Past Events › The Green Room

Crosstown Arts presents the Pete Fucinaro trio, featuring Kansas City-based musicians saxophonist Pete Fucinaro, bassist Ben Tervort, and drummer Briant Steever.

JD Daltrey and Mike Maxis have been making music together for 10 years now. They have developed a chemistry in their musicianship that shines through on the stage with attitude and charisma. Their album Dancing Is Forbidden is a dance party project that takes you from the island to the disco with an air of sophisticated funk.

Bassist, composer, and educator Jonathan Wires is originally from New Hampshire. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the University of Memphis. During the early 2000’s he spent a lot of time developing his craft and recording with many of the local Memphis musicians including Mark Franklin, Ross Rice, Joyce Cobb, Chris Parker, Kelly Hurt, Paul Taylor, Art Edmaiston, Jim Spake, etc… In 2010, he pursued a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from Middle Tennessee State University, which brought him to Nashville, TN. In addition to performing and composing, Jonathan has been an active educator at both Middle Tennessee State University and Nashville State Community College. Under Jeff Coffin’s Ear Up label, Jonathan released his first recording entitled “Weaving” which features Jeff Coffin, Matt Endahl, and Joshua Hunt with guest appearances by Lindsey Miller, Don Aliquo, James Westfall, and Jamey Simmons.

Memphis’s very own Nygel “Champion Beatz” Yancey brings a musical experience that fuses a deep lineage of jazz culture with the new age hip hop and RnB sounds. Merging electronic sounds with live instrumentation is the foundation of the unique story told by Champion Beatz through his piano, drumming, and vocal talents. Champion Beatz has performed with many renowned artists such as Donald Brown, Ulysses Grant and more.

“Matt Longo isn’t immune to the horrors of the world, but he knows how to wrap them up in gorgeous, lush, sophisticated songs … One can hear the wit of Randy Newman, the lush arrangements of Harry Nilsson, and the poetic flair of Leonard Cohen.” – PopMatters

Matt Longo (aka Thin Lear) just finished recording the follow up to last year’s highly acclaimed debut Wooden Cave. The new record was produced, engineered & mixed by Memphis’ own Matt Ross-Spang, and recorded lovingly to tape at Sam Phillips Recording Service with some of the finest studio musicians in Memphis.

Bill is a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Guitar Player Magazine has labeled this event the “U.S. Open of guitar competitions.” Bill received a GRAMMY Award for his collaboration with musician and storyteller David Holt on the recording Stellaluna, and has been featured on the popular guitar compilations “Windham Hill Guitar Sampler” by Windham Hill Records and “Masters of the Acoustic Guitar” by Narada Records. In 2009, Bill’s music appeared in the Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Mel Bay Productions transcribed Mize’s second CD, “Tender Explorations,” into a songbook, and his original compositions have been transcribed for Fingerstyle Guitar and Acoustic Guitar magazines.

Join us for some fun and fast moving Resident Artist talks Pecha Kucha-style! 20 slides for 20 seconds each by 8 residents will give you a flavorful window into each of their practices. Featuring Jave Yoshimoto, Kenneth Reveiz, Robert Goodman, Zoë Charlton, Fidencio Fifield-Perez, Arriel Vinson, Sugar Vendil and Phong Tran.

Crosstown Arts presents the Brasilis String Quartet in the Green Room.