Crosstown Arts

Lawrence Matthews: Second Show
2024-01-26 15:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Lawrence Matthews in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts⁠
Friday, January 26, 2024⁠
Doors open at 9 pm | Show begins at 9:30 pm⁠
Tickets: $10⁠
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Lawrence Matthews’ 7:30 pm concert this Friday has sold out, but never fear! By popular demand, a second show for Lawrence Matthews’ return to the stage has been added! ⁠
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On Friday, January 26, at 9:30 pm, the multi-hyphenated artist Lawrence Matthews will perform for the first night since retiring his former stage name Don Lifted at the Overton Park Shell in 2022. Independent and sitting on an album and a half of new material, this performance features all new compositions only heard by a select few at private listening events over the last year. Known for his performances’ visual spectacle, Matthews dials it back offering a undistracted and direct connection between himself and the audience while presenting a full-bodied reflection of the south and its unrelenting hold both spiritually and physically. The new material exists as a musical portal and a radical contemporary extension of the sampled blues, soul, and jazz artists for which Matthews finds himself kin.⁠
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“When Robert Johnson went away and came back as everything history remembered him as, people claimed he had sold his soul to the devil. They couldn’t fathom his jump in ability … I’ve had my own time away and now I’m back.” — Lawrence Matthews⁠

Lawrence Matthews
2024-01-26 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Lawrence Matthews in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, January 26, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $10
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
On Friday, January 26, at 7:30 pm, the multi-hyphenated artist Lawrence Matthews will perform for the first time since retiring his former stage name Don Lifted at the Overton Park Shell in 2022. Independent and sitting on an album and a half of new material, this performance features all new compositions only heard by a select few at private listening events over the last year.
Known for his performances’ visual spectacle, Matthews dials it back offering a undistracted and direct connection between himself and the audience while presenting a full-bodied reflection of the south and its unrelenting hold both spiritually and physically. The new material exists as a musical portal and a radical contemporary extension of the sampled blues, soul, and jazz artists for which Matthews finds himself kin.
“When Robert Johnson went away and came back as everything history remembered him as, people claimed he had sold his soul to the devil. They couldn’t fathom his jump in ability … I’ve had my own time away and now I’m back.” — Lawrence Matthews

Modern Masters Jazz Series: Wes “Warmdaddy” Anderson and The Ted Ludwig Trio
2024-01-24 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Modern Masters Jazz Series: Wes “Warmdaddy” Anderson and The Ted Ludwig Trio in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door | $10 student tickets
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Jazz alto and sopranino saxophonist Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson played jazz early on at the urging of his father, who was a drummer. He played in local clubs from his early teenage years, and studied at the Jazzmobile workshops with Frank Wess, Charles Davis, and Frank Foster. He also met Branford Marsalis, who convinced him to study with Alvin Batiste at Southern University in Louisiana.

Soon after this, Anderson began touring with the Wynton Marsalis Septet, and collaborated with Marsalis through the middle of the 1990s. He continued to play with Marsalis’s Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra beyond this. In 1994, he released his debut album on Atlantic Records; pianist Eric Reed and bassist Ben Wolfe were among those who played as sidemen. His 1998 album Live at the Village Vanguard featured trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, bassist Steve Kirby, pianist Xavier Davis, and drummer Jaz Sawyer.

Mahogany Chamber Music Series: MLK Freedom Celebration
2024-01-14 08:30 - 10:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Mahogany Chamber Music Series: MLK Freedom Celebration in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Doors open at 2 pm | Show begins at 2:30 pm
Tickets: $20 | $5 student tickets available
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
The Crosstown Arts Mahogany Chamber Music Series presents a MLK Freedom concert celebrating unity in diversity. The program is inspired by concerts curated by Coretta Scott King in the 1960s illustrating the struggle and triumph of Black people in this country. Over two dozen musicians will join together to explore diverse choral repertoire while highlighting works from the Black vocal tradition: gospel, spirituals, and anthems.

Hailed by The New York Times as a “virtuoso pianist” and “steeped in Black Classical,” the program is curated by series director Dr. Artina McCain, a professor of piano at the University of Memphis. The concert will be led by two-time Grammy-nominated educator and University of Memphis director of choral activities, Dr. Francis Cathlina, and Grammy-nominated conductor-baritone and director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus, Malcolm J. Merriweather. Collaborating artists include pianist, David Cordoba, the W. Crimm Singers of Nashville, and local professional choral artists.

