Brown Bag Concert Series – Spring 2024

March 13th – Evening Sky Band

Evening Sky is a Jazz/Roots Quartet featuring Chris Brooks on Pedal Steel Guitar, Joe Potenza on Bass, composer Gino Rosati on Guitars, and producer Eric Hastings on Drums.  

The band has a knack for combining the classic elements of American music (jazz, folk, R&B, country) to form a unique, spirited sound.  Their rhythmic, smooth, and playful approach has been compared to artists as diverse as Bill Frisell, Bill Withers, Bill Monroe, and Bill Laswell. And that’s just the Bills!

Whether on their own original instrumentals, reinterpreting classic songs, or collaborating with guest singers and instrumentalists, Evening Sky has a chameleon-like ability to adapt to whatever the situation calls for.

The band can be seen performing at venues as varied as jazz and blues festivals, quiet listening rooms, and raucous rock clubs.  Evening Sky’s approach in the studio is equally as eclectic.  They have experimented with old school recording techniques, as evidenced on their One Mic, Two Weekends release.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, they have used the studio as a creative, experimental tool:  adding layers of sound, overdubs, effects and five different vocalists on their version of Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited.

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March 20th – The Daniel Bennett Group

New York saxophonist Daniel Bennett has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation. The Boston Globe described Bennett’s music as, “a mix of Jazz, Folk and Minimalism.” The Daniel Bennett Group is celebrating the release of their 9th studio album, ‘New York Nerve.’ Timeout New York called the music, “hypnotic!” Daniel Bennett is joined by master percussionist Koko Bermejo on drums and keyboard. Rounding out the trio is acclaimed six-string bassist Kevin Hailey. Daniel Bennett has been featured in Timeout New York, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, and NPR. The UK Jazz Journal called Bennett “an outspoken voice of hope” during the COVID 19 pandemic. Daniel Bennett Group was recently voted ‘Best New Jazz’ in Hot House Magazine. The band performs regularly at the Blue Note (NYC), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London) and Zingari Jazz (San Francisco). Daniel Bennett is a touring woodwind clinician and educator at the New York Jazz Academy. Daniel Bennett is also an active woodwind doubler in the New York City theater scene. Bennett orchestrated the music for ‘Whitman at the Whitney,’ a multimedia theater production at the Whitney Museum. Daniel Bennett played woodwinds in ‘Blank! The Musical,’ the first fully improvised musical to launch on a national stage. The New York Times called the show, “Witty, Likable and Ludicrous!” Daniel Bennett’s genre-bending sound has captivated audiences throughout the world. https://danielbennett.net/

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March 27th – Betty’s Bounce

Betty’s Bounce, a jazz trio from Wakefield, MA, performs American and Gypsy Jazz in the spirit of guitarist Django Reinhardt. Jean Reinhardt, known by his Romani nickname Django, was a Romani-Belgian jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most significant exponents. Betty’s Bounce features Audie Bridges on guitar, Curtis Doo on guitar, and Zach Bridges on double bass.   Lunch for the Spring 2024 Brown Bag concert series is generously provided by Theatre Cafe. – Stop by the Theatre Café  to see what’s happening. We serve breakfast, gourmet sandwiches, dinner entrees, homemade soups and more.  The Theatre Café is BYOB. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beer and enjoy a nice dinner.  Hold your next wine tasting party, birthday party, bridal shower, or other party  here,  we supply the glasses and the corkscrew.

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Brown Bag Concerts started out as free organ recitals as a way for Mechanics Hall to thank the community for the dollars it donated to restore the Hall’s world-famous Hook Organ. WICN realized that Mechanics Hall was getting great audiences and tried a noontime series of its own….another great success. The following year they decided to become partners…Mechanics Hall provides the stage, the staff, and the tech support including sound; WICN programs and books the talent and broadcasts the performances live on 90.5 FM and streaming at www.wicn.org. Mechanics Hall and WICN share promotional responsibilities.

Brown Bag Concerts is sponsored by: