Jazz Roots
At this year’s festival, tradition meets innovation as jazz looks to grow, expand
By K eith O ’C onnor
Special to The Republican
JSPRINGFIELD
&Jazz Roots
azz ain’t what it used to be.
Music lovers will learn why at this weekend’s Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, which is all about honoring the roots of jazz while looking toward the future.
“Jazz and so many other styles of American music — blues, soul, funk, hip-hop — all have deep roots in African traditions. At the festival, we celebrate how these roots have grown into powerful, joyful and creative expressions around the world. Even though the music takes different forms, it all comes from the same spirit — a spirit of resilience, connection, and innovation,” said Kristin Neville, festival producer and executive director of Blues to Green, a Springfield nonprofit that uses music and the arts to promote social change and racial justice.
Clockwise from top left: Jamie Shider and Robin Youmans; Caitlin Reed, of Chicopee; crowds at Stearn Square; Emerson Blache; and Ira Prude Sr. and Dina Robinson enjoy a past Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival.
Below, Sophie Plotkin and Pearl Plotkin enjoy the festival. This year’s festival kicks off on Friday night before a full lineup on Saturday. (THE REPUBLICAN, FILE PHOTOS)
FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT
Springfield’s own rising artist Fabeyon will play the Jazz & Roots Festival on Saturday at 2:15, 6:15 and 8:15 p.m. at the HOPE Center for the Arts. Fabeyon — born Fabeyon Torres — was born and raised in the Hungry Hill neighborhood and in 2017 he released his debut album, “Beyond Will.” Fabeyon has appeared on various platforms, including MTV and Shade 45, and has collaborated with hip-hop artists like Tony Sunshine, Statik Selektah and Termanology. Fabeyon has more than 1,500 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 13,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts updates at @fabeyon.
At left: Springfield musical artist Fabeyon plays the 2021 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival. (DAVID MOLNAR PHOTO)
“This music brings people together across cultures, generations and borders. That is what the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival is all about,” Neville added.
This weekend’s free Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival is a nonprofit program produced by Blues to Green. It aims to foster community, cultural understanding and a shared appreciation for diverse musical traditions.
The main festival is set for Saturday at multiple locations spread across Stearns Square,
Musicians march through Steiger Park in downtown Springfield during the 10th annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Second Line Parade in 2023. Inset is the late Charles Neville, who the parade honors each year. At left, a performer takes the stage during a past Jazz & Roots Festival.
(THE REPUBLICAN, FILE PHOTOS)
Tower Square Park and the HOPE Center for the Arts, which was once the location of City Stage at 150 Bridge St. For those who can’t wait until then, the unofficial kickoff for the festival begins early on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the newly renovated HOPE Center for the Arts with Grammy Award-winning Guatemalan singer-songwriter and guitarist Gaby Moreno. The kickoff continues on Friday at 7 p.m. at the HOPE Center for the Arts with Springfield’s own Jo Sallins Experience. They will deliver a high-energy set of originals and inspired takes on classics by legends like Nina Sim-
one, Erykah Badu, Hubert Laws, Marcus Miller and Bill Withers. Their performance will be followed by a special tribute, “Celebrating Joe Cocker,” featuring Mitch Chakour and members of Joe Cocker’s touring band.
This year’s festival shines a light on where jazz music is heading — and how it continues to evolve by fusing deep cultural roots with bold, new expression.
“Artists like Elio Villafranca and William Cepeda are blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz in powerful, visionary ways. Water Seed merges funk and
“You need the roots and once you understand the roots and know them, then the tree can grow branches and flowers ... everything starts from the roots. Jazz has always been this way, everchanging and transforming.”
Elio Villafranca, musician
future-soul with immersive tech, while Endea Owens & the Cookout bring modern swing and social consciousness to the stage. We’re also excited to spotlight local innovators — Suadela Love Experience taps into the improvisatory soul of jazz, Richard Parris Scott pushes boundaries with fearless creativity, and Sarah Hanahan delivers fiery bebop laced with a modern groove. It’s all jazz — not because it sounds the same, but because it carries that spirit of innovation, freedom, and cultural storytelling,” Neville said.
A New Orleans tradition in Springfield Saturday’s festivities begin with a traditional Second Line Parade. The procession will leave the steps of Springfield City Hall at 11:30 a.m. and proceed through the streets until arriving at Stearns Square for the kickoff performance on the Charles Neville Main Stage. The public is invited to join in the parade, which is led by Sonida Musica students and faculty of the Community Music School of Springfield, who also will be the first to perform on the stage.
A New Orleans tradition which began as part of the festival in 2017, Second Line Parades are joyous community street parades that stem from the history of jazz funerals. Charles Neville was a guest teacher at the Community Music School and taught
the students there about New Orleans music. They led the first Second Line Parade in 2017. Neville died before the 2018 festival and the parade continues in honor of him.
The full lineup at the Charles Neville Stage includes Suadela Love Experience, Richard Parris Scott & The Band, Black Legacy Project, Sarah Hanahan Quartet, Merging Roots with Elio Villafranca and William Cepeda, Enea Owens & The Cookout and El Laberinto del Coco.
There is still more planned at the HOPE Center for the Arts on Saturday, where a captivating multimedia performance with Water Seed’s “Journey to Funkstar,” an immersive voyage into intergalactic future funk, awaits audiences. Additionally, there will be hip-hop dance and a performance by Springfield’s own rising MC Fabeyon.