The Mahogany Chamber Music Series is a series of three chamber music concerts curated by Dr. Artina McCain and presented by Crosstown Arts, spotlighting Black and other underrepresented composers and performers.

Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage Y’ALL SO LOUD Album Release Party
2023-12-16 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage Y’ALL SO LOUD Album Release Party in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15 in advance | $20 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

“Is there no Hope — there is, and she will funk you up!”
— Relix Magazine
Soul/jazz/funk sax player and vocalist Hope Clayburn is on a mission to move the people. Her unique style has allowed her to perform with an eclectic mix of artists around the world, including The Temptations, The Allman Brothers Band, and Valerie June.

Hope can be found in Memphis, Tennessee, recording and performing with a variety of bands like Lucky 7 Brass Band, Frog Squad, Marcella Simien, and Obruni Dance Band. She has her own funk soul ensemble, Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage, performing her original music. Their new single and music video “Nobody” is out now on YouTube, and their new album and vinyl record Y’all So Loud is coming this December.

The performers:
Hope Clayburn, sax/flute/vocals
Robert Allen Parker, guitar
Khari Wynn, guitar
Daniel McKee, bass
Paul Taylor, drums
Victor Sawyer, trombone
Jawaun Crawford, trumpet

Follow Hope on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook: @hopeclayburnsax

The Sissy Dicks
2023-12-15 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents The Sissy Dicks in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, December 15, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15 in advance | $20 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING: This concert will contain explicit content.
Ho, ho, ho here they come, come, come! The Sissy Dicks are home for the holigays, playing their first Memphis show in over a year at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts! Four-time Grammy ineligible, nationally tolerated, and locally endured, they’re the queer country that no one asked for, but that your single uncle Richard definitely listens to alone in his truck after choir practice. Come on out and get your stocking absolutely stuffed at the xxxmessiest spectacle of the season and find out why The Sissy Dicks are on everyone’s prayer list!

Season of Delight
2023-12-15 11:00 - 13:00 | Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104
Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse present the free holiday event series Season of Delight on the first three Fridays in December.
Central Atrium
Friday, December 15, 2023
Time: 5-7 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
On the third Friday in December, from 5 to 7 pm, Crosstown Concourse will host a festive event in the Central Atrium!
As part of the final night of Season of Delight, Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse will collaborate to screen a holiday feature in Crosstown Theater. The feature-length Die Hard will be screened for free. Theater doors open at 6 pm, and the films begin at 6:30 pm.

Mark Edgar Stuart + Blueshift Ensemble
2023-12-14 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Mark Edgar Stuart + Blueshift Ensemble in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Memphis-based, Arkansas-born singer-songwriter Mark Edgar Stuart performs a very special concert with Blueshift Ensemble, a Memphis-based contemporary chamber music ensemble dedicated to bringing artists and audiences together through artistic collaboration.
Mark Edgar Stuart
You’ll have a tough time finding a more widely-embraced modern singer-songwriter in Memphis — Stuart’s enthusiasm about his adopted hometown and what it has to offer is magnetic, and his songs will stick with you. Grammy-winning music writer/director Robert Gordon is a big fan, often spinning Mark’s tracks on his weekly radio show, and other critics agree: “His acerbic wit is reminiscent of John Prine and Randy Newman” (No Depression); “His wry, cutting view of the world makes something old new again” (Paste); “Always maintaining a tender demeanor, his songwriting is smart as it is sincere” (Pop Matters). Mark’s stories are sweet but never saccharine, even-keeled but deeply affecting. He’s lovable and literary, smart yet plain-spoken, heartening, funny, and always memorable. He sounds new and familiar, fresh yet timeless. His songs sound like your favorite stories, retold by a friend.

Blueshift Ensemble
Blueshift Ensemble is a Memphis-based contemporary chamber music ensemble dedicated to bringing artists and audiences together through artistic collaboration. By programming both new and existing classical repertoire alongside multi-genre collaborations, Blueshift aims to connect a wider audience to today’s classical music. The ensemble draws upon Memphis’s uniquely diverse musical heritage by combining classical music with popular music genres such as rock, blues, and soul and collaborating with local musicians, visual artists, and composers.

