Jacques Schwarz-Bart

This year, the July Outdoor Concert Series celebrates the French Caribbean with some of best musicians from Guadeloupe and Haiti. Born in Guadeloupe, Jacques Schwarz-Bart has voyaged across musical genres from neo-soul, where he worked with D’angelo and Erika Badu, back to his Carribean roots where he innovated hybrid jazz genres. Playing Gwo ka and Vodou jazz, Schwarz-Bart connects jazz music with its Afro-Caribbean and spiritual origins. His 2020 album, Soné Ka La, Odyssey, is a standout example. In 2023, Schwarz-Bart released The Harlem Suite, a collection of original tunes and arrangements celebrating his journey to the heart of modern Black music: Harlem, where he lived for eighteen years. Schwarz-Bart performs with his quintet. Free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. Bring a picnic and your own seating. Rain moves the performance to the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.