Musical titans Elio Villafranca and William Cepeda will also hold a one-hour discussion at 3 p.m., part of the festival’s Jazz & Justice series, where they will share their musical journeys, cultural influences and historical insights followed at 5:30 p.m. in Stearns Square with their Merging Roots performance.
“We have known of each other for a long time, but this is the first time we will be meeting one another here at the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival,” Villafranca said.
Villafranca is a pianist from Cuba and Cepeda is a Puerto Rican trombonist. Together, they blend jazz with their native Afro-Carribean roots.
“Our performance at the festival is being called ‘Merging Roots,’ which is basically
what this festival is all about, because we will be merging roots of the Afro-Caribbean
FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT
Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno will kick off the festival with a special show tonight at 7 p.m. at the HOPE Center for the Arts in Springfield. Singing music in both English and Spanish, Moreno received her first Grammy award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2024 for “X Mí (Vol. 1).” She later won two Latin Grammy Awards — Best New Artist in 2013 and Best Traditional Tropical Album in 2023. Moreno has shared the stage with artists like Bono, Tracy Chapman, Hugh Laurie, Calexico, David Gray and more. Her music has appeared in popular TV shows like “Parks and Recreation” and “Orange is The New Black.” Tickets to Moreno’s show must be reserved in advance online at hopecenterforthearts.org/ event/gaby-moreno/
diaspora from all regions including News Orleans and,
TUESDAY
Chicopee Elks #1849 431 Granby Road, Chicopee 413-592-1849
Bingo Tuesday
Doors Open at 4PM
2 Progressive Jackpots 6:15PM Early Bird 6:20PM Start
Min. Entry Package $15 Open Seating
2 Halls for Players
Handicap Restroom 1st Floor
Polish American Citizens Club 355 East Street, Ludlow, 583-6385
Bingo Wednesdays 6:30-9:30pm
Doors Open at 4pm. Minimum Admission $50
1 - 1199 Progressive Betty Boop 50/50 Prize $900
2 - $500 Cover Alls
3 - $400 Special Games All regular games $100 with 80 people or More. All Cards are included with Admission. Prizes climb with additional attendence. Full Kitchen 4-6:30pm.
WEDNESDAY CALL TODAY 413-788-1250 TO LIST HERE
THURSDAY
Fairview Knights of Columbus 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee (413) 532-2011
DOORS OPEN 4:30PM
MASKS OPTIONAL Progressive Jackpot 6:15pm Early Bird 6:20pm Start
Min. Entry Package $15 Electronic Bingo Aval. Snack Bar, Open Seating, Handicap Restrooms
Gaby Moreno
Musical titans Elio Villafranca and William Cepeda blend their Afro-Carribean roots with “Merging Roots.” (SUBMITTED)
SEE JAZZ, PAGE D5
NIGHT CLUBS
THURSDAY
Delaney House: Kevin Bias. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke Drawing Board Brewing Company: Song Share Sessions: Nonbinary, Trans & Women Singer Songwriters. 36 Main St., Florence
Northampton Brewery: Bands on Brewster: Simple Friend, Ribboncandy, King Radio. 11 Brewster Court, Northampton
Uno Chicago Grill: Country Music. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
FRIDAY
Delaney House: Luther Johnson. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
East Mountain Country Club: Rock 201. 1458 E. Mountain Road, Westfield
MGM Springfield: MGM Free Music Friday: Malado. 1 MGM Way, Springfield
The Meeting House: Dave Brinnel. 827 Williams St., Longmeadow
Theodores’: Richiman and Groove Nice. 201 Worthington St., Springfield
Uno Chicago Grill: Roots, Blues and Rock. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
West Springfield’s Irish House Restaurant & Pub: Frank Serafino. 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield
SATURDAY
Delaney House: Ron Smith. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
MGM Springfield: MGM Roar Comedy Club: Corey Rodrigues. 1 MGM Way, Springfield
Theodores’: Michelle Wilson. 201 Worthington St., Springfield
Uno Chicago Grill: Modern, Contemporary Rock. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
West Springfield’s Irish House
Restaurant & Pub: Billy Eagan. 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield
SUNDAY
Delaney House: Trivia in the Mick. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
Uno Chicago Grill: Jazz. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
Mail items to Entertainment Guide, The Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01102-1329, email pmastriano@repub.com, or submit online at www.masslive.com/ myevent
anniversary
Winterpills celebrate
20th
anniversary of debut album with digital reissue
PEOPLE LIKE TO GO back and revisit cherished items of the past. For some people, it might be their high school athletic jersey or their wedding dress. For cooks, it might be an old favorite recipe from their mom. For others, it could be a treasured family photograph.
For the band Winterpills, it’s their first eponymous album from 2005. The band reissued the record on blue vinyl in 2015 and is now celebrating the album’s 20th anniversary with a new digital reissue, due out July 11.
“It was one of those kismet kinds of things where the band came together and the songs came together — how we recorded it and how it unfolded,” singer-songwriter Philip Price said in an interview with The Republican. “And it just felt like, ‘Wow, that was a perfect storm of people and ideas and sounds.’ We love that record.”
Price admitted that the reissue is partly for the band itself, but also partly to shine a light on what they think is a great piece of art. He noted that it was both heartwarming and a bit shocking to think about the 20th anniversary.
“So yeah, that first one, we feel sentimental about it. But also looking at the passage of time since then, and we’re like, ‘Oh my God,’” he said
with laugh.
The reissue includes a new single that was recorded back in 2005 along with the rest of the songs but was left off the album.
“It just didn’t quite fit. Somehow, we had a certain mood on that album. We might’ve been wrong about it, but at the time it felt like kind of a little trinket-type song,” Price said. “It’s kind of a pop nugget while everything else was not.”