MicroCinema: When The Apocalypse is Over (New Generations of Philippine Cinema)
2023-12-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts present MicroCinema: When the Apocalypse is Over at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Tickets: Free
Time: 7-9 pm

Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts are excited to present When The Apocalypse is Over, a block of aspect ratio-, post-production-, or VFX-heavy shorts from the latest generations of filmmakers in the Philippines.
Through heavy manipulation of the frame, these films evoke longing — for different bodies, for other ways of life, for a non-dystopian world — and through that longing push cinematic language to new, absurd, and exciting places. The short films begin abstract and end explicitly political. Some of them engage with and subvert the stories of Philippine mythological creatures. For instance, Dikit, queers and twists the tradition of the manananggal, a vampire-like creature that is able to separate its torso from its lower body, through an innovative use of split screen. Together they cry out for someone, something, and somewhere different.
Content Warning: This program includes depictions of violence and references to state and domestic violence and their long-lasting effects.

TUBACHRISTMAS!
2023-12-09 07:00 - 08:00 | Crosstown Concourse, Central Atrium, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN
Central Atrium
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Time: 1 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
The renowned TUBACHRISTMAS! celebrates its 50th anniversary with a free performance in the Central Atrium at Crosstown Concourse! If you’re not quite sure what TUBACHRISTMAS! is, come see for yourself. But since it’s the season of giving, we’ll give you a hint: it involves tubas.

If you are a tuba or euphonium player who wants to play, you have a slightly different schedule. Check it out and register here.

Crosstown Arts Resident Artists Open Studio Night
2023-12-08 11:00 - 13:30 | Crosstown Arts, East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Open Studio Night.
The East Atrium, The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, December 8, 2023
Time: 5-7:30 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
Crosstown Arts is proud to invite the Memphis community to visit the artist studios. Artists in residence will have their studios open on Friday, December 8, from 5 to 7:30 pm. Musical performances in The Green Room will take place at 6:30 pm.
This event is free and open to the public.
The presenters will include:
Daniel Morrow
Danielle Sierra
Ivy McLendon
OutPastMidnight (Jimmi Gordon & Jay Post)
Lisa M. Williamson

Season of Delight
2023-12-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104
Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse present the free holiday event series Season of Delight on the first three Fridays in December.
Central Atrium
Friday, December 8, 2023
Time: 5-7 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
On the second Friday in December, from 5 to 7 pm, Crosstown Concourse will host a festive event in the Central Atrium!
As part of the second night of Season of Delight, Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse will collaborate to screen a holiday feature in Crosstown Theater. The feature-length Home Alone will be screened for free. Theater doors open at 6 pm, and the films begin at 6:30 pm. There will also be the Resident Artists Open Studio event, and more! Artists in residence will have their studios open on Friday, December 8, from 5 to 6:30 pm; and musical artists OutPastMidnight and danieljmorrow will perform in The Green Room from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Season of Delight will continue on Friday, December 15.

Shoot & Splice: Movie Trivia Party
2023-12-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts present Shoot & Splice: Movie Trivia Party at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Tickets: Free
Time: 7-9 pm

Throughout the year, Indie Memphis & Crosstown Arts bring cinematographers, directors, editors, writers, actors, and technicians to Shoot & Splice, our monthly filmmaking forum. Come help us celebrate the end of another fun year with the return of our annual Shoot & Splice Movie Trivia! Test your film knowledge against returning Trivia Masters — John Beifuss of The Commercial Appeal and Chris McCoy of the Memphis Flyer. The trivia masters will take full advantage of the theater so be prepared for some fun video rounds!
Complimentary drinks will be provided by Crosstown Arts.
RULES
– No more than 4 people per team
– 5 rounds with 10 questions per round
– Bonus giveaway ticket opportunities between rounds for our prize-pot-o-suprises!
– The top 3 teams will win prizes
PRIZES
1st Place: Each team member will receive a 2024 Indie Memphis Film Festival pass ($130 value)
2nd Place: Each team member receives 4 free individual tickets to the film(s) of their choice at the 2024 Indie Memphis Film Festival!
3rd Place: Each team member receives 2 free individual tickets to the film(s) of their choice at the 2024 Indie Memphis Film Festival!
FREE Giveaway Tickets: Listen in between rounds to see if your number is called to pick a prize from our prize pot featuring Indie Memphis swag, blurays, surprises, and more!

