Japanese-British dance-pop artist Rina Sawayama brings her visionary sounds and rhythms to MASS MoCA in North Adams tonight at 8pm. It’s a rare chance to catch Rina in an intimate venue before she heads out on the summer festival circuit, with high-profile appearances at Bonnaroo, Governors Ball in NYC on Saturday, and Lollapalooza Berlin, among others. (Fri, Jun 9)
Vocalist and songwriter Roberta Donnay teams up with the Prohibition Mob Band, which plays vintage jazz and swing, and vocalist Alexis Cole will be backed by the Amherst Jazz Orchestra, at the 10th annual Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend in Lee, Mass., tonight through Sunday. (Fri-Sun, Jun 9-11)
Legendary singer-songwriter Eric Andersen performs at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, Mass., on Saturday at 8pm. Andersen’s songs have been recorded and performed by world-renowned artists including the Kingston Trio, Peter Paul & Mary, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. His song “Thirsty Boots” was recorded by Judy Collins, John Denver, and Bob Dylan. (Sat, Jun 10)
Grammy Award-nominee Guy Davis brings his unique blend of blues music and storytelling to Spencertown Academy in Spencertown, N.Y., on Saturday at 8pm. 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. (Sat, Jun 10)
Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet and Schumann’s Piano Quintet are on the menu when pianist Yekwon Sunwoo and violinist Giora Schmidt headline a Close Encounters with Music concert at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Mass., on Sunday at 4pm. (Sun, Jun 11)
Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., offers quite a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 2pm with legendary guitarist and songwriter Leo Kottke, known for his intricate fingerpicking style and his dry wit. Then at 8pm, Kate Taylor of the venerable Taylor family of singer-songwriters, presents songs from her new album, Why Wait? Leo Kottke will also perform at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y., on Sunday at 8pm. (Sat, Jun 10; Sun, Jun 11)
Adventurous string quartet Ethel performs twice this weekend at Kaatsbaan in Tivoli, N.Y. Tonight at 7pm, the group performs music inspired by rock icons including Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin as well as works by Philip Glass and Ennio Morricone, and then on Saturday at 7pm, Ethel performs with Grammy Award-nominated violinist and composer Curtis Stewart. (Fri-Sat, Jun 9-10)
Eighty-six-year-old blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy is making the rounds of his old haunts on his final, farewell tour, which pulls into UPAC in Kingston, N.Y., on Thursday, June 15, at 7:30pm. One of the greatest electric guitarists of all time, Buddy Guy has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and has been cited as an influence by rock titans including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, all while being a minimalist at heart, doing more with the power of a single, whispery, bent blues note than an army of so-called rock virtuosos. (Thu, Jun 15)
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.