The rerelease was remastered, and along with the new single also includes a redone version of the album’s final track, “Looking Down,” on which singer/keyboardist/ guitarist Flora Reed sings lead. The new track is now titled “Looking Down (Flora’s Version).”
“She actually started singing it [live] years ago, so we figured let’s put it out the way we do it now, and if people
FROM PAGE D4
for example, Bomba from Puerto Rico with rumba from Cuba and more,” said Villafranca.
Villafranca offered his thoughts on the more innovative, modern sounds merging with traditional jazz.
“Yes, I think jazz is expanding. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, and as musicians, for my generation, I think there is a need to remind folks about the African traditions in jazz... the root of all music. It is really hard to grow a tree without roots. You need the roots and once you understand the roots and know them, then the tree can grow branches and flowers ... everything starts from the roots. Jazz has always been this way, ever-changing and transforming and this is a good thing that jazz is not stale, it is always evolving,” Villafranca said.
He noted in his music that he always likes to go “back to the roots.”
“That is where I feel the strongest. I think roots is what makes the music ever more lasting. I think that right now the music seems to be more about what is fashionable. But it tends to be just that at the time, fashionable. However, it always goes back to the ground like a plant or flower to get the nutrients they need. For music, the root is always necessary because that is where you get the elements, the nutrients,” Villafranca said.
The pianist, who is classically trained, noted that he and Cepeda have been writing new music to be
performed at the festival, and they will be meeting one day before the festival to put it all together before the final performance.
“We will also be integrating the popular music of the Neville Brothers, whose New Orleans sound will be given an Afro-Caribbean spin,” Villafranca said.
During the festival, attendees can explore food and craft vendors, as well as surrounding restaurants offering a variety of ethnic cuisines. There also will be various arts activities for all ages.
As a nonprofit program, the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival thrives on the support of its community. The festival operates on a “by donation” model, inviting attendees and local businesses to contribute what they can to help keep the premier event free for all. Donations directly ensure the festival’s sustainability and its continued ability to uplift Springfield.
To show appreciation for their crucial support, donors are being offered special incentives such as a commemorative Charles Neville button, an air-conditioned VIP lounge during the festival, and entry into a raffle to win door prizes that include tickets to the Springfield Thunderbirds, dinner for two at the new Big Mamou Restaurant or one of six area restaurants, and a pair of tickets to the HOPE Center for the Arts.
Donations can be made online at springfieldjazzfest. com.
For complete information on the festival and this year’s performances, visit the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival website.
Northampton-based band Winterpills is celebrating the 20th
of its first album with a digital reissue, due out this month. (JOANNA CHATTMAN PHOTO)
George Lenker LIVE WIRE
‘Romeo&Juliet’
New theatrical adaptation of Shakespeare classic to be staged at Tanglewood
By K eith O ’C onnor
Special to The Republican LENOX — It’s “Romeo and Juliet” like you have never seen Shakespeare before.
The bard’s play has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, musical and opera venues.
Now Bill Barclay, through his Concert Theatre Works in collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Royal Albert Hall, puts his own take on the tragic story on Friday, July 11, at Tanglewood with the premiere of “Romeo and Juliet: A Theatrical Concert for Orchestra with Actors.”
Showtime in the Koussevitzky Music Shed is 8 p.m.
Conducted by BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons and directed by Barclay, the “concert theater” piece features music from Prokofiev’s ballet with musical soloists and actors performing various passages from the play, along with another creative dramaturgy designed to contribute to the tragic atmosphere of the Shakespeare story.
“Romeo and Juliet” follows up on Barclay’s adaptations of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Peer Gynt,” which also premiered at Tanglewood and Symphony Hall. It is his 11th season with the BSO and his sixth world premiere for them.
Tickets, ranging in price from $34 to $100, are avail-
“By the time I was retiring from the [Shakespeare] Globe, I had done 130 productions there, producing live music and composing 12 of them.”
BILL BARCLAY
able online at tanglewood.
org
While in rehearsal for Friday’s performance, Barclay took time to answer a few questions about his career, creating what he calls “concert theater,” and his love for the BSO.
Q. How has your career developed over the years?
A. I grew up in Weston (Mass.), where I was a splitbrain personality. I liked the theater and classical music, and I tried to pursue them both together for a long time — much to the consternation of every one of my teachers. I double majored in music and drama at Vassar College and earned my MFA at Boston University. I developed a specialization through two Shakespeare companies in Massachusetts (Shakespeare & Company and Actors Shakespeare Project), in particular the music of Shakespeare, and I started doing two to five productions a year. Then, through a wild series of events, I ended up composing music at Shakespeare Globe
in London, where I lived for nine years, and became director of music there at the age of 31.
During the pandemic, I decided to leave that job and start my own company to create the kind of work I wanted to see in a world that didn’t really exist. I had done several productions by that point for the Boston Symphony, who I think recognized they had a local kid who had gone on to work for some big brands such as the Hollywood Bowl, Shakespeare Globe, Kennedy Center and others, and they asked me to create these works for actors and orchestra at Tanglewood, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Andris Nelsons conducting, who is music director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” with Charles Dutoit conducting; and Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” with Kevin-David Masur conducting. By the time I was retiring from the Globe, I had done 130 productions there, producing live music and composing 12 of them.