Crosstown Theater
1350 Concourse Ave
Memphis, TN 38104
December 5, 2023, 7:00 – 9:00 PM CST
Get directions · More events at venue

Kortland Whalum
2023-12-01 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Kortland Whalum in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, December 1, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25 in advance | $30 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Kortland Whalum returns to The Green Room for an evening of sophisticated style and music. Kortland is an intriguing, bold performer, whose repertoire includes original compositions and covers of classic jazz, soul, and R&B tunes. Kortland, the product of an age of popular and gospel music, is a storyteller, blessed with the power to marshal all at once a batch of skills that includes timing, phrasing, pronunciation and acting ability to make the listener feel myriad emotions, particularly on ballads. Spend an evening with Kortland, where he shares his life, his story, and his voice.
Kortland Whalum is a singer-songwriter and actor whose talents span from music, theater, and now the screen. A graduate of Morehouse College, Kortland’s most recent theater credits include The Color Purple (2023) and Father Comes Home from the Wars: Parts 1,2,&3 (2023). Other theater credits include The Wiz (2016), AIDA (2017), Raisin (2018), Ain’t Mis Behavin‘ in Milan, Italy (2019), CATS (2019), May We All (2022), Porgy & Bess (2022), and the leading role of Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls (2022). Upcoming theater credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Story (2024) at Theatre Memphis. Kortland’s on screen features include BET’s CURVES (2021) as well as the upcoming Freedom’s Village (2024).
With sold out shows at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts in 2020 and 2022, Kortland continues to seek a unique niche in the world of soft jazz and R&B/soul music. Kortland released his EP A Love Letter; a collection of songs including, “Can We Go (Love’s Paradise)”, “C’est La Vie”, and “The Limit”; all of which have garnered favorable local radio play on various stations. In 2020, Kortland was invited to become a professional member of the Recording Academy (The Grammy Awards).

Season of Delight
2023-12-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104
Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse present the free holiday event series Season of Delight on the first three Fridays in December.
Central Atrium
Friday, December 1, 2023
Time: 5-7 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
On the first Friday in December, from 5 to 7 pm, Crosstown Concourse will host a festive event in the Central Atrium! The holiday atrium lights in the Central Atrium will turn on at 6 pm.
As part of the first night of Season of Delight, Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse will collaborate to screen a holiday double feature in Crosstown Theater. The short film Mickey’s Christmas Carol and the feature-length Christmas Vacation will be screened for free. Theater doors open at 6 pm, and the films begin at 6:30 pm. There will also be free hot cocoa, caricature portraits, ornament-making, card-making, and more!
Season of Delight will continue on Friday, December 8, and Friday, December 15.

Lukah
2023-11-30 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Lukah in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Permanently Blackface is Lukah’s furious, visionary indictment of the American state of exception, presented with unforgettable vocal delivery and haunting instrumentals produced by “The Usual Suspects”. For a special one-night engagement, Lukah will perform the new album for the first and only time in its entirety. Accompanied by a live jazz band, this will be a special opportunity to experience Permanently Blackface the way the artist intended: in one sitting, with undivided attention directed at its narrator. Witness the bold, fearless inversion of minstrel tradition in this poignant commentary on the Black Experience.
Introducing himself as Mr. Blackface, Lukah identifies the true artist’s responsibility to hold a mirror to the listener in order to confront and disarm taboos. In both content and music, the record balances vulgarity and introspection, the horror of silence, and the comfort of colossal, discordant sound. Over 12 songs the celestial, often blood-soaked color palette of soul and R&B that gave emotional weight to previous masterworks Why Look Up, Gods in The Mirror and Raw Extractions has been scraped away like a charred skeleton. With a small cast of voices consisting entirely of Lukah’s immediate family, and production duties handled in-house by WALZ, Deener, Hollow Sol, Cities Aviv, SB11, and Lukah himself, the record has the intimacy of a theater production.
This performance will be filmed.

