The premiere jazz festival will have five venues in and around downtown Northampton, all featuring live jazz.
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NORTHAMPTON – The premiere Northampton Jazz Festival will have all the makings of a party, receiving a temporary beer and wine license from the License Commission on Wednesday.
The license will allow the festival to sell those beverages under a tent on Strong Avenue, part of which will be closed for the Oct. 1 event.
Director John Michaels told the commission the jazz festival will have five venues in and around downtown Northampton, all featuring live jazz. The acts will include New York City jazz musicians such as guitarists Jonathan Kreisberg and Gene Bertoncini. Local talent, including students from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School, will also be featured. Charles Neville of the New Orleans group The Neville Brothers will play in an all-star local band. Neville currently lives in Huntington.
William Collins, who is helping to organize the event, said there will be food booths courtesy of local restaurants, in the spirit of the former “Taste of Northampton.” Among the venues that have been finalized are Edwards Church, First Churches and Thornes Marketplace. On Strong Avenue, the festivities will spill over into the public parking lot.
Collins said admission to the festival will be free. Proceeds from the sale of beer and wine will pay for expenses and any left-over revenues will be donated to United Way of Hampshire County, Collins said.
The Jazz Festival turned out to be one of the more exciting items on an agenda in which a hearing on a proposal to increase fees for various food, alcohol and entertainment licenses generated little opposition.
The commission had suggested hikes of $50 for most licenses. After absorbing a local option meals tax in 2009, some restaurateurs reacted negatively to the news, arguing that they are already contributing their fair share to city coffers.
Although several restaurant and club owners were present at the hearing, only Claudio Guerra, who owns Spoleto’s and several other restaurants in Northampton, spoke. Guerra reiterated that bars and restaurants are already paying a high price in fees, to the point that owners cannot afford to pay their employees on a par with other businesses. However, Guerra said those owners are willing to work with the city.
“We understand the city’s in a squeeze to raise funds,” he said. “We won’t fight it.”
City Councilor Marianne L. LaBarge was more adamant about opposing the increase, saying, “This is the wrong way to go right now.”
Commission chairman Brad Shimel acknowledged that those in the hospitality business are struggling and proposed lower fee hikes for alcohol licenses and no increases for other licenses such as car dealerships and entertainment. The commission approved those lesser hikes and everyone left satisfied.
