Bermuda's for two special concerts at City Hall this weekend.

The occasion is a special fund-raising event in aid of Packwood Old Folks Home.

Guest artists Ray Santisi and Bill Pierce, both on the faculty of Berklee College of Music join up for An Evening of Jazz with two of their former pupils -- drummer Charles Bascome and trumpeter Winston De Graffe, both of whom studied at the famous establishment. Completing the quintet will be well-known local bass player, Frank Esposito.

It is hoped that the two concerts will help finance the massive renovation programme at Packwood, scheduled to get underway by May of this year. With an estimated budget of $2 million, $600,000 has already been raised through previous fund-raising activities. Special Committee Projects member Mrs.

Maxine Burns says that a loan has already been secured from the bank for $1.5 million.

When the ambitious project is completed, Packwood, which has been providing shelter for the elderly since 1938, will be able to accommodate 28 people in 14 bedrooms. There will also be a new kitchen, dining room and living room.

"We are very excited that such eminent musicians are coming from Boston for this concert. This is the first event, and a very important one for our next phase of fund-raising,'' says Mrs. Burns.

Mrs. Helen Maynard, who at 83 is the only Packwood board member surving from the opening of the Home in 1938, recalls that when it first opened, there was only one resident, " whom we all called her Aunt Sally'', plus a matron.

"Dr. Packwood left the building in his will as a home for old people. That was in 1936, but there were no funds to run it, and it took us about two years to raise enough money to open up. Mrs. Packwood called all the Friendly Societies together to organise a committee. I was one of the people elected and I've been on the committee ever since,'' she explains.

Now a widow, Mrs. Maynard lives with her sister, Sybyl Bean on Cedar Lane in Somerset. She says that the residents, who have been temporarily moved to other homes, "can't wait to get back there''.

Guest artist Ray Santisi is an internationally known jazz pianist, a man whom The Boston Globe describes as "sitting on top of the world, professionally speaking.'' When he is not busy with his students at Berklee, or teaching for Stan Kenton's summer music clinics on college campuses throughout the US, Santisi might be found sitting in with The Wuz, a jazz group made up from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, making recordings or playing live with the top names in jazz. These have included Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Mel Torme and Natalie Cole.

Besides frequent appearances on radio and TV, Ray Santisi has played at the Newport Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall and appeared with the Boston Ballet.

Bill Pierce is one of the top saxophonists on the jazz scene. Back in the '70s, while still a student at Berklee, he was playing with such artists as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

When he became musical director of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers he found himself playing with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Bobby Watson and Donald Harrison.

Now Associate Professor in Berklee's Woodwind Department, Pierce still finds time to perform and record with some of the biggest names in jazz. Since 1985 he has been recording under his own name for the Sunnyside label, his latest being One for Chuck in 1991. He is also featured on Tony Williams' latest relese, The Story of Neptune for Blue Note Records.

Charles Bascome, who majored in Composition, says that both he and Bill Pierce were students together at Berklee. "He is a brilliant teacher who teaches classical technique that is then applied to a jazz idiom.'' He says that he and Winston De Graffe (who was a pupil of Santisi) are looking forward to the opportunity of playing with the Berklee luminaries.

"I'm also hoping these concerts will keep the jazz momentum going.'' Charles Bascome, who heads up his own trio, currently has to make do with only one regular music job -- Friday nights at Cambridge Beaches.

Acknowledging that these are tough times for all local musicians, he says:"We have so much talent out there but young players just aren't getting the exposure.'' In an effort to encourage young people, Mr. Bascome says they will be holding a one-hour clinic on Saturday, March 13 from 2-3 p.m. at City Hall and admission will be free for school students. The general public will be asked to pay $5.

An Evening of Jazz will be held at City Hall on Friday, March 12 (Patrons Night) and Saturday, March 13. Tickets at $30 (patrons) and $20 are available from 27th Century Boutique in Hamilton, Hall's Fabrics in Somerset, or by calling Rotimi Martins at 238-2614.

JAZZ TIME FOR PACKWOOD -- Top jazz pianist from Boston, Ray Santisi joins up with local musicians in this week's two-night fundraiser at City Hall.

BLUES FROM BOSTON -- Saxophonist Bill Pierce will be one of the guest artists appearing in the Packwood Home benefit concerts this Friday and Saturday.