I've been very busy enjoying spring, gardening, cooking, Berkshires' water and woods and staying off of my computer as much as is humanly possible...and I noticed it's been a long time since sending out any Suzi Stern music updates.
So here is what's out on the horizon musically speaking, and I hope you can make it out to some...or all of these upcoming events in our neighborhood!
Wed. August 12th
Suzi Stern & Friends
at
The Lions Den at The Red Lion Inn
30 Main Street
Stockbridge, MA 01262
6:30 to 9:30
I am joined at The Den by George Oldziey piano, Adam Coté bass, Conor Meehan drums, Michael Junkins guitar and I'm still trying to talk my buddy Paul Ostermayer into driving in from N.J. to play sax with us!
Thurs. August 27th
GATO 6 at The Mount
Sounds of Summer series curated by Michael Junkins!
5:30 to 7:30
This is a free event!! Bring a picnic, dance on the lawn and hang with us!!
GATO 6 is George Oldziey keys and accordion, Paul Ostermayer sax, Mary Ann McSweeney bass, Conor Meehan drums, Brian Bettger trumpet, Brian Melick percussion and of course Moi!
Friday August 28th
A Benefit concert for the Lenox Meeting House / Church on the Hill
169 Main Street, Lenox MA 01240
with
The N.E. Music Lovers (plus a Texan!)
Suzi Stern vocals, George Oldziey piano, Paul Ostermayer sax, Brian Bettger Trumpet, Mary Ann McSweeney bass, Conor Meehan Drums, Brian Melick percussion
And...BIG NEWS!!
LuLu is back in town!!!
In 2023 LuLuFest Lenox was a huge success at The Bernstein Theatre and we are bringing this beautiful festival back this year re-dubbed LuluFest Berkshires. I'm thrilled to be presenting the festival this year at the Lenox Meeting House with our beautiful concert grand piano residing in its new home there. George and I donated our 9 foot concert grand to the meeting house last year so that it might ring out in this larger space. Our home was way too small for a theatre sized instrument and it will find new life at the meeting house. Visit Lulu-fest.com to get the history of this women led bands festival that Peggy Stern and John Bilotti started in Kingston NY in 2004.
Lulu-fest.com and scroll down to the Berkshires event to click on the link!
Peggy Stern Group
Summer Camargo and her band
Mary Ann McSweeney's Urban Fado Project featuring violinist Sara Caswell
Dena DeRose all the way from Austria!
And my band, The Suzi Stern Quintet
Here are a few fun past LLF concert images!
Friday, March 21, 2025
One of the best ways to hear music in my opinion is in the intimacy of an artists home...amongst good friends who love music, with a glass of wine or a cup of tea in hand and something delicious to snack on. It covers so many fabulous happy making parts of our senses and lord knows we can all use some "happy making" lifts to our senses.
Sunday March 30th please come join us for music in the spirit of the old salons that brought composers, artists and philosophers together to share ideas and inspire.
Check it out! We finally have a new set up which allows perfect viewing of the band from all angles!
Sunday March 30th
4:00 to 5:30-ish
Playing will be:
From NYC the amazingly talented acoustic bassist Mary Ann McSweeney (Broadway, touring artist, composer, arranger, producer, educator)
Paul Ostermayer on sax and flute (touring artist with Leonard Cohen, Blood Sweat and Tears, Passenger, composer, arranger, educator)
On piano our very own beloved Lenox host George Oldziey (educator, composer, arranger, scored Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Kill Bill, We Can Be Heroes, Spy Kids, Grindhouse to name a few)
And Moi, Suzi Stern will be singing with these illustrious artists! Info. about me, and some brand new tracks if you're curious at www.suzistern.com
BYOB (snacks provided)
Free event but tips are always thrilling!
Bring friends! Bring Family! Relax and enjoy!
57 Taconic Ave.
Lenox MA 01240
Call for more info. (512) 924-5821
Sunday, December 22, 2024
It's been a long time since I've reached out to my wonderful friends and fans, and I felt this would be a perfect time to send you all a wish for a joyous holiday season and a prayer that we will not only find our way through 2025, but flourish. No matter what is going on in the world it can only help to continue sharing art, music and creative outpourings of love.
