Karrin Allyson Packs Pages Loft for a Night of Jazz

It was a rainy, windy Tuesday night.  We were headed to the Clarion Hotel’s Loft, where the Jazz Workshop was playing.  Singer Karrin Allyson was driving up from New York City to front the band, singing jazz standards and scatting while a solid trio backed her up.

I was surprised at the crowd….there was not a seat to be had, and many were standing when the band began to play.

I don’t often go out on Tuesday nights–especially when it’s raining sideways and we are all recovering from the terrible news of the hurricane. But what I was most impressed by were how many people were there. It proves that the Northampton music scene is a whole lot more than just the Iron Horse Entertainment group.

Dinner was being brought out by waitstaff, big plates of steaks, chops and fries. Because it was a jam session, Allyson wasn’t as familiar with the band’s style as she would with her regular ensemble, but she sang standards by Peter Nero, Rogers and Hammerstein and Duke Ellington and the crowd loved her.

The crowd was nearly all over 5o, and that for some reason was heartening to me. Nice to know that members of my generation and up are still game to put on their raincoats and spend an evening listening to old music, jazz, in a very comfortable setting.