Join us for a reception for The Artists Collective of Westport’s summer exhibit at The Westport Library, American Journeys, in the Sheffer and South Galleries, and as the Collective reveals its Piece by Piece installation in the Jesup Gallery.
The theme of American Journeys was inspired by this year’s national celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The title implies that there is no one singular American Journey, but rather a collection of many diverse journeys we have all experienced that make up the rich fabric of American life. Over 60 local artists contributed their works.
Piece by Piece is a 6-foot high by 8-foot wide installation based upon an original work of art broken up into a grid of 48 square sections, with each panel having been created by a different member of the Artists Collective of Westport. Without knowing the identity of the featured artwork, each artist was given a printout of one of the 12” x 12” sections from the mural, and a blank panel onwhich to create their interpretation of it in any medium. The end result of this project is an entertaining exercise in community, creativity, and collaboration.
Each 12-inch by 12-inch “piece” of Piece by Piece will be available for purchase starting the night of the reception. Each square will be $100, with 50% of the proceeds supporting the Library’s art programs and 50% going to the artist. The additional artworks on display in the Sheffer and South Galleries will also be available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds also going to benefit the Library’s art programming. Additional exhibit support is provided by The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center.
The Artists Collective of Westport is a nonprofit organization composed of 150 local artists who have joined forces to discuss, create, and develop dynamic experiences for the Fairfield County community. The collective is open to all active artists in pursuit of expanding their careers and in developing a strong, diverse arts community. *** For more about the Library art exhibits, visit the Art at the Library page.
Westport Local Artists
Visual Arts Collection
StartUp Westport presents an evening celebrating bold ideas, community impact, and the spirit of entrepreneurship as they honor Marc Lasry, CEO and Co-Founder of Avenue Capital Group, as their 2026 Innovator of the Year, in addition to Club203 as the recipient of their Community Impact Award.
Marc Lasry has built a global investment platform grounded in disciplined risk-taking, deep market insight, and the ability to identify opportunity where others see uncertainty. Club203, meanwhile, represents the power of community-driven innovation — creating meaningful connections for adults with disabilities to socialize, meet new friends and participate in fun activities.
Every year, Startup Westport gathers for one of its most meaningful traditions: the Innovator of the Year Awards. It’s our moment to honor Westport’s own — leaders who live and breathe the spirit of entrepreneurship — the risk-takers, the builders, the visionaries who transform industries and the changemakers who strengthen our community.
Join us for a vibrant gathering that promises insightful conversation on leadership, taking risks, and reinvention.
Mark Lasry co-founded Avenue Capital Group in 1995, and credit investing has been the focus of his professional career for over 42 years. Prior to forming Amroc Investments, LLC (“Amroc”) as an independent entity, Mr. Lasry managed capital for Amroc Investments, L.P., an investment fund affiliated with the Robert M. Bass Group. Prior to that, Mr. Lasry was Co–Director of the Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization Department at Cowen & Company. Prior to Cowen, he was the Director of the Private Debt Department at Smith Vasiliou Management Company, the firm where he first became involved in the distressed debt markets. He spent the prior year practicing law at Angel & Frankel where he focused on bankruptcies. Mr. Lasry also clerked for the Honorable Edward Ryan, former Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York.
Basics of Entrepreneurship
Business Books
Join us for a special screening of Miss Personality!
Filmed in front of two packed audiences at the Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs, the comedy special Miss Personality is the culmination of decades of perseverance, reinvention, and truth-telling. Known for her razor-sharp wit and heartfelt storytelling, award-winning comedian Mina Hartong mines her personal life — her Connecticut upbringing, Dutch roots, life as a lesbian, and years as a public school teacher — to deliver a comedy special that is as hilarious as it is healing.
Fall in love. Laugh a lot. Repeat.
“ A night of bold, hilarious and deeply relatable comedy.” The Hollywood Times
The evening will open with a reading by CA-based queer writer and performer, Susan Rukeyser, who will join Mina after the screening for a conversation and audience Q+A.