Lukah
Lukah has set himself apart as a powerful voice in Memphis hip-hop. Whatever the format—whether it’s through sellout records, acclaimed locally in The Commercial Appeal and nationally in NPR, Bandcamp Daily, and The New York Times; commanding live performances that have won audiences in The United States and Europe; or on the big screen in his three visual collaborations with Studio 143, all selected by the Indie Memphis Film Festival—Lukah is a undeniable giant of deep, meaningful storytelling. Back from his first international headlining tour and a recent performance opening for Noname, Lukah continues to push the envelope and challenge himself creatively by preparing this bold concert.
Opening act and accompanied by live jazz quintet Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage.
Soul-Jazz-Funk sax player and vocalist Hope Clayburn is on a mission to move the people. Her unique style has allowed her to perform with an eclectic mix of artists around the world, including The Temptations, The Allman Brothers Band, and Valerie June. Hope can be found in Memphis, TN recording and performing with a variety of bands like Lucky 7 Brass Band, Frog Squad, Marcella Simien and Obruni Danceband She has her own funk soul ensemble HOPE CLAYBURN’S SOUL SCRIMMAGE performing her original music. Their new single and music video NOBODY is out now on YouTube and look out for their new album and vinyl record Y’ALL SO LOUD coming this December with the album release party on Saturday December 16 at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOUSE?
2023-11-30 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Where Is the Friend’s House? at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Abbas Kiarostami / 1974 / 83 minutes / Not Rated
The first film in Abbas Kiarostami’s sublime, interlacing trilogy of films set in the northern Iranian village of Koker takes a premise of fable-like simplicity — a boy searches for the home of his classmate whose school notebook he has accidentally taken — and transforms it into a miraculous, child’s-eye adventure of the everyday.
As our young hero zigzags determinedly across two towns aided (and sometimes misdirected) by those he encounters, his quest becomes both a revealing portrait of Iranian society in all its richness and complexity and a touching parable about the meaning of personal responsibility. Shot through with all the wonder, beauty, tension, and mystery one day can contain, Where Is the Friend’s House? established Kiarostami’s reputation as one cinema’s most sensitive and profound humanists.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Strictly Jazz: The Music of John Scofield
2023-11-18 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Strictly Jazz: The Music of John Scofield in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
The Crosstown Strictly Jazz Series, presented by Crosstown Arts in collaboration with Strictly Jazz Entertainment, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
John Scofield’s guitar work has influenced jazz since the late ’70s and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk-edged jazz, and R&B.

The band:
Alex Upton – alto saxophone
Jonathan Bass – guitar
Neal Bowen – bass
Mike Assad – drums
About Strictly Jazz:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. Strictly Jazz Entertainment facilitates dialogue and collaboration between the devoted supporters of jazz and the brand new constituents — those new to the genre — for the furthering of the jazz community. Strictly Jazz provides a bridge between leading artists and a community that typically does not embrace jazz by promoting concerts in various venues to generate an atmosphere that is viable for the absorption of pure jazz.

Paul Taylor with Three Springs
2023-11-17 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Paul Taylor with Three Springs in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, November 17, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15 in advance | $20 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Longtime Memphis musician Paul Taylor is returning home to play his first show back in the Bluff City in over three and a half years!
He’s bringing his brand new band, Three Springs, along with him all the way down from his new home of Door County, Wisconsin, to help him perform material he’s written during those last few years, which has been greatly inspired by the vastly different northern environment.
Paul Taylor was a mainstay on the Memphis music scene for over 30 years- until he relocated to Door County, Wisconsin, during the great shake up of the 2020 pandemic.
As a highly in-demand drummer, bassist, and guitarist, he’s been a sideman for a wildly divergent list of artists including Ann Peebles, Reba Russell, The PRVLG, Hope Clayburn, Mighty Souls Brass Band, Eric Gales, Shawn Lane, Amy LaVere, North Mississippi Allstars, Sons Of Mudboy, Van Duren, Chuck Prophet, Robert Ellis and many more — in addition to putting out three solo records under his own name and three releases under his moniker, New Memphis Colorways.
His last performance in Memphis was over three years ago at The Green Room in Crosstown Arts, a record release party for the New Memphis Colorways record entitled “The Music Stands.”
In 2021, Paul made a major departure from his more song-oriented records when he released an experimental funk/jazz record, also under the nom de plume New Memphis Colorways, entitled “It Is What It Isn’t”, which earned an editor’s pick in Downbeat and favorable reviews from Jazziz and other national publications.
Earlier this year, an experimental instrumental music collaboration between Paul and longtime collaborators Luther Dickinson and Steve Selvidge, entitled MEM_MODS Vol 1 (Peabody Records), was released to much critical acclaim.
A forthcoming New Memphis Colorways EP, “Let The Mystery Be” is due out on October 13, 2023.
Three Springs is a brand-new indie rock-ish, at times slightly funky and experimental, band out of Door County, Wisconsin.
The group was formed by Memphis transplant Paul Taylor as an outlet for many of his songs and instrumentals, which have previously only existed in recorded form on solo releases under his own name (and his nom de plume New Memphis Colorways), but has turned into a vehicle for new material written specifically for, and with, the band.
Rounding out the trio are Door County native Shepley Frater on bass and Minominee, Michigan, native Adam Cain on drums.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: PHASE IV
2023-11-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Phase IV at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Saul Bass / 1974 / 87 minutes / Rated PG
Desert ants suddenly form a collective intelligence and begin to wage war on the inhabitants. It is up to two scientists and a stray girl they rescue from the ants to destroy them. Acclaimed graphic designer Saul Bass’s only feature film is a visually striking curiosity that, originally a box office flop, garnered cult status a year after its release. Interpreted by some as an ecological commentary, by others as political, and by others as a runoff of the anxieties of the time, Phase IV is as spellbinding as the movie posters and title sequences for which its director is known. Featuring an otherworldly score by composer Brian Gascoigne and starring Michael Murphy and Nigel Davenport as the scientists.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Modern Masters Jazz Series: Tony Dagradi
2023-11-14 13:30 - 16:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Modern Masters Jazz Series: Tony Dagradi with the Ted Ludwig Trio in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Tuesday, November 14 2023
Doors at 7pm | Show at 7:30pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door | $10 student tickets at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
For nearly four decades he has made his home in New Orleans, performing on tenor and soprano saxophone with many of the Crescent City’s most celebrated artists, including Ellis Marsalis, Allen Toussaint, Professor Longhair, James Booker, The Meters, Dr. John, James Black, Johnny Adams and Gatemouth Brown. An accomplished classical performer as well, he’s often called upon to augment the woodwind section of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. His performing past also includes five years as a member of the internationally acclaimed Carla Bley Band and appearances and recordings with Bobby McFerrin, Mose Allison and Nat Adderley.
Since 1990 Dagradi has been a Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Loyola University in New Orleans where he maintains a large saxophone studio, teaches classes in improvisation, and directs various ensembles.

