Caleb Teicher and Nic Gareiss bring their playful exploration of improvisation, song, and percussive dance to the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Mass., today through Sunday. Caleb Teicher is a Bessie Award-winning performer, choreographer, and director who began their career as a founding member of Dorrance Dance, then in 2015 shifted their creative focus towards concert dance work with Caleb Teicher & Company. Nic Gareiss, named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” draws from many percussive dance practices to weave together a technique facilitating his love of improvisation; clog, flatfoot, and step dance vocabulary; and musical collaboration. (Fri-Sun, Oct 24-26)
Pittsfield native Matt Cusson brings his Grammy-nominated soulful sounds to the Indigo Room at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Mass., tonight at 8pm. The singer, pianist, songwriter, producer, and arranger has worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, India.Arie, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Dua Lipa, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Brian McKnight. His version of “How Deep Is Your Love,” arranged for King’s Return, was nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, and his songs “Leaving L.A.” and “One of Those Nights” have both been awarded the John Lennon Songwriting Award. (Fri, Oct 24)
What is Your Hand in This?, a new collaboration between intrepid early music band Ruckus and vocalist Davóne Tines, enjoys preview performances at the Clark in Williamstown, Mass., tonight at 7pm, and at Hudson Hall in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm. Spanning four centuries of America’s revolutionary songs, hymns, ballads, and a brand-new work by composer Doug Balliett, this special preview performance takes place ahead of a national tour celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Sarah LaDuke, producer of The Roundtable and The Book Show — will be hosting a special live WAMC broadcast of the event at Hudson Hall. (Fri-Sat, Oct 24-25)
Also of note:
Composer Larry Chernicoff leads his group, the Higher Octave Ensemble -- featuring musicians including Scott Petito, Seth Dowling, Chuck Lamb, Tom Christensen, Don Davis, and Brian Melick -- at Catskill High School Auditorium in Catskill, N.Y., tonight at 7pm, in a free concert emphasizing “life lessons from jazz improvisation.”
A.J. Croce brings his Croce Plays Croce program – featuring original compositions plus favorites from his father Jim Croce’s catalog – to the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Saturday at 7:30pm.
The Bard Conservatory Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with its timeless call for unity, paired with Tan Dun’s Choral Concerto: Nine, in Innovation and Legacy, a concert celebrating the Bard Conservatory’s 20th anniversary and conductor Leon Botstein’s 50th year as president of Bard College, in the Bard Fisher Center in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm, and on Sunday at 2pm.
The international Belcea Quartet performs Mozart’s Dissonance quartet alongside Beethoven’s final Op. 135 quartet and a new work written expressly for them by the Australian composer Brett Dean at Union College’s Memorial Chapel in Schenectady, N.Y., on Sunday at 3pm, in a presentation of Capital Region Classical.WAM Theatre presents the world premiere of 1999 by Stacey Isom Campbell at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass., now through Sunday, November 2.
Seth Rogovoy is editor of the Rogovoy Report, available at rogovoyreport.substack.com.
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