Enraptured by sound

The Green Sisters

A bird's-eye view

The Notch Visitor Center

Pre-concert picnicking on the porch (elevation: 935 ft.!)

​Dear Ella

Collage by Marcia Howard

​Thursday, Aug. 3, 7:00 pm​

     The Gumbo Jumbo Dixieland Band performs the traditional jazz of New Orleans. They're comprised of Brian Bender on trombone, Bill Shontz on clarinet, Zack Danziger on banjo and Jay Witbeck on tuba. Get your red beans cookin', and get ready to party!

Jeff Barnhart

Dixieland Band​

Series

...and, picknicking on the mountain!

Summer Concert ​

​​​​Gumbo Jumbo

​​Thurs., July 13, 7:00 pm

​Ed Byrne Sextet

A bustling intermission

     Hailing from a small farm in rural Massachusetts, the four Green Sisters were raised with music accompanying their chores. Their sound spans a wide range of bluegrass, barbershop, blues, country, and lots of original songs which fit right into the mix. They’ve been playing venues in New England regularly for the last several years and have garnered quite the following; it’s hard not to smile when treated with their tight harmonies and high energy tunes. Their live show is where they really shine, bouncing their jovial banter around the stage as only siblings can!

The 2023 Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range  

Thursday, July 6, 7:00 pm

​Thurs., July 20, 7:00 pm

     Jeff Barnhart is an internationally-renowned solo pianist, arranger, bandleader, composer, recording artist, educator, and entertainer specializing in the vintage American piano music of the 1920's and 1930's. He has led multiple small ensembles featuring the classic early ragtime, jazz and swing of the early 20th century, teaches in numerous academic settings, and has performed in many clubs, cruises and jazz and music festivals around the world. His versatility, vast repertoire and vibrant energy shine through his mastery of the keyboard! 

        The Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range Summer Concert Series is supported by Kestrel Land Trust, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Hadley, Amherst, and South Hadley Cultural Councils, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the rangers of Skinner State Park, and the dedicated volunteers of the Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range.

     Grammy-nominated composer, trombonist, band leader, producer, author, educator, and Latin Jazz pioneer, Ed Byrne has performed and recorded with many of the jazz world’s leading stars in a career spanning decades, including Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Charles Mingus, Buddy Rich, James Brown, Archie Shepp, and Maynard Ferguson. A Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory and former Berklee College professor, Ed has been nominated Best Trombone Soloist by Latin New York Magazine. In his current sextet he is joined by Rich Goldstein on guitar, Andrew Wilcox on keyboard, Conway Campbell, Jr., on doublebass, Jocelyn Pleasant on drums, and Rubin Rosa on Latin percussion.

     Advance online tickets ($12 per person) for all shows (highly recommended) will be sold online until 12:00 noon day of show. All tickets purchased online will be available to be picked up at the door day of show. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale at the door after 6:00 pm day of show for $15 per person, cash only.

​Thursday, July 27, 7:00 pm

     Dear Ella is a vocal-led musical trio featuring Ann Percival (Wild Asparagus, The O-Tones) on guitar, ukelele and snare, Mary Witt (The O-Tones) on bass, and Annie Patterson (Girls From Mars, Big Yellow Taxi, & Rise Up Singing creator) on banjo, guitar and snare. Their repertoire includes songs from many genres, including swing, R&B, and acoustic folk. Their name is an homage, a love letter to the iconic vocalist and band leader Ella Fitzgerald, as well as to the inspiring civil rights activist Ella Baker, encouraging us all to honor the women who’ve inspired us to stand for justice, sing our truths, and be the best selves we can be!

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Admission: $12 advance (online) / $15 day of show (at door, cash only) 

Advance online tickets are on sale now! (​please click below)