At the height of the pandemic in 2020, Mina Hartong and her wife relocated from New York City to Palm Springs — where Mina found more than a new zip code. She found a community. She launched Lez Out Loud, a comedy performance series amplifying LGBTQ+ women performers and giving them stage time they deserve. In just two seasons, Mina sold out ten shows, hosted local fundraisers, and founded a speaking series for women and LGBTQ+ veterans that continues in Palm Springs today. In alignment with Lez Out Loud’s mission, Miss Personality was produced with an all-female and LGBTQ+ crew and post-production team, directed by Lisa Ginsburg.
Now back in New York City, she has headlined for Olivia Travel in Tahiti aboard the exclusive Windstar Cruise Line and toured Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her sold-out show Lez Out Loud. A finalist in the Ladies of Laughter National Competition and named one of America’s Funniest Women by Curve Magazine, alongside icons Tig Notaro and Suzanne Westenhoefer. Mina brings bold, inclusive comedy to every stage she graces. She was featured at the New York Comedy Festival.
Her credits include Joe’s Pub, West Side Comedy Club, and Don’t Tell Mama’s in New York City; as well as a feature slot at the Montreal Fringe Festival. Mina’s comedy career began unexpectedly in Amsterdam when she performed at an open mic—accidentally entering a contest—and won. Since then, she’s been writing, performing, and mentoring the next generation of comics.
Mina is also a lifelong educator. She continues to teach comedy all over the country, She was a full time Theater Teacher in the New York public schools for 20 years, and is now a proud mentor with the Arthur Miller Foundation. She facilitates classes in comedy and storytelling for various populations, including programs for the incarcerated. She is based in New York City and a holds a Masters in Arts Education from Harvard University. In 2024, some fans asked her to marry them. She has since become an ordained minister with AMM, now adding “Minaster” to her credits.
Susan Rukeyser writes and lives in the Mojave Desert, but she grew up in Fairfield County, where she first met Mina! Her second novel is The Worst Kind of Girl (Red Light Lit Press, 2025). It is inspired by some of Susan’s own questions, when she came out as queer at midlife, and is influenced by the Desert Split Open, the literary event series she created for feminist and LGBTQ+ work. The Worst Kind of Girl is a novel for all women, especially those who think and feel deeply and can laugh at themselves. www.susanrukeyser.com
This is not a book reading.
It’s a live, immersive horror performance.
Join New York Times best-selling author Josh Malerman for a one-night-only theatrical experience that blends storytelling, live music, and performance into something entirely its own.
Malerman, the mind behind Bird Box, brings his latest novel Incidents Around the House to life with his troupe Wow Town in a performance that sits somewhere between a radio play, a concert, and a stage production.
Featuring live actors, original music, and Malerman himself at the center, this is a cinematic experience unfolding in real time.
As Malerman puts it: “It’s not a play. It’s not a reading. It’s something else.”
This program is free to the public thanks to the generous support of the Irma Schachter Legacy Venture Fund, which supports innovative and community-responsive programming at The Westport Library.
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Malerman is not just an author. He is also a songwriter and frontman of The High Strung, bringing a rare combination of musicality and narrative craft to the stage. This performance merges both worlds. One night. One performance. Not to be repeated. ***
Malerman is The New York Times best-selling author of Bird Box, Incidents Around the House, and Watching Evil Dead. Adapted as a film, Bird Box was one of Netflix’s most-watched premieres ever, with more than 8- million households viewing it in the first four weeks. In addition to his successes as a writer and filmmaker, Malerman is a cartoonist and one of two singer-songwriters of the Michigan rock band The High Strung, whose song "The Luck You Got" can be heard as the theme song to the Showtime show Shameless. He lives with his wife, the artist/musician Allison Laakko, and their gazillion pets.
Wow Town is a theatrical troupe co-founded by Malerman and Laakko. Thus far they've primarily done performances of almost all of Malerman's book launches, performing in chapels (Inspection), gymnasiums (Daphne), theaters, and bars. Laakko is pressing for the troupe to do a play and Malerman envisions a movie starring the entire troupe. Laakko does almost all the props, effects, stage sets, and much more, including acting and singing. The main players are: voice actor/narrator Kristi Billings, magician/actor James Driscoll Hall, actors Jeannine Coughlin and Erin Driscoll Hall, actor/director Lilli Bishop. The theatrical readings are always scored live by Byrne and Stransky, and Byrne has written two albums worth of original songs based on the Malerman books the troupe performs.
Programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. Tickets are non-transferable between events but may be passed along to another attendee. All sales are final. Refunds are issued only if The Westport Library cancels an event outright. In the case of a postponement or reschedule, refunds are not guaranteed provided the event takes place within 12 months of the original date. Refunds, when applicable, are issued in the original form of payment.
What is Horror?
Do You Like Scary Movies?
Jelani Cobb, the renowned journalist, scholar, speaker, and current dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, will be the guest of honor at Westport’s 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. He'll be in conversation with award-winning author and filmmaker Trey Ellis.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse, Westport Museum for History and Culture, and the Westport/Weston Clergy Association.
Cobb is a clear voice in the fight for a better America. The dean of the Columbia Journalism School and PBS Frontline correspondent for two critically acclaimed documentaries, Cobb explores the enormous complexities of our history, politics, and culture, while offering guidance and hope for the future.
A longtime writer for The New Yorker, the editor of its anthology collection The Matter of Black Lives, and the author of Three or More Is a Riot (one of Kirkus‘s best books of the year), Cobb “combines the rigor and depth of a professional historian with the alertness of a reporter, the liberal passion of an engaged public intellectual, and the literary flair of a fine writer,” said Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is an annual event commemorating the life and values of Dr. King, held the weekend before the observed Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Past Martin Luther King Jr. celebration keynote speakers include National Book Award winner and MacArthur Fellow Ibram X. Kendi; Pulitzer Prize winner James Forman Jr.; New York Times best-selling authors Heather McGhee and Layla Saad; Guggenheim Scholar Carol Anderson; American Book Award winner Tricia Rose; Quinnipiac Law School founder Marilyn Ford; author/artist/ filmmaker/multi-dimensional performance artist Junauda Petrus, former King speechwriter and advisor Dr. Clarence B. Jones; and last year’s guest, award-winning writer, producer, and Shondaland visionary Shonda Rhimes.
Renowned for his thoughtful and incisive exploration of the complexities of our history, politics, and culture, Cobb received a Peabody Award for his 2020 PBS Frontline film Whose Vote Counts? and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary in 2018. He joined the Columbia Journalism School faculty in 2016 and became dean in 2022.
Cobb has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2015 and a political analyst for MS Now since 2019. He is the author of The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress and To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic, and the editor or co-editor of several volumes, including The Matter of Black Lives, a collection of The New Yorker’s writings on race, and The Essential Kerner Commission Report. He also is producer or co-producer on a number of documentaries, including Lincoln’s Dilemma, Obama: A More Perfect Union, Policing the Police and THE RIOT REPORT.
Cobb’s most recent work is Three or More Is a Riot, a collection of both published and original writing from his frontline reporting over the last decade. Three or More Is a Riot was named one of Kirkus’ best books of the year.
“Three or More Is a Riot is an archive of a writer at the height of his powers — and his powers are many,” said Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of The Message and Between the World and Me. “Insight, historical memory, reportage, pith, and, not least of all, wit. All these gifts Jelani Cobb deploys here without missing a beat, effortlessly weaving them into his own distinctive style.”
Click here to see a clip of Cobb’s conversation, “The Most Valuable Tool in the Search for Equality”
A graduate of Jamaica High School in Queens, New York, Cobb earned his BA from Howard University and received both is MA and doctorate (in American History) from Rutgers University.
In addition to his work at Columbia, The New Yorker, and MS Now, Cobb serves on the board of directors of the American Journalism Project and the board of trustees of the New York Public Library. He received an honorary doctorate for the Advancement of Science and Art from Cooper Union in 2022, and an honorary doctorate of letters from Rutgers University in 2024. York College / CUNY and Teachers College have honored him with medals.
