LONGMEADOW—Glenmeadow has developed its spring, summer, and fall Getaways trips, which begin in March and run through mid-October. 

“Our Getaways are well-planned and inclusive trips with the service and quality people expect from Glenmeadow,” said Anne Thomas, President and CEO. “Isolation is a problem for older adults in our region, and our trips give them an opportunity to safely travel to an event in the company of peers, and to have a meal and socialize beforehand.” 

The following are trips planned through the fall; they include transportation, the performance ticket, and a meal. Registration is ongoing. Sign-up is first-come, first-served. Visit Glenmeadow.org/events or call 413-567-7800 for more information.

PHILADANCO! The Philadelphia Dance Company. A celebration of the company’s 50^th anniversary as one of the premiere African-American dance troupes, presenting iconic PHILADANCO works, as well new choreography. Thursday, February 6, dinner at Hadley Farms Meeting House, followed by the performance at the Fine Arts Center (FAC) at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), Amherst. Depart from Glenmeadow at 4:15 p.m. and return about 11 p.m.

Finding Neverland. The story line follows the relationship between playwright J.M. Barrie and the family that inspired Peter Pan. Tuesday, February 25, dinner at Hadley Farms Meeting House, followed by the performance at FAC. Depart from Glenmeadow at 4 p.m. and return about 10:30 p.m.

Cirque Flip Fabrique: Blizzard. Blizzard is the story of friends exploring the wonder of a winter storm. Includes poetry and circus performance. Wednesday, March 18, dinner at Hadley Farms Meeting House, followed by the performance at FAC. Hosted by Glenmeadow residents Seymour Frankel and Joan Rosenbaum. Depart from Glenmeadow at 4:15 p.m. and return about 11 p.m.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This performance will feature a mixture of new work by Ailey as well as the critically acclaimed Revelations. Tuesday, April 28, dinner at Hadley Farms Meeting House, followed by the show at the FAC. Hosted by Frankel and Rosenbaum. Depart from Glenmeadow at 4:15 p.m. and return about 11 p.m.

South Pacific. The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. Thursday, June 11, lunch at the Gelston House followed by the performance at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Presented in partnership with the Springfield JCC. Depart from Glenmeadow at 10:15 a.m. and return about 6 p.m.

Anne of Green Gables. The classic novel, now reimagined as a vibrant folk-rock musical for all generations. Wednesday, August 12, lunch at the Gelston House, followed by the performance at Goodspeed Opera House. Presented in partnership with the Springfield JCC. Depart from Glenmeadow at 10:15 a.m. and return about 6 p.m.

Candide. Leonard Bernstein’s madcap musical adventure, Wednesday, October 14, lunch at the Gelston House, followed by the performance at Goodspeed Opera House. Presented in partnership with the Springfield JCC. Depart from Glenmeadow at 10:15 a.m. and return about 6 p.m.

Glenmeadow is a nonprofit life plan community—formerly known as a retirement community—and it has a mission to serve seniors in the Greater Springfield region, whether they live on the Longmeadow campus or in their own homes.

Established in 1884, Glenmeadow is an accredited life plan community; it provides independent and assisted living at its campus at 24 Tabor Crossing in Longmeadow and expanded Glenmeadow at Home services throughout greater Springfield.  

To learn more about Glenmeadow and its history and offerings, visit www.glenmeadow.org. 

About Glenmeadow 

In the 1800s, elderly individuals without family or means were sent to live at what was called “the poor farm.”  In 1884, a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s south end, establishing The Springfield Home for Aged Women. Quickly outgrowing that house, land was purchased on the corner of Chestnut and Carew streets, where a new home was constructed and opened in 1900.  In 1960, the name was changed to Chestnut Knoll, and, in 1992, it began to admit men.  

In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Longmeadow to build a new community that would provide both independent living and assisted living in one building with various common areas.  This was a new concept known as a continuing care retirement community. Existing residents from the old Chestnut Knoll property were moved to the new campus in 1997. Shortly after the move, the board voted to change its legal name to Glenmeadow to coincide with the name being used by the developer of the property.  

Continuing care retirement communities are now referred to as life plan communities, responding to the needs of the aging population with new opportunities for care, plus creative, educational and personal exploration. Glenmeadow offerings, which include everything from senior living options and handyman services to personal care and travel programs, are provided at its Longmeadow campus and across the region through Glenmeadow at Home. Glenmeadow strives to fulfill its mission of nurturing the whole person in mind, body, and spirit.

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EASTHAMPTON—The first-ever Easthampton Jazz Festival will bring young musicians and world-renowned talent to the stage on Saturday, March 4 from noon to 10 p.m., and event founder and chair Carol Abbe Smith is seeking sponsorships and donations to help defray ticket costs.

