Rita Coolidge at the Clark Nov. 30
Annual Holiday Walk Weekend in Williamstown
By: Clark - Nov 08, 2012
In celebration of Williamstown's annual Holiday Walk weekend, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute presents A Rita Coolidge Christmas on Friday, November 30 at 8:00 pm. The two-time Grammy Award-winner will perform in a special concert featuring a mix of her greatest hits, jazz standards, and holiday classics and will be joined by special guests the Williams College Gospel Choir for several songs. Tickets are $40 ($35 members and students) and may be purchased online at clarkart.eduor by calling 413 458 0524.
Coolidge captures the spirit of the season in her unique Christmas concerts that are performed with her full band and often incorporate local singers. “Everyone who knows me or has seen me perform knows I love Christmas and the music of the season,” said Coolidge.
The Williams College Gospel choir, which is newly affiliated with and sponsored by the Williams College music department, has been performing at Williams for more than 25 years. The goal of the choir is to foster love and compassion among the members of the choir through worship.
Coolidge’s most recent album, A Rita Coolidge Christmas, was released October 30. Working with her stalwart band featuring John McDuffie (guitar), John Thomas (keyboards), Lynn Coulter (drums), and Randy Landas (bass), Coolidge has put together a twelve-track set of standards and several originals that seamlessly blend all the styles that have defined her solo career since the ’70s: pop, blues, jazz, country, and, notably, the Native American music of her Cherokee heritage. Like all of her musical endeavors, A Rita Coolidge Christmas is a project that comes straight from the heart, reflecting the love she feels for the holiday and the many memories it evokes.
Memorable Coolidge chart-toppers include “Fever,” “We’re All Alone,” “One Fine Day,” “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “All Time High,” “Superstar,” and many others. Perhaps due to Coolidge’s pop and rock pedigree, many of her fans are unaware of her longstanding affection for jazz. Her debut release for Concord Records, And So Is Love, a collection of well-loved jazz songs, is sure to change all that.