The Berkshire Eagle from Pittsfield, Massachusetts • 44

2' wins TEl an who The II glevy keg I ECE James Taylor returns this weekend for double concerts 116No-' ihno leo twat By Seth Seth Rogovoy it starts at 8:30. There is no cover charge; which is in part what makes it celestial. (528-5244) Character oozes from the very walls of the Old Egremont Club in South Egremont, one of the county's oldest and most revered nightspots a real, old-fashioned roadhouse. Proprietor Rick Then is himself one of the best musicians you'll find in these parts, and he runs an old-fashioned hootenanny every Thursday night. James Taylor ocEro-( TM ---13- TEO road trip, you might want to head north for the 20th anniversary edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which begins today and runs through July11.

Over 2,000 musicians from over 20 countries will perform in this year's festival in 400 concerts 300 of them free including appearances by Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans, Branford Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Olu Data, Diana Caetano Veloso and John McLaughlin. In addition to jazz proper, the festival includes Cajun, zydeco, salsa, Brazilian, Corsican, Egyptian, blues and other world-beat styles. Jazz's avant-garde will also be represented by the likes of Bill Frisell, Tom Harrell, Archie Shepp, Charlie Hunter and Leon Parker, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. (www.montrealjazzfest. corn, 1-888-515-0515) Radio Beat Every so often, we run a playlist of the CDs, new or old, that are garnering the most airplay on our imaginary radio station.

Think of it as an instant snapshot of The Beat's favorite music of the moment. 1. Tom Waits, "Mule Variations" (Epitaph) 2. Gary Lucas, "Busy Being Born" (Tzadik) 3. Dave Douglas, "Charms of the Night Sky" (Winter and Winter) 4.

Cibo Matto, "Stereotype '(Warner Bros.) 5. Fred Eaglesmith, "50-Odd Dollars" (Razor Tie) 6. Ani DiFranco and Utah Phillips, "Fellow Workers" (Righteous Babe) 7. The Pretenders, El (Warner Bros.) 8. Dave Tarras and Sam Musiker, "Tanz" '(Epic) .9.

Os Mutantes "The Best of Os Mutantes' (1.Lka, BopWarner Bros.) 10. Beth Orton, "Central Reservation" (Arista) Visit Scth Rogovoy's Website at it. berkshireweb. comrogovoy. Let's face it.

James Taylor owns this coming weekend. The irrepressible, genre-defying singer-songwriter will undoubtedly break all previous records for attendance as he performs back-to-back concerts at Tanglewood in Lenox on Saturday and Sunday nights at 7. Seats in the shed for both concerts have been sold out for weeks isn't it amazing a man like him can sell that way? and lawn tickets were looking pretty scarce as of this column's deadline earlier this week. Seiji Ozawa can jump up and down and resign all he wants, but he won't steal an ounce of fire and rain from Sweet Baby James, who has shown time and again that he owns Tanglewood. Whenever you sec his smiling face you have to smile yourself, because you love him.

Remember, plan to arrive plenty early, or else you'll be damning that traffic jam, backed up on the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston and how you hate to be late! The Independence Day Weekend festivities (that's what they call them) actually begin on Friday night at 8:30, when Boston Pops heartthrob Keith Lockhart conducts the Pops Esplanade Orchestra in a program of "American patriotic favorites," big-band hits and swing tunes, as well as the obligatory "1812" Overture by that great American patriotic composer, Tchaikovsky. (637-5165, www.bso.org) Surveying the scene The Castk Street Cafe in Great Barrington offers a full menu of nearly every night of the week this summer in its Celestial Bar. Pianik Charlie Hoyt 'owns 'Thursday 'nleits. throughout the season, with a 'revolving cast of' players changing nightly. Tomorrow night guitarist Jay Messer leads his trio, and Saturday night New York City vocalist Ann Correa and Company hold forth.

The venerable and ubiquitous Mike Schiffer tickles the ivories on Sunday, followed by John Sauer playing the black-and-whites on Monday night. George Carroll and Steve Murray will hold forth on Wednesday night. Music begins each night at 7:30, except Friday and Saturdays, when of Jui NEI, Award Vim try our re 04: Menu 4., ttntal Cuisine Pastries ice 1985 Pa! ce 4 Extraordiri Chef-Owne me rD)in A rate or-Taie-Ci re I If He also picks the cream of the crop of local and regional bands to entertain patrons, and this weekend's lineup is typical of Tiven's taste. Longtime favorites Bev Rohlehr and the Colbys perform on Friday night, followed by guitarist Steve Ide's Rhythm Method on Saturday night. And Tip Top Deluxe, a group of 'young, hot blues players from area high schools, will be featured next Wednesday night (528-9712) Further afield, Cameroon native Sally Nyolo, a former member of world-pop vocal group Zap Mama, brings her new ensemble, Afroblue, to the Iron Horse in Northampton tonight at 7.

Nyolo's most recent album, the aptly-titled "Multiculti" (Tinder), is a tapestry of world-beat styles, with haunting African vocals sailing over circular rhythms and native percussion brushed with the sounds of contemporary pop music. Her approach is so cosmopolitan she even has a song called 'Reggae in Japan." Also coming to the Iron-Horse is Gillian Welch, whose dark; death-haunted roots-folk "Ha- Among the (Alm ot was one of the best of last year. Catch her Tuesday at the with her partner Rawlings If you missed Bonnie Rant earli- Cr this week in Northampton, you' can catch her tonight the Oakdale Theatre in Pop-soul diva Houston is at the Saratoga (N.Y.) Performing Arts Center on Friday night, and Dean Friedman, of "Arid" fame, is at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Saturday night. And if you're in the mood for a 7es utiles ftN SOCHI Allendale Center, Pittsfield, MA Call: (413) 442-0151' Ilr ick.01Nelli 4 For car rentals in the Berkshires, yttil have a choice and a friend. Call Rick for low rental rates, daily, weekly or monthly.

Car, vans, trucks, economy, luxury, sport utility available. Correspondence intended for this column should be addressed to: Seth Rogovoy, 166 North Street, Williamstown 01267, or to rogovoyberkshire. net. 528-0848 800-698-0848 For out of town after hours reservation call 800-307-FORD twmfontcomirentacar 398 Stockbridge Rd. Gt.

Barrington, MA ETE10 7117-1 12.