Rickie Lee Jones

Thirty years ago, “Chuck E.’s In Love” catapulted a little-known singer-songwriter across the cover of Rolling Stone, the stage of SNL, and up to the podium at the Grammy Awards where she won Best New Artist. Since then, Rickie Lee Jones has drifted from project to project, somehow always seeming to find herself at the epicenter of historic cultural movements. She’s recorded jazz records with Randy Newman and Dr. John, dated Tom Waits, toured with Lyle Lovett, covered David Bowie, dabbled in trip-hop, and taken on George Dubya with punk bassist Mike Watt.

Her latest, Balm in Gilead, draws on song ideas she’s had incubating for 20 years and stands as a self-described second debut. Covering folk, R&B, soul and gospel with the help of Ben Harper, Alison Kraus, Vic Chesnutt, and Bill Frisell, the album has critics calling this one a return to form that finds her voice at an all-time best.

Rickie Lee Jones plays at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle St., Great Barrington, Mass.) on Friday (Oct. 30) at 8 PM. Tickets are $40-$55. Call (413) 528-6415 for more info.

It Came From Schenectady Film Fest

There’s something uniquely disorienting and exciting about experiencing a film marathon. And when it’s a festival of scary movies, well, the disorientation may even equal the excitement. As an old movie showman might warn, you’ll begin to question what isn’t real . . . (pregnant pause) and what is!

The lineup may be their most impressive yet. There’s Murnau’s Nosferatu, with live organ accompaniment by Avery Tunningly. There’s Robert Wise’s atmospheric ghost thriller The Haunting, John Landis’ scary-hilarious An American Werewolf in London, George A. Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead., and more. This includes a number of local premieres: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl and Yoroi Samurai Zombie (both from Japan) and two English-language German films, Able and Must Love Death.

For the complete schedule of shows, click the link at proctors.org.

The It Came From Schenectady 24-hour film fest will be held at both the GE Theatre at Proctors and the Proctors mainstage from noon Saturday (Oct. 31) to noon Sunday (Nov. 1). A 24-hour pass is $50; an 8-hour pass is $25. For more info, call 346-6204.