The festival is divided into two performance events. An afternoon show will take place from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the 121 Club at Eastworks, with young, local musicians and singers to include Ginja Low Main; Kimaya Diggs and Friends; The Ellington Trio; Lizzie Meier, Stephen Kerr, and Mike Caudill; and the Darryl Kniffen Sextet.

The evening show from 6 to 10 p.m., emceed by Tom Reney host of NEPR’s Jazz a la Mode, will be held at Easthampton High School with the George Kaye Sextet taking the stage at 7 p.m. to perform Kaye’s adaptation of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans “Porgy and Bess” featuring Samirah Evans. At 8:30 p.m., The Andy Jaffe Octet will be performing a live premiere of Jaffe’s new CD, “Arc,” featuring Wallace Roney and Jimmy Greene, among other prominent musicians.

“This is the first time something of this scale has been produced in Easthampton,” said Smith. “The theme is ‘The Cubs meet the Lions,’ with younger professional groups and student groups playing during the day and, in the evening, the more established, professional groups.”

A creative reuse and upcycled art fair will coincide with the daytime events and take place in the lobby of Eastworks in partnership with Knack: The Art of Clever Reuse.

Smith said that close to $7,000 of the $10,000 event cost has already been raised, in part through a $2,500 Hatch Grant she received from ECA+ and with funds from: Williams College, where Jaffe led the Jazz Program for decades; local sponsorships from businesses; and an Indiegogo campaign.

If the fundraising goal is reached by Feb. 15, admission will be free, Smith said; if not, there will be a ticket fee of roughly $10. Businesses interested in sponsoring the event should contact Smith at jazzdiva46@gmail.com or 413-519-3654; individuals interested in donating can visit www.indiegogo.com and search for Easthampton-jazz-festival#.

Smith, a long-time resident of Easthampton, has long been active in the local music scene. She helped coordinate the Northampton Jazz Festival for five years, and she has been booking talent on various stages in Easthampton—and performing locally as a singer herself—for many years.

She was inspired to produce the Easthampton Jazz Festival after learning that ECA+ was offering grants for local arts events and receiving a $2,500 Hatch Grant award. “I’m really thankful to ECA+ for offering these types of grants for cultural events in Easthampton,” she said.

In producing the festival, Smith hopes to expand the already vibrant jazz community in the region, in a city that has been experiencing an arts revival.

In the 7 p.m. performance, bassist and arranger George Kaye will lead a sextet featuring vocalist Samirah Evans joined by Miro Sprague (piano), Michael Zsoldos (reeds), Eric Miller (trombone), and Claire Arenius (drums) for the opening set of the evening program. The offering is comprised of selections from the 1958 recording by Miles Davis and Gil Evans of George Gershwin’s opera “Porgy and Bess.” The Gil Evans arrangements are adapted for sextet by Kaye. The 1958 recording is regarded by critics, musicians and fans alike to be the finest jazz interpretation of the opera and a pinnacle of orchestral jazz.

Kaye holds a master’s degree in music from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is a faculty member at the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro, Vt., and the bassist of the Green Street Trio, which hosts the Northampton Jazz Workshop every Tuesday night at City Sports Grille Northampton.

Composer, author and bandleader Jaffe will take the stage at 8:30 p.m., performing his recently released CD, “Arc,” live for the first time ever.

Jaffe has been active in music education for over 40 years, teaching at institutions ranging from conservatories and universities to liberal arts colleges throughout the Northeast as well as in Europe and Asia.  He directed the Jazz Program in the Music Department at Williams College for 27 years and has served as founder and artistic director of the Williamstown Jazz Festival.

He currently teaches in the Vermont College of Fine Arts Master of Fine Arts program in music composition. His contributions to jazz pedagogy include his books Jazz Harmony and Something Borrowed, Something Blue. His recordings include “Manhattan Projections” (The Andy Jaffe Sextet featuring Branford Marsalis, Wallace Roney and Marvin “Smitty” Smith), “Double Helix” (piano duo with Tom McClung), “An Imperfect Storm” (Bill Lowe-Andy Jaffe Big Band and Slovak Radio Orchestra featuring Richard Stoltzman, Bruce Williamson and Tom McClung), and “Arc,” featuring Wallace Roney, Bruce Williamson, Jonathan Barber, Bruce Clark, Kris Allen and Marty Jaffe.

The 121 Club at Eastworks is located at 116 Pleasant St. in Easthampton. The high school is at 70 Williston Ave.

Learn more about the Easthampton Jazz Festival at https://www.facebook.com/EasthamptonJazzfestival/ or http://easthamptonjazzfestival.squarespace.com/.

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