We had done tours of many countries, Broadway shows, films, concerts, and I founded a record label, and I just got a little burned out with doing music for theater. There was an obvious class system where the actors were more important that the musicians, and certain directors would more or less push the music into the corner. On the classical music side, I still adored music and conducting an orchestra each year and doing guest spots somewhere, as well as composing classical music. And I found in the oratorial world, the opera world, that the music was far more important and the story was pushed into a comer. I wanted to see the work I wanted to see. I already had a body of work for the Boston Symphony and in doing these works that I had been creating, I slowly began to realize that I was developing a new genre called concert theater, where the music and the story were 50-50. We were creating an egality on stage and a real merging into the true interdisciplinary marriage for the audience, and we realized
these works could be helpful in building a new audience for classical music. And when an orchestra does something that big, for example, an original adaptation like “Peer Gynt” which I premiered at Tanglewood and Symphony Hall, there are other orchestras who don’t have much of an endowment to stage a production like that, but they should get benefit from what others are doing. So, Concert Theatre Works, for which I serve as artistic director, was created as a nonprofit that could package productions and bring them on tour, and as the tour continues the prices get lower which opens it up to other ensembles. That became a really important piece of the company, which is to say we are going to spread the love and if innovation happens once, then why can’t it happen 10 times. And it has been really great and fruitful and we are between some 25 to 30 cities a year. I have written about 25 of these works of concert theater, some 10 of which are deployed somewhere every year internationally. It is a joy and my life’s work.
Q. What do you look for when selecting a project?
A. First, the music must be
Bill Barclay, in partnership with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, is bringing a new adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” to the stage at Tanglewood on Friday, July 11.
Brimfield Flea Market July show underway this week
Open to deal-seekers through July 13
By H eather Morrison hmorrison@masslive.com
SPRINGFIELD Grammy winner Gary Clark Jr. to join Black Keys at MassMutual Center
Tickets to Aug. 17 show start at $73
By Ashley P otter apotter@repub.com
The Black Keys aren’t the only star-studded musicians coming to the MassMutual Center next month.
Treasure hunters are getting ready to hunt, haggle and explore this week at the Brimfield Flea Market.
The flea market is now open to deal-seekers for the second time in 2025.
More than 65 years after the first show, thousands of dealers and show-goers shop on 20 fields on more than a mile stretch in Brimfield, which help contribute millions of dollars in tourism to Massachusetts.
The show started July 8 and lasts until July 13.
“Get ready to hunt, haggle and explore! Whether you’re searching for that perfect vintage piece or just want to experience the magic of Brimfield, we can’t wait to see you there,” Brimfield Antique Flea Markets Guide wrote on Facebook.
Shoppers this week will be faced with thunderstorms and heat depending on the day.
The show is held rain or shine. It is advised to wear rain boots on days calling for rain due to the mud.
If you can’t come in July, the final show of the year will be held Sept. 2-7. For more information, go online to brimfieldantique fleamarket.com
Joining the American rock band onstage for their No Rain, No Flowers Tour on Aug. 17 is Grammy Award-winning blues-rock artist Gary Clark Jr. Clark came on the scene strong when he won his first Grammy for “Please Come Home,” a single from his 2014 debut album, “Blak and Blu.” To date, Clark has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and won four.
His most recent album “JPEG RAW,” released in March 2024, mixes rock, R&B, hip-hop and blues.
He opens for The Black Keys, a rock duo formed in 2001 by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. They have been called “rock royalty” by The Associated Press and have won five Grammy Awards, including a 2013 nod for Best Rock Song for “Lonely Boy” and Best Rock Album that same year for “El Camino.”
The Black Keys are touring in support of their 12th studio album, “No Rain, No Flowers.”
“Bringing The Black Keys and Grammy Award-winner Gary Clark Jr. to Springfield is more than just a great night of music — it’s a major moment for our community. Events like this energize downtown, spotlight our venue as a premier tour stop, and remind people that world-class talent belongs right here in Western Massachusetts,” said Sean Dolan, general manager of the MassMutual Center, in a statement.
Tickets to the concert, starting at $73, can be purchased online at massmutual center.com
Scenes from a past Brimfield Flea Market. The July edition of the market is open and continues through Sunday, July 13.
Gary Clark Jr. will join The Black Keys for their August concert at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. (SUBMITTED)
Try these refreshing drinks at your next summer picnic
THE SHADE OF A tree. A blanket spread over the grass. A wide array of meats, cheeses and other delicious foods arranged on plates.
Add a symphony orchestra (the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs outdoors each weekend at Tanglewood) and you have all the ingredients for a picture-perfect picnic.
But no matter where you eat outdoors, no picnic would be complete without a refreshing wine or cocktail.
This week, you can find five wonderful picnic wine recommendations, along with five great summer cocktails.
What makes a great picnic wine? It needs to be refreshing, best served cold or able to withstand a little heat.
As for summer cocktails, they’re all about keeping you cool and refreshed.
Hope you enjoy.
Picnic wines
The first three wines should be served chilled. As for the two red wines, keep them in the shade so they don’t get too warm. Wine hates heat.
Cava: A Spanish sparkling wine made the same way as Champagne, for a fraction of the price but with the same, great crisp flavor.
Recommended wine: Segura Viudas Brut Cava ($9.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield). You can never go wrong with this dry, refreshing Spanish sparkling wine. Just slowly twist the cork out when opening the bottle. That way, you won’t lose any wine or take out anyone’s eye.
Pinot Grigio: A light, refreshing, dry white wine that’s perfect for hot days in the
shade.
Recommended wines: 2022
Cupcake Pinot Grigio ($9.99 at Table & Vine) or Pasqua Black Label Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC ($14.99 Suggested Retail Price). Two easy drinking Pinot Grigios made with grapes from Italy’s Veneto region. Both have bright, crisp flavors, including hints of green apple, pears and peaches.
