good bye thanksgiving eve and hello missa gaia...

It is incomprehensible that our annual fall concert will be upon us NEXT Sunday:  November 22 @ 3 pm. Ever since I saw Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie do their show at Carnegie Hall after Thanksgiving I have been hosting a "Thanksgiving Eve" music gig at whatever church I happened to be serving. We've done them in Saginaw, MI - Cleveland, OH - Tucson, AZ - and Pittsfield, MA. They have ALL been a gas and I have cherished the connections I was able to make with various musicians in each of those sweet communities.

Last year, we got snowed out. And I mean totally snowed out.  It broke my heart and made the whole Thanksgiving experience feel a bit empty. I was blue for three days running. And, at the same time, the snow and cancellation was liberating:  no more stress and hassle right before Thanksgiving Day. We postponed the gig, rescheduled for late in January and had a ball doing it. A number of people throughout the community were sad that it couldn't come to pass, but they turned out for the new date and enjoyed the whole scene.

So, this year, as a part of our sabbatical planning we decided:  1) NOT to do a Thanksgiving Eve show (I think the time has come to bury that dear friend); but 2) to host a performance of Paul Winter's "Missa Gaia" instead. We have a few wonderful musical guests opening this show - Hal Lefferts and Linda Worster - and a 20 person choir singing. What's more, some of my favorite instrumentalists get to play this concert, too (including: Charlie Tokarz, Carlton Maaia II, Jeff Hunt, Tyler Story, Rider Stanton, Andy Kelly and Win Ridabock.) And all for the benefit of BEAT (Berkshire Environmental Action Team.)

We will do two other shows during this program year:  a rock and soul gig in January to support the drive for emergency fuel assistance in the Berkshires and a Good Friday take on Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" in honor of God's grace and the 50th anniversary of that masterpiece.

In the wake of the recent "daesh" terrorist attacks in Beirut and Paris, I am reminded again of Leonard Bernstein's comment about why the music must continue: I hope that you will join us if you are in town. The music is stunning, the commitment of all the singers and instrumentalists is astounding and the whole gig will be a blast.