Join Mark Edgar Stuart, Keith Sykes, and Jimmy Davis for an old-fashioned song swap in the Green Room at Crosstown Arts!
Growing up in Boston Massachusetts, Peter Janson listened to his father, an accomplished amateur guitarist, play solo guitar every day. Peter started playing by the age of seven, and starting doing pop gigs at age 15. For the last twenty-five years he has performed in venues large and small, much as a touring studio guitarist would – in a variety of styles; pop, rock, fusion, folk, Celtic, classical, and jazz. His sound is a melding of all these, and it presents as crossover jazz fusion.
Crosstown Arts Summer 2023 resident artists present artist talks.
Experimental music festival presented by Memphis Concrète in collaboration with Crosstown Arts.
“The Artist” is a solo showcase performed by artistic director/choreographer Darrius Strong, in which he touches on layers and humanity of the person behind the artist. For Strong, movement is real and it acts as a language and sometimes as a therapeutic device. Overlapped with movement phrases, “The Artist” will also showcase other routine devices he uses throughout his day that tie to the continuous work he does to heal trauma in his body — aspects of the work that are very much read, true, and relatable to the human experience for many. We are not just one-sides, but we have many layers and dimensions to our identity.
Join Willie Farmer, Ryan Lee Crosby & Grant Smith, and Shaun Marsh & Lynn Greer for a special performance featuring the blues across time and space – music that crosses generations, cultures, and continents.
When you think of an ambassador for jazz music today, you have got to include Paul Carr in that grouping, as his work touches all fronts including jazz education, performance and presentation.
Two performances – Shows begin at 2 pm and 6:30 pm
A 90-minute concert from the No Tears Project ensemble led by Christopher Parker (piano) and Kelley Hurt (voice). The band will perform the world premiere of new works written by and in collaboration with Memphis artists, including saxophonist Robert “Bobby LaVell” Garner. A new arrangement of Memphis pianist Donald Brown’s song “Poem for Martin,” written by Marc Franklin, as well as selections previously written by Oliver Lake, Parker, and Hurt, in honor of the Little Rock Nine will also be performed. Poet and spoken word artist Treasure Shields Redmond, and dancer Ashley Tate will also join the ensemble as special guests for both community concerts.
Black Opry amplifies Black artists and builds community for Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. In honor of Pride month, this celebration of queer Black voices in roots music will feature Carmen Dianne, Josey, and Julia Cannon.
As a singer/songwriter, Rachel Maxann describes her style as vintage indie-rock and post-modern folklore. Originally from Ohio, Rachel has been deeply influenced by the music culture of every area where she has lived — North Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Memphis.
“In the same show, you’ll hear country influences, blues influences, rock and pop influences, and maybe even some musical theater,” she says.