Provence Rose: Summer in a glass — that’s the best description for these outstanding dry wines from France’s Provence region, which makes the best rose wines in the world.
Recommended wine: 2023
Bieler Pere et Fils Sabine Rose ($14.99 at Spirited Wines in Lenox). Dry, aromatic Rose wine with a mineral-like finish made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault grapes. Absolutely perfect picnic wine.
Gamay or Grenache: Light red wines made with Gamay (from France’s Beaujolais region) and Grenache (France’s Rhone region) will feel right at home at any picnic. You can also serve these wines slightly chilled, just not too cold.
Recommended wine: 2023
Andre Brunel Vin De Pays Grenache ($15 SRP). A fantastic Grenache wine with bright, refreshing cherry and raspberry flavors and aromas made by the famed Chateauneuf-duPape winery, Andre Brunel, in France’s Rhone region.
Filling in a few tasting gaps at local breweries
IChianti Classico: Up your picnic game with one of these elegant, refined red wines from Italy’s Tuscany region.
Recommended wine: 2021 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva ($19.99 at Table & Vine). Chianti Classicos are famous for their elegant finish. This outstanding wine made primarily with Sangiovese grapes (plus some Canaiolo Nero) aged for 18 months in barrel tastes as smooth as velvet with a long, graceful finish.
Summer cocktails
Gimlet: My favorite summer cocktail and one of the easiest drinks to make.
Ingredients: 4 parts gin (Tanqueray’s my preference),
’VE MENTIONED SEVeral new local beers over the past few months, but didn’t get a chance to really sample and write about them. Today I will fill in a few of those gaps. But before I do, I’d like to let you know the great news that renowned brewer Matthew Steinberg will be back at the Brimfield Antiques Show this week. Steinberg, who has run a beer garden there for the past few years, is collaborating with his friends Ben and Adrienne Roesch from Murder Hill Brewery in Whitinsville. Ben was also the former brewmaster at Wormtown Brewery in Worcester. The beer garden and trailer will feature eight beers and seltzers on draft. Both are located behind the house at 6 Mill Lane Road toward the back of Hertan’s Field. If you’ve ever been to the Brimfield show, you know a beer is just what you might need after a day of antiquing. Now, on to those beers I mentioned. As I mentioned a while back, I grabbed a few of Incandescent Brewing’s beers over the past month. As I expected, they were all excellent. I mentioned Great Big World, a German-style
pilsner, before, and I had it again last week. It’s a perfect match for these hot summer days. The bready malt provides the scaffolding here, with some floral hops decorating the edges. It finishes super clean.
But since then, I’ve also had two of their IPAs. The brewery’s New England IPA, Lightning on My Hands, is a good representation of the style. Plenty of big citrus notes and easy to drink. As I’ve said, I’m a little off the New England style these days, but this one certainly is a worthy representation.
But Footsteps of Dawn, a West Coast IPA, was sensational. Since brewer Nathan Perry was the former brewer at Building 8, I know for a fact that plenty of folks hoped he would bring back
280 MEMORIAL AVE, WEST SPRINGFIELD MA
STREET, HOLYOKE, MA
George Lenker Beer Nut SEE BEER, PAGE D9
These refreshing wines and cocktails will be welcome at any outdoor gathering. (PHOTO BY KEN ROSS)
Ken Ross Wine Press
a replica of that brewery’s IPA. But to his credit, he took his own new path and it’s delicious. It’s grassy and a bit herbal and features just the right amount of bitterness.
Last but not least, I briefly mentioned that there was a new version of Leadfoot Brewing’s beer that they brew in honor of my late great-nephew Justin, who died a few years back at the
age of 18. The first iteration was a wheat beer called Summer Server (referring to his love of volleyball).
The new version is a reset called Batch 14, and I got my hands on it over the past few weeks. It’s a spring ale that is actually even better for summer.
Plenty of heft in the tasty malt body, but light enough to make it drinkable over an afternoon.
Watch this space next month for an interview with another great local brewer.
are attached to the original version, it’s not like we’re taking it away,” Price said. “But, honestly, I just love what she does with it. I love it better than the original.
“She didn’t sing lead on any songs on the first album, and, of course, later she started singing lead on some songs on every album, so we just wanted to fix that little glitch,” Price added.
Price also records and plays out as a solo artist, so how does he decide which songs go to Winterpills and which go to his solo albums?
“I don’t know, I don’t really think about it, I guess. It’s a little bit of a gut feeling. It’s funny, I put out a solo album in 2019, and we’ve started playing some of those songs in our live set. I don’t put a hard line between the spaces. Because I’ll play a song solo and it’ll sound one way, and then the band will play it and it’ll sound a different way, and they both
can coexist just fine. And also, in terms of who pays attention, a lot more people pay attention to Winterpills than my solo stuff,” he said with a laugh.
The band has finished recording a new album that is due to be released in November and is currently mixing the tracks.
“In some ways it parallels to the first one in terms of how we workshopped the music and how it was recorded really quickly,” he said. “A lot of our records have had long, protracted processes to get to where they ended up, so this new one is closer to the first one in a lot of ways.”
Price also mentioned that the band has been playing some of the songs on the new album live for a while now, which helped with the recording.
“When you’ve actually presented music to people who aren’t your bandmates or your family or whatever, it does change the alchemy of the music,” he said.
Events
THURSDAY
Thursday Night Live Music Series: Thu., 6:30-8:30 p.m. Liston's Bar and Grill. Performances will take place outdoors (weather permitting). Guests are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs, but seating also will be provided. While outside food or beverages are not allowed, the outdoor bar offering a limited selection of food and beverages. In addition, the regular restaurant and menu will be open, with indoor and patio seating available for those who want to enjoy a meal while listening to the music. Free. 324 Old North Road, Worthington, 413-238-5353.
FRIDAY
Ryan Adams Heartbreaker '25 World Tour: Fri., 8 p.m., Springfield Symphony Hall. For tickets, go online to ticketmaster.com/ event/010062379D233411, $47$150. 34 Court St., Springfield. 413-733-2291 or symphonyhall. com.
Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival: Fri.-Sat,. Stearns Square, on streets surrounding Stearns Square. Want to stay updated on all the exciting lineup announcements and festival details? Sign up for the event’s mailing list at www.springfieldjazzfest.com. Free. Stearns Square, Springfield.
SATURDAY
Brookfield Farm Art Behind the Barn: Sat., 8 a.m. Brookfield Farm will have a variety of unique handcrafted items for sale. The event is free, open to all and held rain or shine. 24 Hulst Road, Amherst; 413-253-7991.
Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival: See Friday listing
"Still": Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Northampton Center for the Arts. A performed musical memoir, written and composed by Marcia Gomes, and directed by Roberta Uno, opens with two performances at the A.P.E. Workroom Theater. Reservations can be made online at www.justkeepclimbingmusic. com/performances, $25-$35 suggested donation. 33 Hawley St., Northampton. 413-584-7327 or nohoarts.org.
Walking Tour — The Underground Railroad: Sat., 10:30 a.m. Tower Square, Walking Tour: The Underground Railroad. Immerse yourself in the history of Springfield by visiting locations and meeting people who embody the perseverance,
CALENDAR
Stop and smell the flowers
If you’re attending the Shelburne Falls Porch Music Festival on Sunday, be sure to take a walk on the Bridge of Flowers, which is reopening to the public on that same day, following an extensive $3,194,314 restoration and repair project.
ingenuity, and resilience of some of the city’s early residents. The Underground Railroad, a network of many people and places, played a significant role in Springfield’s history, making it a destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown. The tour will begin at the Tower Square Lobby, near Dunkin and Big Y. For more information visit springfieldpreservation.org/events/, $5-$10. 1500 Main St., Springfield. 413-733-2171.
SUNDAY
Do It Now — Poetry, Political Commentary and Musical Improvisation: Sun., 1 p.m. Peskeomskut Park, book fair with local authors and publishers. 2 p.m., performance of “Do It Now” featuring Pauk Richmond, Tony Vacca and John Sheldon, Free, donations greatly appreciated. Avenue A and 7th Street, Turners Falls.
Sevenars Concerts 57th Anniversary Season Opening Concert: Sun, 4 p.m. Sevenars Academy, Family and Friends concert featuring guest artists pianist/ composer Clifton J. ("Jerry") Noble and violinist Alexis Walls, joining Sevenars family members Rorianne Schrade, Lynelle James, and Christopher James, $20 suggested
donation. Ireland Street at Route 112, Worthington. 413-238-5854 or www.sevenars.org.
Shelburne Falls Porch Music Festival: Sun., noon-6 p.m. Arms Library. Enjoy a day of free, live music performed on porches, lawns, and storefronts all across town. The Shelburne Falls Porch Music Festival brings together local and regional musicians of all styles — folk, jazz, indie, classical, and more — in one of the most picturesque villages in New England. Stroll the streets, explore shops and galleries, grab a bite from local food vendors, and soak up the community vibe. This year’s festival coincides with the much-anticipated reopening of the Bridge of Flowers, making it the perfect time to visit. Bring the kids, bring a lawn chair, bring your love of music — and experience small-town magic, one porch at a time, Free. Corner of Main and Bridge Streets, Shelburne Falls; armslibrary.org.
"Still": See Saturday listing “Summer Sing:” Brahms' Requiem with Jonathan Harvey: Sun, 4 p.m. Most Holy Redeemer Parish Hall, Bring your own score or borrow a copy from the PVS. If you need to borrow a score, reserve a spot in advance so we can be prepared, Sliding scale $15-$35. 122 Russell St., Hadley; Sundays in the Park Music Series:
China, Greece, Rome and Egypt. On the first Wed. of every month through the end of 2026, admission to the Springfield Museums is free. For more information, visit springfieldmuseums.org.
Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History: “Witch Panic! Massachusetts Before Salem,” through Nov. 2 The exhibition explores how the first instance witchcraft hysteria in the American colonies influenced the early history of the city and how the conversation continues today. Permanent exhibit: More than two dozen Indian motorcycles and related memorabilia.
Sun., 12:30 p.m. Lee Congregational Church, The Lee Cultural Council presents Sundays in the Park thorugh Aug. 10 in the park in front of the First Congregational Church in downtown Lee. Each week, there will be one to two musical performances taking place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and will be held sprinkle or shine. The audience is encouraged to bring their own chairs and to bring a picnic or order takeout from any of Lee’s area restaurants. If final concert cancelled, rain date will be Sunday, Aug. 17. 25 Park Place, Lee.
Yatri — Ragas for Peace: Sun, 7 p.m. Blue Room at CitySpace, a concert featuring renowned sitar virtuoso Dipanjan Guha and acclaimed tabla artist Amit Kavthekar. This is an all-ages event. Free, donations greatly appreciated. 43 Main St., Easthampton.
