Real Good for Free: The Industrial Jazz Group @ the Berkshire Museum, 10/15/09

Tonight, the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival coincides with the final Third Thursday arts walk, so you know that the streets of Pittsfield, Mass. will be swinging mightily.

One of the premiere events will be a free concert by the Industrial Jazz Group at the Berkshire Museum from 5-7pm today.

Outta the wilds of Portland, Oregon comes the Industrial Jazz Group – a novel, adventurous big band (currently 16 pieces) showcasing the music of composer Andrew Durkin and the talents of some of the jazz world’s pluckiest, most charismatic players. Frustrated by the limitations of “Jazz, the Institution,” and bored by the mediocrity of much modern pop, the IJG has slowly pioneered the concept of “avant-garde party music”: an idiosyncratic, charming and/or disarming blend of jazz, rock, cartoon soundtracks, humor, blues, funk, costumes, doo wop, dada, and a lot of other stuff. It’s not really “industrial,” and it’s not really “jazz”: the IJG attempts to demonstrate that music can indeed be complex, sophisticated, sexy, fun, funny, critical, smart, and groovy all at once.

Previously:
Real Good for Free: Silent Film Spectacular
Real Good For Free: Music @ Noon at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (second Tuesdays)
Real Good For Free: Quintessence (Weekends)
Real Good for Free: Colleen Pratt @ the Van Dyck (Thursdays)
Real Good for Free: Tuesdays @ Revolution Hall (Tuesdays)
Real Good for Free: Happy Traum @ the Crandall Library (10/15/09)
Real Good for Free: CRUMBS Nite Out @ The Linda (4th Thursdays)