Northampton Jazz Festival to Present Peter Bernstein Quartet on March 7

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Jazz Festival will present the legendary jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein with his quartet in a one-night-only concert at the Drake in Amherst on Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m.

The Northampton Jazz Festival has expanded its live jazz offerings beyond just a two-day festival in late September. It now co-presents visiting jazz artists in one-night-only concerts by partnering with area performance venues. In doing so, the Jazz Festival is able to bring world-class jazz musicians to the region year-round.

“I am a guitarist myself, and have wanted to invite Peter Bernstein to perform at the Drake for some time,” said Lincoln Allen, manager of the Drake. “With this partnership with the Jazz Festival, we both market the concert to our audiences, so we’re more sure to get a large, savvy jazz audience as a result, which is the goal for us both.”

A New York City native, Bernstein has been playing and recording since 1990, when he first appeared on recordings with Lou Donaldson and the organ trio of Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart, a group still touring and recording today. Bernstein has played on festival, concert, and club stages worldwide and has appeared on over 300 recordings, 14 under his own name. Bernstein’s other associations and collaborations include Jimmy Cobb, Dr. Lonnie Smith, David “Fathead” Newman, Brad Mehldau, Etta Jones, Melvin Rhyne, Diana Krall, Bobby Hutcherson, Lee Konitz, Nicholas Payton, George Coleman, and Sonny Rollins. His latest recording on the Smoke Sessions label is Better Angels, featuring Brad Mehldau, Vicente Archer, and Al Foster.

Performing with Bernstein at the Drake on March 7 will be Aaron Goldberg on piano, Vicente Archer on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Farnsworth, a South Hadley native, headlined the 2023 Northampton Jazz Festival with his “Max Roach Centennial Celebration,” a sold-out performance at the Academy of Music.

“We’re thrilled to bring the great Peter Bernstein to the Valley with his equally talented bandmates,” said Ruth Griggs, executive director of the Northampton Jazz Festival. “We especially love having Joe Farnsworth back in town; he brings a love and enthusiasm for Western Mass. like no other jazz musician I’ve ever seen.”

Tickets cost $30 in advance and $35 at the door. For more information and tickets, visit thedrakeamherst.org.

Amherst Oyster Bar is the sponsor of the Peter Bernstein Quartet. The restaurant will donate 20% of dinner service profits on March 7 to the Northampton Jazz Festival. In addition, guests who show their tickets to the Peter Bernstein Quartet while dining at Amherst Oyster Bar on March 7 will receive six complimentary oysters per ticket (selection determined by Amherst Oyster Bar).