Tower of Power blasts on to the Mahaiwe stage on August 1 at 7 pm. This ten-member funk band, led by tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo, has released albums and toured the world since 1968, in addition to backing up hundreds of other renowned artists, ranging from Aerosmith, Elton John, and Phish to Santana, Aaron Neville, and Bonnie Raitt. Originally from Oakland, Calif., the group combines a unique brass rhythm section and an outstanding lead vocalist to generate one of the most dynamic and memorable musical grooves today.

Master jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and Friends swing into town on Saturday, August 7 at 8pm. For more than half a century, John "Bucky" Pizzarelli has been a part of the fraternity of musicians who have kept mainstream and traditional jazz alive. He learned to play banjo and guitar as a youngster. At the age of 17, he toured with Vaughan Monroe's dance band, which he re-joined after military service in 1946; he made recordings with the band for RCA and also played on the radio. In 1952, he joined the staff of NBC. For many years, at NBC, he played in the Doc Severinson Band on the "Tonight Show." He also played with Benny Goodman, led his own trio, and recorded duos with Zoot Sims, Bud Freeman, Stephane Grappelli, and his son John.

Broadway musical theater legend Barbara Cook will grace the Mahaiwe stage on Sunday, August 15 at 7pm. The equally legendary Elaine Stritch, who was previously scheduled to perform that evening, has postponed her Great Barrington concert to a date to be determined due to being cast in the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music. Patrons who have already purchased Elaine Stritch tickets may call the Box Office to either use those tickets to see Barbara Cook or to request a refund.

Barbara Cook's silvery soprano voice, purity of tone, and warm presence have delighted audiences around the world for more than 50 years. The recipient of a Tony, a Grammy, a Drama Desk Award, and an inductee of the Broadway Hall of Fame, she was considered "Broadway's favorite ingenue" during the heyday of the Broadway musical. Ms. Cook is a consummate solo performer, appearing everywhere from Royal Albert Hall to the Sydney Opera House and on such records as the definitive performance of Stephen Sondheim's Follies and the original cast recording of Candide. She continues to thrive, most recently with a triumphant return to Broadway in 2010 with the premiere of Sondheim on Sondheim, a new musical that delves into the life of the famous composer through his own works. For this role, she was nominated for another Tony-Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

http://www.barbaracook.com/index.html
Click here for Barbara Cook's official website

Recently nominated for a Latin Grammy Award, critically acclaimed guitarist/songwriter and famed NY Yankees star, Bernie Williams, is perhaps more recognized by baseball fans for playing all 16 years of his career for the New York Yankees, winning 4 World Series...and holding an overall .308 batting average in addition to many other accolades. However, Bernie Williams is now wowing fans and fellow artists in musical venues. Bernie?s first album garnered critical acclaim and was featured on the Billboard Top 100.

A classically trained guitarist, playing and composing music is Bernie?s first true passion with influences that include jazz, classical, pop, Brazilian, and Latin sounds. In addition to playing lead and rhythm guitar, Williams compositions mix Bernie's love of jazz with the sophisticated Latin rhythms of his Puerto Rican heritage.

Over the years, world-renowned guitarist and composer Pat Metheny has won countless polls as "Best Jazz Guitarist" and awards, including three gold records. He has also won seventeen Grammy Awards spread out over a variety of different categories including Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, and Best Instrumental Composition. The Pat Metheny Group won an unprecedented seven consecutive Grammies for seven consecutive albums. On Sunday, October 10 at 7pm at the Mahaiwe, Metheny will perform his newest solo project, Orchestrion, for which he collaborated with several inventors to construct a large palette of acoustic sound-producing devices that he organized as a new kind of orchestrion. As the soloist, Metheny mechanically controls all of the instruments from his guitar in such a way as to give the listener the experience of a full orchestra.

On Thursday, October 14 at 7pm, the Mahaiwe will present three-time Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre, one the hottest young Latin bands today. Recently signed to Sony, this seven-member Miami-based Cuban group's latest album, Bach in Havana, is a fusion of Bach with Afro-Cuban rhythms featuring guest tracks by Paquito d'Rivera and Yosvany Terry. Tiempo Libre has also collaborated with leading classical musicians on recent projects, including At Home with Friends by violinist Joshua Bell and flutist Sir James Galway's album, O'Reilly Street. The group is a hit in the U.S. and abroad, celebrated for its incendiary, joyful performances of timba, an irresistible, dance-inducing mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and the seductive rhythms of son. They tour widely and have appeared on the prime-time TV show Dancing with the Stars.