Quadrangle
George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum: “The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards” exhibit, through Sept. 14. Friday Featured Activities: July 11, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Hands-on, interactive activities inspired by the special exhibits. Free with museum admission. Permanent exhibit: “Ancient Treasures,” a display of artifacts from ancient
Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts: “Portraits in RED: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Peoples Painting Project,” through Sept. 7. In this striking series of portraits, artist and activist Nayana LaFond sheds light on the crisis affecting Indigenous peoples, particularly women, who are eleven times more likely to go missing than the national average. The exhibition is the last time the works will be on view together: at its close, the portraits will be returned to living family members. “Van Gogh for All,” through Sept. 14. ‘YoKai: Japanese Ghosts, Demons and Monsters,” through July 20. In the Starr Gallery of Watercolors, on view for a limited-time only. Showcasing a stunning collection of Japanese woodblock prints and decorative arts, this exhibition features the diverse forms and stories of supernatural entities known as yokai
Quadrangle Welcome Center: Toe Jam Puppet Band: July 11, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. The fun family band for kids and their grown-ups. Free with museum admission.
Springfield Science Museum: “Here Be Dragons.” Through Sept. 14, on the Second Floor Changing Exhibits Gallery. “Reputation: Under the Stars in the Seymour Planetarium,” Fri. Sat., and Sun. at 4 p.m. The show features the original recordings from Taylor Swift’s 2017 album “Reputation” and dazzling effects created by a fulldome projector. Permanent exhibit: State-of-the-Art Zeiss Projector and updated International Space Station exhibit. Sun Day: July 13, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. View the sun safely through with filtered telescopes on the Quadrangle, provided and staffed by the STARS Club. Stop inside for a live view on screen from a solar telescope in our observatory, specially filtered to show prominences and other activity on the Sun. Free with museum admission. Tinker Thursday: Homemade Telescopes. July 10, 1–2 p.m.
The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls is pictured in this 2021 file photo. (HOANG 'LEON' NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)
“Capulet’s suffering at the end for causing his daughter to run away and die is really the message for all of us — the catharsis opportunity for the audience at a moment when our youngest generation I believe could not be in a more fragile state.”
BILL BARCLAY, ON HIS ADAPTATION OF ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’
absolutely wonderful and there must be a story either inside the music or about the music that I feel like I can tell. “Romeo and Juliet” is a great example because the music is from the ballet, and obviously the story is sensational. The attraction for me is being able to merge my knowledge of Shakespeare with my love of music. In a situation like “Peer Gynt” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the allure is chiefly that, but both of those pieces were originally written as incidental music to accompany a stage play. And we can’t do it in a theater now with an orchestra because it is too expensive, but we can smuggle the actors into a concert hall and remarry, in the case of Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” and composer Edvard Grieg, two works written to be performed together but never were performed together. In the case of Mendelssohn, who composed music for Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” those works are performed together sometimes but not in a satisfactory way for me — the actors are just stapled on at the end. There are not many adaptations of that play that work for me, and I wanted to create one that did. But sometimes, as in the case of “Bach’s Art of Fugue,” which I just did for the Academy of Ancient Music, there is no
story there. But the story there that is compelling for me is that this is the last piece ever written by the world’s greatest musical mind. Where is Bach himself in this piece. Let’s have four actors, four people who are not musicians, try to figure out what this means. So, I wrote a comedy with fugue in it. In the end, I must find a piece of music that is great, that has a story that is untold that I feel that I can tell ... and that is what I look for.
Q. How do you prepare for a piece like “Romeo and Juliet?”
A. It’s hard to answer in hours or weeks. What I can tell you is that I have been preparing for this production for two years. The original conversations I had with the Royal Albert Hall about doing “Romeo and Juliet” started two years ago and it took about a year with them figuring out how to approach the adaptation, how it could be done, and the money needed to proceed. Because of these various reasons, I needed an American co-presenter to share the world premiere, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra got involved about a year ago. Then it was about triangulating between the key stakeholders — the Royal Albert Hall, BSO, and the publisher — about what kind of adaptation would fly and could be made. So, there is a lot of logistics that go into figuring out how all parties are
going to be satisfied. And once everyone was satisfied, which took about a year and a half of emails back and forth, then I had to write it. I started in earnest writing it about nine months ago and I finished it in February. It’s not full time and I work on a lot of projects at once. But it is a long planning window to understand what the final shape will look like before I can actually start creating it.
Q. How do you create and put the music and text together?
A. I read it aloud while listening to the music. I play all the parts myself at home. I time myself reading different passages and listen to different conductors, their tempi and different interpretations. I look at the score and write Shakespeare’s words over certain bars of the score. I create schematics, spreadsheets, timing out pages, sections, trying to account for different actors and their potential deliveries, the time the radio mics might take to ring around the hall. I must see it from almost every angle before the actors walk into the room, because the rehearsal time is very short and we don’t have time to discover things — we just have time to hit it. The actors are in full Renaissance costumes built from scratch and there is sword fighting with weapons that are not sharp but not dull either. This is a fully theatrical live version with the orchestra on stage, and it requires incredible precision executed and rehearsed very quickly.
