Bousquet Jazz Festival

Featuring hillside performances with the Luke Franco Quartet, Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils, and –after an 11-year absence from the Berkshires– the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Bring your own blanket and chairs; picnic and soft drinks invited. Food and beverage services will also be available; all alcohol consumed on premises must be purchased on-site.

Guitarist Luke Franco will open the festivities with his quartet at 4pm. This vibrant group infuses fresh energy into the jazz scene with their unique compositions and skillful improvisations. Having developed his impressive jazz chops at such renowned institutions as the Frost School of Music at the University of Florida and the Berklee College of Music, Luke has become a regular on the main stage as well as for local events throughout the region. He performs in the Berkshires, Hudson Valley and NY Capital region presenting his own music both as a leader and as an in-demand sideman. In addition to Luke Franco on guitar, the quartet includes Awan Rashad, tenor saxophone, Tarik Shah on bass, and Nick Anderson, drums.

With a voice that captivates and a stage presence that energizes, Samirah Evans delivers a powerful blend of traditional and contemporary jazz. She has become known for her dynamic and soulful approach to music, especially in the jazz and blues genres. Her musical style is heavily influenced by the New Orleans sound where she was one of the city’s most popular and in-demand singers for nearly 20 years, including 15 consecutive years at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Samirah has toured North and South America, Europe and Asia, sharing stages with a multitude of New Orleans notables and legendary artists, including James Brown, B.B. King, Dr. John, Aaron and Charles Neville, and more. Hurricane Katrina caused Samirah to relocate to her husband’s hometown of Brattleboro, Vermont, where she assembled a band called Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils, who include Ben Kohn on keys; Matt Dwonszyk, bass; Michael Zoldos, sax; and Conor Meehan, drums.

The closing headline group, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, are said to reach “…that rarefied level where music is both relaxed and expressive, and their joy in its creation is contagious. There’s nothing out there that comes close to their unique blend of inventiveness,” said All About Jazz. Over the past 50 years, drummer Dan and bassist, trombonist, and composer Chris have played a variety of styles in a number of different groups, as well as with their father, jazz giant Dave Brubeck. With Dan and Chris as the foundation, guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb, complete the dynamic quartet. The Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s last CD, LifeTimes was a hit on the Jazz Week radio chart where it made the Top Ten list as one of the most played jazz recordings of the year. Their most recent Berkshires appearance was at the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival in 2013.

Rain or shine (in the event of rain, the music moves indoors).