He was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2023 and is a recipient of fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation, and the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Ellis is an American Book Award-winning novelist, two-time Emmy- and Peabody-winning filmmaker, NAACP Image award-winning playwright and essayist, and professor of professional practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. His lauded first novel, Platitudes, was reissued by Northeastern University Press along with his influential essay, “The New Black Aesthetic.” He also served as executive producer of King in the Wilderness, the 2018 Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary (Outstanding Historical Documentary) on the last three days of Dr. King’s life.
In addition to the event at the Library, the Westport Country Playhouse on Monday, January 19, be showing Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality, a documentary film that follows Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiatve’s struggle to create greater fairness in the criminal justice system. The screening will be followed by a talk featuring Ellis, one of the film's executive producers, and TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey. Click here to register.
A longtime leading ensemble of the school's music department, The Staples High School Jazz Ensemble will perform a set in The Westport Library's Trefz Forum at 10 am on Thursday, February 12th, following the Y's Men's Thursday morning meeting. This performance is open to the public and the Y's Men membership.
Join the Y’s Men, friends, neighbors, and fellow music enthusiasts as we come together to celebrate skill, creativity, and the joy of shared performance. This event promises an uplifting morning of music that bridges generations and celebrates the remarkable talent growing right here in Westport.
The Staples Jazz Ensemble, instructed by Grammy-nominated trumpet player Kevin Mazzarella, is open to advanced wind/percussion students who wish to explore the Jazz idiom. The ensemble performs at school functions, festivals, community events, and concerts during the school year.
The Y’s Men of Westport/Weston, an organization of over 550 retired and semi-retired men, is the largest group of its kind in Fairfield County. Members are from diverse professional backgrounds including executives from major corporations; businessmen; advertising, public relations, marketing and media executives; physicians; computer experts; airline pilots; government officials; artists; and musicians.
Every week, on Thursday at 10 am from September through May, members can attend a meeting and hear prominent individuals share their experiences. The speakers include national and state legislators, historians, authors, financial experts, filmmakers and legal and medical professionals.
Any retired or semi-retired man in Westport or Weston is invited to join. For more information contact our Membership Chairman or the Y’s Men’s President whose contact information is found on the Organization page.
Jazz History 1980 - Present
Freegal Music
Six Orchestra Lumos cellists, 24 strings, and one amazing sound! Enjoy the deep, resonant beauty of the cello in this intimate performance in the Library's Trefz Forum — from Baroque elegance to Brazilian rhythms to timeless pop classics.
This concert is generously sponsored by Silver Heights Development. Additional Support has been provided by Cate and Bill Leach.
This concert features an exceptional lineup of musicians: Caroline Stinson, Eliot Bailen, Sarah Carter, Peter Sanders, Jacqueline Stern, and Matthew Goeke.
The evening’s program will include:
Orchestra Lumos unites the passion and energy of the region’s most talented musicians to create exhilarating experiences for audiences from all walks of life. Formerly known as Stamford Symphony, we’re expanding in multiple dimensions — bringing you more of the music you love throughout Fairfield County. We present and share exceptional musical experiences: awe-inspiring concerts with world-renowned soloists and family-friendly programs that surprise and delight all ages. We are also bringing more intimate performances in smaller spaces, hands-on education programs, and community presentations across the county. Whether you’re a classical aficionado, a first-time concertgoer seeking a fun night out, or a family looking for an entertaining afternoon, you’ll be thrilled, entranced, and recharged!
Contemporary Classical Music
Healing Power of Music
The Westport Library is getting an early jump on the 2026 edition of VersoFest, our annual festival celebrating music, media, and creativity.
The Thing, the rising rock band out of New York City with roots in Connecticut, will be performing the 2026 VersoFest Kickoff Concert. Presales for the concert will begin Tuesday, November 4, 2025, with the general on-sale on Friday, November 7.
Breakout local band Fever Dream will be opening for The Thing.
The Thing is a New York band, sure, but it’s also an ethos. A return to rock & roll’s roots — to garage bands toiling between the family minivans, to groups like the Beatles and their unique alchemy, to tape machines and live band recordings instead of slick studios and myriad songwriters. “We've kind of adapted the ethos of: with restriction comes creativity — old becomes new. And throughout every part of the process that remains true,” says guitarist/vocalist Jack Bradley.