Q. What drew you to “Romeo and Juliet?”
A. I’ve worked very closely on every Shakespeare play except for one or two of them.
As I was coming up in my career, I was avoiding the hits because I had done them so often including “Romeo and Juliet” so many times. I think as a younger man that I was less interested in the balcony scene and young love, because the words were too famous and I couldn’t really let them in. Now I find the play extremely emotional, poignant, and deeply troubling. What it brings up into my thinking mind is kids on social media, losing kids to online bullying, AI, and the many other allures and attractions kids face today such as fentanyl, much of which they haven’t evolved enough to handle. And you must combine all of that with a lack of a parent in some cases, and parental supervision. I think this is a parable how easily kids can get lost and how the most important thing in your life can escape through your fingertips. My adaptation focuses on just six characters because the show is 75 minutes, most of which is music. The chief antagonist is Capulet, who is the father of Juliet, and his anger and his desire to see a match to edify and stabilize and structure her adolescence comes from a place of love. But when she revolts it turns to anger and threats that are profoundly dramatic. Eventually, in a very dramatic four-minute scene with great acting, she is instigated to seek the poison that kills her for three days before waking up. And that is when the tragedy unfolds that we know and love. To me, highlighting Capulet is a way of framing the key vulnerability here, which is through our love for our kids, we might just kill them. We are fundamentally most in danger of passing on to them the conditioning that our parents passed on to us, and
just because we survived our parents doesn’t mean in this new world our kids will survive us. They have different challenges, different temptations, a different ecosystem and media environment, which threatens their future. That means if they are more fragile than we remember ourselves being, it is because of good reason, and we must adjust and listen. Capulet’s suffering at the end for causing his daughter to run away and die is really the message for all of us — the catharsis opportunity for the audience at a moment when our youngest generation I believe could not be in a more fragile state.
Q. Why do you enjoy working with the Boston Symphony Orchestra?
A. They are the best orchestra in all the land. It is my home orchestra because I was raised here and grew up going to concerts, but also because they have consistently asked me back to create these works. It is my sixth commission from them and something like my eleventh year in the BSO ecosystem. I adore them, I love them, all of the staff, and, of course, Andris Nelsons who is Music Director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tony Fogg, who is Vice President for Artistic Planning, who is so responsible for my many returns there. Tanglewood, Symphony Hall, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra — they are the greatest symphony orchestra organization in the world, and we are so very lucky it is here in Massachusetts.
Tickets to “Romeo and Juliet,” which start at $23, can be purchased on Tanglewood’s website.
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From left, Bill Barclay, David Joseph, and Chukwudi Iwuji rehearse for "Black Mozart" at Tanglewood in August 2019.
(HILARY SCOTT)
Calendar
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Cost: $10, $8 members. Join a member of Museum staff and explore your creativity in this hourlong workshop. Learn about art, science, and more, and take home a craft you made all by yourself. Ages 7-14 only, materials included. Pre-registration available, but not required. Both general museum and Tinker Thursday admission are required. Those who only purchase Tinker Thursday admission will be asked to pay the balance for a
general admission upon arrival at the Museums.
The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum: Giant Bubbles with Mr. Vinny. July 11, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Big bubbles, bigger laughs — pop into the fun. Free with museum admission.
Quadrangle admission — $25 for adults, $16.50 for seniors (60+) and college students with ID, $13 for children ages 3-17; free to children under age 3 and members, Springfield residents are free with proof of residency. Welcome Center and Museum store. Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
pagne.
1 part simple syrup, 1 or 2 sliced fresh limes.
Recipe: Shake ingredients in shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Can be served on the rocks (with ice) but I think Gimlets taste best neat (without ice).
French 75: Put any extra Cava to use by making this refreshing, delightful drink.
Ingredients: 3 parts Cava or another dry sparkling wine, 1 part gin, ½ part simple syrup, fresh squeezed lemon.
Recipe: Shake everything in shaker with ice but the Cava. Strain into a sparkling wine glass. Add chilled Cava. Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Negroni: One of my wife’s favorite classic cocktails.
Ingredients: (Traditional recipe) 1 part gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part sweet vermouth. (Drier version, which I prefer) 3 parts gin, 2 parts Campari, 1 part sweet vermouth.
Recipe: Stir (don’t shake) ingredients in shaker with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass containing ice (preferably one large ice cube). Slice an orange peel, rub non-skin side of peal against the rim of the glass, twist peel and add to cocktail.
Passion Royale: One of my favorite summer cocktails from one of my favorite Manhattan cocktail bars – Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel.
Ingredients: 2 parts passion-infused vodka, ½ fresh lime juice.
Recipe: Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a cold cocktail glass with crushed ice. Top with Cava or Cham-
Old Fashioned: Classic cocktail made with bourbon, rye or whiskey. This recipe’s mainly from The Savoy Hotel in London.
Ingredients: 1 lump of sugar, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, 3 to 4 ounces of bourbon, rye or whiskey. (Woodford Reserve bourbon is my preference.)
Recipe: Crush sugar and bitters together in cocktail glass. Add a dash of water to mix the sugar and bitters together. Add 1 or 2 ice cubes and bourbon, rye or whiskey to glass. Slowly stir contents in glass. Add orange slice. Can also add a cherry but not necessary.
Wine question
Q. Should red wine be served chilled? – K.R.
A. The short answer? It depends. Chilled red wines are the ‘hot’ new thing. And by chilled, I mean a red wine served as cold as refrigerated white wines. So should you drink all red wines that cold? No. Why? Because the cold mutes the delicate flavors in many red wines. It’s like listening to music with cotton in your ears.
However, some lighter red wine grapes like Grenache or Gamay taste great when they’re chilled, especially on hot days. Just don’t add ice. It’ll dilute the wine. And here’s another tip — if you have leftover red wine that’s been sitting around for a few days, put the wine in the fridge. It’ll taste great chilled. Trust me. Have a wine-related question? Email me at kenrosswine@ gmail.com and I’d love to answer your question here.
