Award-nominee Guy Davis brings his personal blend of blues music and storytelling to the Egremont Barn in South Egremont, Mass., tonight at 7:30pm. The son of actor-activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Guy Davis keeps the spirit of his parents alive through songs such as “God’s Gonna Make Things Over,” about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. (Fri, Feb 24)
As part of Pittsfield’s annual 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival, Berkshires Jazz has commissioned ten original compositions from jazz artists from around the northeast. An all-star trio of pianist Eugene Uman, bassist Mary Ann McSweeney, and drummer Conor Meehan will perform the new works from this Jazz Composers Showcase at Berkshire Museum on Saturday at 7:30pm. (Sat, Feb 25)
Rapper, singer and neo-soul artist Ivy Sole brings her melodic, beat-heavy brand of modern R&B to Club B10 at MASS MoCA on Saturday at 8pm. The 28-year old singer performs a rare hybrid of sultry and soulful R&B, with a sound that draws on a diverse set of influences, including southern rap, gospel, funk, spoken-word poetry, and more. Imagine a cross between Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill, with a little Meshell Ndegeocello thrown into the mix. (Sat, Feb 25)
New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound brings Armenian-American composer Mary Kouyoumdjian’s multimedia piece Paper Pianos to EMPAC in Troy, N.Y., on Saturday at 3pm. The concert-length music and documentary-theater hybrid explores the dislocation, longing, and optimism of refugees, and the experiences of those who provide services to them. (Sat, Feb 25)
Alicia Svigals and Donald Sosin perform their new original score live to a screening of the 1992 silent film Man Without a World at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm. Man Without a World is a moving, comic melodrama set in a typical shtetl in Poland, where the Jews’ struggle against poverty and racial hatred is complicated by their own divisions into hostile political factions of religious orthodoxy, assimilationists, socialists, Zionists, anarchists, and survivors. Alicia Svigals is the greatest living exponent of klezmer fiddle, and has codified the Old World ornamentations of the instrument, thus inspiring and influencing several generations of contemporary klezmer fiddlers. (Sat, Feb 25)
London-based brass ensemble Septura presents a program of Russian masterworks at Union College’s Memorial Chapel in Schenectady, N.Y., on Sunday at 3pm. Septura will perform works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Mussorgsky in a concert sponsored by Capitol Region Classical. (Sun, Feb 26)
A trio of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriters -- Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, and Sarah Jarosz -- team up for a special program at UPAC in Kingston on Wednesday, March 1, at 7:30pm.
And finally, Elvis Costello brings his punchy, literate rock, his melodic twists, and his band, the Imposters , to UPAC in Kingston on Thursday, March 2, at 7:30pm. (Thu, Mar 2)
Missed any of that? You can revisit the Rogovoy Report on WAMC’s website at wamc.org, where you will find a complete transcript plus links to artist and venue websites as well as ticket links.
Seth Rogovoy is editor of the Rogovoy Report, available at rogovoyreport.substack.com.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.