Never is that more apparent than on their self-titled third record, which came out August 2025. A rough and tumble suite of 12 songs that nods to everyone from The Kinks to The White Stripes, The Thing sounds like old New York revivicated and remixed. “It showcases all of us, all of our different personalities,” says bassist/vocalist Zane Acord. “In The Thing, we’re a collective band. We hang our hats on being a true band — where we all have the spotlight. I think that gives us a different edge.” That album follows 2023’s debut, Here’s the Thing, and The Things Is, which dropped the following year.
Please note: This event is designated as ‘standing room only,’ however, if accessible seating is required, please contact Robin Powell (rpowell@westportlibrary.org) directly to inquire about available options in a nearby accessible location.
The four members of The Thing came from intersecting backgrounds, lending to their rock-and-roll-as-melting-pot vibe. Acord grew up with a drummer dad who hipped him to bands like Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad; he met guitarist/vocals Michael Carter — an avid Beatles fan — in middle school. The duo went on to collect Bradley in high school, an aspiring producer with a studio in his basement and a yen for psych rock. Jazz drummer Lucas Ebeling linked up with the band when everyone found their way to New York in 2022. They’ve since played more than 300 shows across the world.
Fever Dream is a group of five friends from the Westport/Weston area who love playing music. They play covers of some of their favorite classic/alternative rock and grunge songs and ahs written a number of original songs they'll be releasing soon. Fever Dream's members consist of Seamus Brannigan (drums and vocals), Griffin Delmhorst (guitar, keys, and vocals), Ari Sklar (guitar and vocals), Harry Shultz (lead guitar), and Ezra Schwartz (bass guitar).
VersoFest is The Westport Library’s annual music and media conference and festival where knowledge is shared and inspiration is discovered — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge. VersoFest includes conversations where experts share their perspective and vision. Intimate workshops provide creators the opportunity to deconstruct, improve, and hone their craft. Performances entertain and inspire.
This is the fifth year for VersoFest, which takes place at Verso Studios at The Westport Library, a media resource and production hub that serves as an empowered cultural and learning center. A library branch of the 21st century, Verso Studios provides programming and commercial services as well as educational and content creation opportunities.
Past VersoFest guests include hip hop legend Chuck D; established hit-makers the Wallflowers, Spin Doctors, and the Smithereens; up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs; the Roots lead emcee Black Thought; hardcore punk pioneer Henry Rollins; rockers Lez Zeppelin; famed producers Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex); Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler; the Doors drummer John Densmore; Cramps drummer Miriam Linna; Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway; hip-hop originators Tony Crush and Grand Wizzard Theodore; David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer; SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman; and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
Click here to learn more.
Programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. Tickets are transferrable. There are no refunds unless The Westport Library cancels an event. If you are unable to use your tickets, please notify us more than three hours prior to the start of the event; in that case, the cost of the tickets can be considered a tax-deductible contribution supporting the Library. In the case of a postponed or rescheduled event, the Library is not obligated to offer refunds if the event is rescheduled within 12 months of the original date. No cash refunds.
Enjoy an afternoon of music and camaraderie with friends and musical collaborators George Barrett and Brian Keane.
The event will begin with a moderated conversation about their unique journeys and unexpected reunion, hosted by 06880's Dan Woog. That will be followed by a special performance from George and his band, along with Brian and special guest Sarah Gross, sharing songs from George’s new album Rearrange Things, which released November 14. Visit Barrett's YouTube page to see videos and released singles from the album.
Barrett is a longtime Westporter and renowned singer-songwriter; Keane is a multi-Emmy Award-winning composer and producer. (See more on both men below.)
All proceeds from the show go to benefit The Westport Library.
Westport native George Barrett has lived many lives — musician, singer-songwriter, teacher, athlete, business leader — and he puts them all into his music and songwriting. His unique path from musician to business leader and back to music has endowed him with a perspective as diverse as his musical influences. George grew up in a family of musicians, in a home filled with the sounds of classical, folk, rock, blues, and jazz. His diverse musical upbringing, combined with his buttery voice and natural comfort on guitar and piano, laid the foundation for an eclectic and rich music journey. After honing his skills as a session singer and performer in the vibrant clubs of NYC’s Greenwich Village, George took a detour, embarking on what would become a distinguished career in business and healthcare without ever letting go of his musical roots.
