A couple of musicians organize a trio of concerts

Fall can be a special time of year: as the leaves turn and the weather cools, the indoors regains its stature as a special place. With the harvest completed and Thanksgiving just around the corner, it seems the perfect time to take note of the good things in life. For pianist Jane Hastay and bassist Peter Martin Weiss, it’s only natural to turn to music.

The East Hampton couple have put together two evenings of music and song to celebrate what’s good about fall. “Autumn Serenade: Songs of Autumn and Thanksgiving” will be presented next Friday and Saturday, November 28 and 29, at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse in Bridgehampton. The two shows represent the first of what the two hope will become a year-round series of concerts featuring different types of music programmed around a theme.

“Songs of Autumn and Thanksgiving” will present ballads, jazz standards, swing and even a blues tune and a rumba in the eclectic lineup. Some selections will probably be known to all. “Try to Remember” from “The Fantasticks,” “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning” from “Annie Get Your Gun” and Frank Loesser’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” will probably fall in the familiar.

For many younger listeners, “Shine On Harvest Moon” by Jack Norworth and his wife, Nora Bayes, may not. The song was written in the early 1900s and debuted at the Ziegfeld Follies of 1908. The Dutch hymn, “We Gather Together,” written in the 16th century by Adrianus Valerius may also fall in the more obscure category.

The set list was selected to bring the unknown and familiar together so that the singers could put a spin of their own on the material. The final program is the result of months of extensive research to find songs from history that shouldn’t be forgotten, the pair said.

Many selections were popularized by famous singers like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Tom Jones and others. The composer list is equally impressive: Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Dean Martin and Harry Belafonte are all represented, among others.

To bring these classics to life—and add a unique twist—Ms. Hastay and Mr. Weiss recruited two rising stars, Dominic Inferrera and soprano Lilah Gosman, who work in the Manhattan music scene and beyond.

Mr. Inferrera is a baritone whose range includes opera, oratorio, musical theater, pop, jazz and contemporary music. His opera credits include Bizet’s “Carmen,” Weisgall’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” and Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and “Manon Lescaut,” among others. On the East End, he recently appeared as a soloist with the Choral Society of the Hamptons.

Ms. Gosman sings opera and contemporary music. Originally from Montauk, Ms. Gosman has performed on stages around the world, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Avery Fisher Hall in Manhattan, Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts and others.

She has performed with Opera North, the Aspen Music Festival, and the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Italy, and was a featured artist at the Whitney Museum’s annual Art Affair. Her opera credits include Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and others. When she returns to Montauk, Ms. Gosman makes occasional guest appearances at St. Therese of Lisieux church, where Ms. Hastay is the organist.

In the concerts, the two vocalists will be accompanied by Ms. Hastay on piano and Mr. Weiss on bass or guitar. The spotlight will occasionally shine on the two organizers, who are scheduled to perform an instrumental duet along with a solo piece for each of them.

As musicians, both halves of the couple have illustrious credits: they met (and married soon after) after playing with Etta Jones. In addition to touring with Ms. Jones for 10 years, Mr. Weiss was an established bassist in Manhattan’s jazz scene, frequently contributing to recordings. He performed on Broadway in “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Phantom of the Opera.” He has also performed with the Bronx Symphony and the Greenwich Village Symphony.

On the East End, he plays regularly at Pierre’s restaurant in Bridgehampton and occasionally at Twilight Thursdays at Wolffer Estate Vineyards in Sagaponack, among other venues. He sings baritone with the Choral Society of the Hamptons.

Ms. Hastay toured Europe with the Lilith Theater Company and Japan with the Kit McClure Big Band. She was a regular in the San Francisco music scene and in New York, playing at the Blue Note, the Lennox Lounge, the Five Spot and others. She has produced many musical events, including an International Women in Jazz concert at Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan.

Producing a concert series here on the East End was a natural for the pair. It’s something Ms. Hastay has wanted to do for some time. The idea is to feature “an array of must-hear vocalists and present songs that should not be forgotten,” the pair wrote in an e-mail describing the launch of what they are calling the “Art of Song” series. The two believe that presenting these songs live in an intimate setting can be an emotionally moving experience.

“Singing truly is a direct channel to the heart and to emotions,” Ms. Hastay said. “The combination of resonant sound and poetry is very powerful. We think a series like this is needed out here. We have high quality series for classical music, but there’s nothing for jazz and other types of music.”

Working as professional musicians and educators for decades has kept the pair in touch with the talent on the music scene today as well as teenagers who are coming up the ranks. Both have private students who attend the Ross School, East Hampton High School and Pierson in Sag Harbor.

The new series will provide opportunities for both singers and young musicians, they explained. The singers will get a chance to step out of the area they’re known for and sing in a completely different or related genre. Local students who are studying jazz, piano, guitar or other instruments will have the opportunity to see, and draw inspiration from, accomplished artists. The couple hopes to stage the next installment in the series in January, featuring a theme of “Jazz Goes to the Movies” and drawing on songs from movie sound tracks.

Whatever theme the organizers choose to tie their programs together, the focus will always be on the alchemy of performers transforming and putting their personal stamp on exceptional songs.

“Performing songs truly is an art,” Ms. Hastay said. “That’s why we’re calling it the Art of Song.”

The Art of Song will present “Autumn Serenade: Songs of Autumn and Thanksgiving” on Friday, November 28, at 5 p.m. and Saturday, November 29, at 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse, 977 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton. Tickets are $35. For reservations and information, call 631-332-2550 or visit http://ArtofSong.org. Payment by credit cards or PayPal will be accepted in advance only; tickets can be purchased by cash or check at the door. For information on Peter Weiss and Jane Hastay, visit www.tickleslapmusic.com.