Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Craig Taborn has been performing piano and electronic music in the jazz, improvisational, and creative music scene for over twenty five years. He has experience composing for and performing in a wide variety of situations including jazz, new music, electronic, rock, noise and avant garde contexts. Taborn has played and recorded with many luminaries in the fields of jazz, improvised, new music and electronic music including Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Lester Bowie, Dave Holland, Tim Berne, John Zorn, Evan Parker, Steve Coleman, David Torn, Chris Potter, William Parker, Vijay Iyer, Kris Davis, Nicole Mitchell, Susie Ibarra, Ikue Mori, Carl Craig, Dave Douglas, Meat Beat Manifesto, Dan Weiss, Chris Lightcap, Gerald Cleaver, and Rudresh Manhathappa.
BlueTom Records, the student-run record label at the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, is proud to present BlueTom Live on March 20. Join BlueTom at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts as they feature five artists from the label performing R&B, Pop, and Hip-Hop.
French-Algerian acoustic guitar virtuoso, vocalist and composer Pierre Bensusan, surnamed “Mister DADGAD”, has taken his unique sound to all corners of the globe. Winner of the Independent Music Award for his triple live album “Encore”, voted Best World Music Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine reader’s Poll, and winner of the Rose d’Or at the Montreux Festival for his debut album, Pierre is recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of the 21st century.
Join J.D. Reager for “Back to the Light: Songs & Stories”, featuring performances and conversations with special guests HEELS, Cory Branan, Alicja Trout, Graham Burks, Michaela & Will Forrest, and Jeff Hulett.
Kittel & Co. is one of the premier American acoustic bands performing today. Led by GRAMMY-nominated composer Jeremy Kittel, described by WGBH as “one of the most exceptional violinists and fiddlers of his generation…” The stringed-instrument collective features a cast of musically kindred spirits — mandolinist Josh Pinkham, guitarist Quinn Bachand, bassist Ethan Jodziewicz, and hammer-dulcimerist Simon Chrisman — each recognized as an innovator on their instrument.
Pianist Aaron Parks released his Blue Note debut “Invisible Cinema” at the age of 25 following three Blue Note releases with trumpeter Terence Blanchard. The BBC declared it “one of the great albums of 2008.” JazzTimes hailed him as “a new visionary.” The San Jose Mercury News named his “Alive in Japan” release as their 2013 Top Jazz Album of the year.
Dallas-based Cézanne Quartet and pianist Jonathan Tsay perform works by Brahms, Clara and Robert Schumann, and Prokofiev in the Green Room.
Are y’all ready? You better get ready. Because Sarah Potenza is not messing around. Her latest release, Road to Rome, shines new light on a songwriter whose career already includes multiple albums as front-woman of Sarah and the Tall Boys, a game-changing appearance on The Voice, and an acclaimed solo debut titled Monster. Rolling Stone gushed, “Potenza is to the blues what Adele is to pop: a colossal-voiced singer who merges her old-school influences with a modernistic sound.” She is a songwriter taking the wheel and driving toward her own destination, and you want to be there for the journey.
Black Cream is a conglomerate of Memphis’ musical prodigies. Lead guitarist and good soul TO Crivens flies high with his attention to detail during his solos. The band is anchored by bassist Dr. Derek Brassel, the coolest cat in every room and the unofficially certified groove doctor. His bass lines are spellbinding. Chris Barnes rounds out the Black Cream team on vocals and percussion. Chris Barnes has the charismatic presence of a Baptist preacher and the vocal abilities of your favorite soul crooner.