Saint James Place Appoints Executive Director

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Saint James Place, a Center for Arts and Culture, announced the appointment of Seth Keyes to the position of Executive Director.  
 
As Executive Director, he will be charged with extending the growth of Saint James Place through management of finances, marketing and expanded program development.
 
Saint James Place reopened  in 2017 after a full historic restoration and preservation with a carefully designed adaptation for performances.  Established as a Cultural Landmark and event space, it hosts music, theatre, dance, lectures, classes, and meetings year round.  Since its 2017 opening, Saint James Place has welcomed over 50 arts groups, providing them with quality performance, rehearsal, and office space. 
 
Seth Keyes has been a producer and presenter of world-class performing arts for forty years.  He began his career in 1984 as Manager Director/Producer of the Francis Wilson Playhouse in Clearwater, Fla, and progressed to pivotal roles in talent booking and senior programming for renowned performance venues in Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Akron.  Prior to founding his consultancy, Artist License, LLC, he served as Vice President for Innovation Arts & Entertainment, overseeing touring Broadway seasons in 20 subscription markets throughout North America and collaborating extensively with luminaries such as David Sedaris, Anthony Bourdain, William Shatner, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, among others.
 
Sally Harris, President of Saint James Place, and co-Founder with her husband Fred Harris, said of the appointment, "After working with Seth for the past seven years as our General Manager, Fred and I have come to appreciate the talent, experience, and professionalism he has demonstrated.  We enthusiastically look forward to the contribution Seth can make to the future of Saint James Place working in this new role."
 
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Spring Jazz Ensemble Concert At Simon's Rock

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— The annual Bard College at Simon's Rock Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert begins Friday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. 
 
Conducted by Professor of Music, Electronic Arts, and Cultural Studies John Myers, the concert will include new arrangements of pieces by artists such as Thelonius Monk, Johnny Mandel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and others, as well as the debut of John Myers' original composition "Lifeline." 
 
Along with student players, the concert will also include faculty guest artists Allan Dean on trumpet, Pete Toigo on bass, and the voice of emeritus faculty guest artist Bill Dunbar.
 
"My students are multi-talented, not just in music, but in other disciplines as well, including physics, linguistics, and mathematics. Our drummer, Yonah Sadeh, is already an award-winning filmmaker, and both of our guitarists are performing composers with online followers," said Myers.
 
Among those student performers are David Bronshvayg on violin, Damien Brown on trumpet, Tzedek Fishman on piano/keyboard, Megan Hackett on guitar and providing vocals, Zoia Levit on accordion, Paul Rose on piano, keyboard, and vocals, Maayan Rosenberg on clarinet, Yonah Sadeh on drums, Bohdan Lastochkin on guitar, and Ace Thompson on bass.
 
"One of the many special features of the Simon's Rock Jazz Ensemble is that I create my own original arrangements of all the music, shaped by the abilities and personalities of the players. Another feature is our unusual instrumentation, which this semester includes accordion and violin as well as the more traditional jazz instruments," said Myers.
 
On performing Myers' personal composition at the upcoming concert, he also said, "My composition "Lifeline" uses three levels of 7: 7/8, 7/4, and 7/2. The students enjoy the challenge of playing in these kinds of meters, and I supply one of my own pieces every semester."
 
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