The Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range will host its first-ever “Mountaintop Beach Party” in Skinner State Park’s Summit House on Thursday, July 11, featuring the vintage, early 1960s instrumental surf rock of SPF-4 (The Sun Protection Factor Four). Bathing suits, beach towels, sunglasses and flip-flops will be welcome, as well as dancing the Frug, the Shimmy and the Swim on the Summit House’s dance floor and wrap-around porch.
The 7:30 p.m. event will open the 2019 Summit House Sunset Concert Series, celebrating its 32nd year. Ticket information is available at friendsofmhr.org.
Other concerts in the summer series, which takes place on Thursday evenings, will feature New Leaf, which specializes in Irish jigs and reels, airs, waltzes and polkas; singer-songwriter Molly Jeanne, just 15 but already a season performer; the O-Tones, the Valley swing band; and the Arcadia Viols, who play string music from the last five centuries.
The Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range is a local nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the preservation of the Mount Holyoke Range. It supports land purchases for conservation, natural and environmental history education, an annual trail race, and its annual concert series featuring local musicians.
Joining the Green Street Trio at next week’s Northampton Jazz Workshop on Tuesday, July 9 will be Florida trumpeter James Suggs, who has played with a wide range of musicians including Kenny Burrell, Joanne Brakeen, Rufus Reid, John Fedchock, and Maria Schneider. Suggs has just released his first CD as a band leader, according to press notes.
One big fan of Suggs’ music is Tom Reney, longtime host of the New England Public Radio show “Jazz à la Mode” on 88.5-FM. “Tom suggested I get this guy up here if at all possible and it turns out James was willing to make the trip since he has friends in the area,” Green Street pianist Paul Arslanian said in a statement.
The concert set starts at 7:30 p.m., followed immediately by a jam session until 10:30 p.m. Fee is $5 per person room charge for the concert set and donations to the band gratefully accepted. City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St. (413) 584-4830
The Berkshire Mountain Boys bring their mix of bluegrass, gospel, folk and country music to Huntington’s Historic North Hall on Sunday, July 14. “We sing the old songs,” says founding member Phil Pothier.
The group began with Pothier on autoharp and vocals and Charlie Mihlek on guitar and vocals; the two have have been performing together for over 50 years locally and across the country, according to press notes. The group expanded to a quartet by adding Dan Damkauskas on banjo and Don Lownds on mandolin.
Admission is $10 at the door; students and youth attend for free. A meet-the-artists reception with refreshments will take place during intermission. North Hall is located at 40 Searle Road (off Route 66) in Huntington and is wheelchair-accessible and air-conditioned. More information: northhallhuntington.org or (413) 667-5543.