His life took a significant turn in 2022 when he reconnected with acclaimed musician, composer, producer, and fellow native Westporter Brian Keane. The reunion sparked the creation of Not Alone, George’s debut album (Favorite Dog Records, June 2024). George and Brian recently teamed up again on George's second album, Rearrange Things (Favorite Dog Records, Fall 2025), much of it recorded in Connecticut, granting George time to reconnect with Westport.
Multiple Emmy award-winning composer, Grammy award winning producer, and noted guitarist Brian Keane has scored hundreds of films and television shows, and produced more than 150 albums, mostly from his studio in the woods of Connecticut. His music has been hailed critically as "indelible and breathtaking" by Los Angeles Times, "piercingly beautiful" by New York Times and "masterful" by Newsweek, and he has been called a "musician's musician" by DownBeat, a "composer's composer" by The Hollywood Reporter, and “one of the most impressive musicians of the decade” by the editor of Billboard Magazine.
Sarah Gross is a newly Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and producer from Long Island, New York. Over the years, Sarah's storytelling-driven performances have won the hearts of audiences near and far, cementing her place as a rising star in country music. Since 2024, Sarah has been on the rise after singing onstage with country music star Zach Bryan at Long Island's UBS Arena. Since then, she continues to perform, including on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight show, where she competed on and won his “Battle of the Instant Songwriters” segment, and onstage with artists like Sammy Rae & The Friends, Bella White, Lawrence, Jade Bird, and Melt. Her 2023 album, The Killjoy, and the rest of her music is available to listen to on all streaming platforms, and you can find Sarah on social media as @sarahgrossmusic.
Programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. Tickets are transferrable. There are no refunds unless The Westport Library cancels an event. If you are unable to use your tickets, please notify us more than three hours prior to the start of the event; in that case, the cost of the tickets can be considered a tax-deductible contribution supporting the Library. In the case of a postponed or rescheduled event, the Library is not obligated to offer refunds if the event is rescheduled within 12 months of the original date. No cash refunds.
History of Music
Freegle Music
The Jazz Society of Fairfield County presents the music of Art Blakey in this family friendly jazz concert!
Joining Steve Davis and Lonnie Plaxico are JazzFC Artistic Director and tenor saxophonist Greg Wall (The Jazz Rabbi), Grammy nominees trumpeter and arranger Michael Mossman, saxophonist Vincent Herring, and pianist Mike LeDonne. Celebrated drummer Steve Johns rounds out the band of world class veterans, all whom have been under the Blakey umbrella for decades.
Drummer and bandleader Art Blakey helped define the sound of New York Jazz, from his first professional engagements at age 20 with Jazz giants Mary Lou Williams and Fletcher Henderson. After a stint as a first call NYC drummer, performing and recording with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, Blakey formed a quintet, later a sextet, called “Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.” The Jazz Messengers set the standard for exciting New York Jazz with their virtuoso playing and crisp, highly swinging arrangements.
From the mid 1950’s until his passing in 1990, Blakey's Messengers served as a “finishing school” for young musicians, many of whom became band leaders and Jazz stars, including Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Keith Jarret, Chuck Mangione, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and Grammy winning trombonist Steve Davis and bassist Lonnie Plaxico.
StoryFest has always been about celebrating storytelling in all its forms, dating back to its inception in 2018. And this year it’s adding something new: A special screening of the renowned documentary, Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues, followed by a concert featuring songs from the film.
Legendary bluesman James Montgomery produced the film alongside Judy Laster, Jacklyn Hairston Cotton, and Bestor Cram, and his band, the James Montgomery Blues Band, will be performing the after-film concert, joined by SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, celebrated saxophonist Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones, J Geils Band), and other special guests.
Doors open at 6 pm. The film will start at 6:30 pm and run approximately 90 minutes, followed by the live concert performance.
Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues is an emotionally evocative documentary film that portrays the untold story of James Cotton, a legend whose musical influence shaped the Chicago Blues style having been mentored with the originators of the Delta blues tradition. (See below for more about the documentary.)
The film will be followed by a can’t-miss concert featuring the acclaimed James Montgomery Blues Band. Montgomery has played with some of the biggest names in music, including Johnny Winter, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler, and B.B. King. He will be joined on stage by SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman and Westport’s own celebrated saxophonist Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones, J. Geils Band).
StoryFest 2025 runs October 13 to October 20, featuring the debut of Oscar-nominated Julian Brave Noisecat’s memoir, We Survived the Night, on Monday, October 13; followed by the screening and concert on Friday, October 17; a full day of panel discussions, author signings, book talks, and podcast recordings on Saturday, October 18; and the 10th anniversary celebration of Shonda Rhimes’ memoir, Year of Yes, on Monday, October 20.
Now in its eighth year, StoryFest is the largest annual literary festival in Connecticut and one of the biggest in the Northeast. It is a celebration of the story in all its forms and storytellers from across all media, each year drawing scores of authors and hundreds of readers, writers, and fans.
Past participants include National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds; Goosebumps author R.L. Stine; acclaimed essayist and memoirist Roxane Gay, New York Times best-selling authors Michael Lewis, Mitch Albom, Claire Messud, Angie Kim, Stephen Graham Jones, and Caroline Kepnes; young adult superstars Nic Stone, Tiffany Jackson, and L.L. McKinney; Emmy Award winner Sheila Nevins; best-selling memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald; Kirkus Prize recipient Saeed Jones; and Pinkalicious author/illustrator Victoria Kann.
Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues depicts the untold story of James Cotton, a legend whose musical influence shaped the Chicago Blues style. Cotton’s life tracks a swath of America’s history — from the post-depression cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to tough Chicagoland’s era of brilliant artistic reinvention to today’s live music scene in Austin, Texas. In between are tours with Janis Joplin, Paul Butterfield, and sessions with the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Steve Miller, B.B. King, and many more. This new film capture’s America’s soul as the blues becomes interpreted in jazz, big band, rock and roll, punk, hip-hop, and rap.
Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues combines original footage with archival footage, including never-before-seen concerts with Cotton and many blues legends recorded in 2004 at the House of Blues in Boston, as well as other concert footage filmed in 2012 with Cotton and his band recorded in Connecticut. Numerous interviews create a narrative that begins in the cotton fields of Mississippi and travels throughout America reflecting social change and upheaval within a nation that is often defined by its cultural embrace of music.
Montgomery is an American blues musician, best known as the lead singer, blues harp player, frontman, and bandleader of The James Montgomery Blues Band. Throughout his remarkable career, Montgomery has collaborated with a host of star performers and recording artists, including Johnny Winter, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler, and B.B. King. In addition, Montgomery has toured with the Allman Brothers Band, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raiit, the J. Geils Band, the Steve Miller Band, and more.
Montgomery founded the James Montgomery Blues band in 1970. Together, the band has recorded 12 albums, with Montgomery recording three more solo records and accompanying on a number more. Past and current band members include Billy Squier, Wayne Kramer, Jeff Golub, Jim McCarty, Nunzio Signore, Steve Strout, Jeff Pevar, Bobby Chouinard, Ted Nugent, Jeff Levine, Tom Gambel, George McCann, and David Hull.
Ohlman, nicknamed the Beehive Queen for her towering blond hairdo, has been a featured vocalist with the SNL Band for 31 years, appearing on both the 25th and 40th Anniversary SNL telecasts. She has also been a regular guest and host at the Library’s annual VersoFest music and media celebration, including serving as host for this year’s oral history podcast with Paul Shaffer.
Dedication to preserving the soul in rock n’ roll has been the hallmark of Ohlman’s work. In total, her band, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez, has released six albums to date: The Hard Way (1996), Radio Queen (1997), Wicked Time (2000), Strip (2003), Re-Hive (2008), and The Deep End (2010).
