Page 24 - BusinessWest September 5, 2022

The Sound of Music Northampton Jazz Festival Set for Sept. 30 to Oct. 1
Ruth Griggs is a firm believer in the power of jazz.
She says this brand of music has the ability to energize people and lift their spirits. It also has the ability to bring people, and a com- munity together, said Griggs, who had seen this
phenomenon at work in Northampton during the early years of its annual jazz festival.
Bryan Lynch performs at the 2021 Jazz Festival in Northampton.
“Live music helps lift people’s spirits and it just gives them a positive feeling.”
And she also saw what was missing when the festival took a three-year pause toward the end of the last decade, and that’s why she became instrumental — that’s an industry term — in not only bringing the festival back to Northampton in 2018, but bringing it to more of Northampton, meaning more venues across this thriving arts community.
In fact, she was honored earlier this year by BusinessWest with its Difference Makers award for her efforts to bring the jazz festival back to the Northampton — and the region.
“Live music helps lift people’s spirits and it
Julian Parker Burns Photo
just gives them a positive feeling; these are pro- fessional musicians, they know what they’re doing, and it’s a real pleasure for the audience to be able to experience that,” said Griggs, adding that there will be plenty to experience at the 2022
Northampton Jazz Festival set for Sept. 1-Oct. 1. A number of local and regional artists are
scheduled to perform, she said.
“On Friday night, we have what we call the
Jazz Strut, held at Pulaski Park and six different
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