Now that the winter solstice has passed the days will gradually get longer and we can observe the shadows of winter slowly changing inch by inch as they cast sharp angles of the trees silhouettes across our snowy lawn. We had a beautiful snow fall last night making the Berkshires sparkle in the sunlight today.
I'm currently working on a new recording project. I'm taking my time so it won't come to fruition until sometime in 2025, but here are two of the tracks from the bigger project. A little holiday present. These two compositions are by pianist composer Richie Beirach with my lyrics.
I hope you'll enjoy them, and if you're interested I have some of the highlights from 2024 below...like a travel log!!
Our year has been a full one! Here are some high lights below to peruse!
In Feb George and I went to Austin to gig with GATO6 at the Elephant Room, celebrating George's 70th! Yikes!
We had the chance to hang with so many dear old friends that week:
L to R. Val Unger Visiting from Fort Worth) Estrella Acosta (visiting from Amsterdam) Paul Unger (ft. Worth) Peggy Bates (Seattle) Arjen Goeter (Amsterdam) and me after the Brad Mehldau concert.
I went back to Austin in March to help my girl Ariana Blue get through jaw surgery so I was in Austin for an entire month. She came through with flying colors! After nurse duties relaxed I did some gigs and a highlight was an afternoon with Peggy Stern and John Steinman.
I ran into Peggy again at the viewing of the total eclipse! We had a perfect view!
Myla, Peggy and Will in back and Troy and Ari in front!
A joyful surprise was meeting up with my son René in Austin!
Troy and Ari...
In June Ari flew up to Massachusetts to celebrate my 70th....another "yikes!!" We took a whale watching ride in Boston. Whales are remarkable!
In June I flew to the Pacific NW to celebrate another big BD...my grandson turned 6!! We shot off a rocket together.
In July Brenda and Clif flew up to The Berkshires.
We went to Tanglewood of course
Here is Renee Flemming
In early August my dearest friends flew to the Berkshires from Austin and Seattle to celebrate my big birthday belated! Martha Mefferd, Ann Beeson and Robert Kimsey, Peggie Bates I love you all so dearly!! Unfortunately I got Covid which cut our visit time short but we still managed to have a blast!
In mid August George and I had some amazing musical journeys together. George and I went to Budapest to record more of his iconic Wing Commander Music recorded by a 90 piece symphony orchestra.
George congratulating the orchestra on a job well done...
George in the studio...
My dear friend Maj flew from Stockholm to Budapest to meet us...it was great hanging out with her there!
Maj relaxing...
On the stairs of Castle Hill
While we were overseas we visited our friends Jojo and Alan Cooke in Sauve France which is an incredible medieval village they live in not far from Montpellier. Jojo and Alan have an amazing, very old, beautiful warm home and they were the best hosts.
We jammed with artist and famed cartoonist R. Crumb!!
Then we spent time with Paul Johnson and Be a in Paris before flying back to the states:
Back home in early Sept...
....we hosted a beautiful concert with Jazz Guitarist John Stowell.
October highlights! Headed to Salt Lake to record the choir for George's Wing Commander Project. In flight we saw the Northern Lights from the air!! It was amazing!
Phil Klein conducted the choir in Salt Lake City, and we had a wonderful time hanging with Phil and Suzi at Sundance after the session.
Suzi H at Sundance...
And serendipity! My cousin was on tour in Salt Lake while we were there:
And in October our very tall 6 year old grandson came to visit us in Lenox...
bringing with him, his amazing mom Selena and dad René. Here I am with papa René...
George and Selena with us in the Berkshires...
Pumpkin carving of course...
November highlight was Dia De Los Muertos:
And hiking with my gal pals...from Austin Annie B and from N. Hampton Carrie Baker:
November trip to New Hampshire!
And the major highlight: recording with these 3 amazing musicians:
Sara Caswell, Jesse Lewis and Adam Coté.
and another December highlight was leading a fun vocal clinic with amazing, focused and talented singers!