Crafts & Drafts
2023-11-12 04:00 - 10:00, 2023-11-11 04:00 - 10:00 | Crosstown Concourse, Plaza, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Memphis Flyer and Crosstown Arts present Crafts & Drafts at Crosstown Concourse.
The Plaza and the Central Atrium
Saturday, November 11, and Sunday, November 12, 2023
10 am – 4 pm

Join us for a beautiful day at Crosstown Concourse and enjoy delicious local craft beers at this family-friendly weekend event — featuring 160+ of the best curated local and regional crafters, makers and artists!

Folk All Y’all: Ellisa Sun & Friends
2023-11-11 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts and Folk All Y’all present Ellisa Sun & Friends in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Ellisa Sun cuts her heart out and leaves it on the stage, which is why she never wears white. Inspired primarily by R&B, soul, jazz, and bossa nova, Ellisa’s music is a unique blend of genres that creates a textured sound with authentic, heartfelt lyricism.
Self-described “naked cowboy artist” Emily Ronna is going to give it to you raw – whether that’s the reality of mental health or the details of last night’s hookup. There’s no shame in this alt-rock-indie-folk game.
Originally hailing from Kansas, Ian DePriest followed the Yellow Brick Road to Music City, Nashville. Drawing from a musical theater background, his artistic expression would manifest itself into melodies of pop tied in with theatrical musings. His EP, Table For One, shines a burning light on the empowerment, discovery and self-love that only comes in solitude.

Marcella Simien
2023-11-10 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Marcella Simien in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, November 10, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Marcella Simien was born into one of the first Creole families to settle St. Landry Parish. Daughter of two-time GRAMMY™ award winning Zydeco luminary Terrance Simien, Marcella was practically born onstage and grew up immersed in sound and performance. Visits to the family home from legends such as David Hidalgo of Los Lobos or Taj Mahal, who once sang her “Happy Birthday,” were not uncommon.
Simien holds a degree from Memphis College of Art, which is what originally brought her to Memphis, Tennessee. Feeling a kindred connection to the city’s rich history and bustling community of working musicians, she began planting the seeds of her South Louisiana heritage in the Bluff City. She has since forged her own pathways in the local, national, and international music scenes, following her heart as an artist while wielding the torch of a Creole dynasty.
Simien founded and serves as bandleader in Marcella & Her Lovers — a hybrid of classic Memphis soul with the freewheeling swagger of New Orleans funk. Featuring an ensemble cast of Memphis musicians, Simien emerges as an undeniably powerful frontwoman. With each angelic holler and pump of the Creole accordion, she reinvents the mold of Memphis music while giving a wink and a nod to her ancestors. In addition to Marcella & Her Lovers, Simien performs with Marcella & Les Vagues, Magnolias, and Terrance Simien’s Krewe De Monifique.

“One of the most soulful artists I’ve heard since the glory days of Memphis soul music. Her sound and stage presence is a constant reminder that soul music is still alive and well.”
— Boo Mitchell, GRAMMY Winning Engineer
“. . . she’s the daughter of zydeco great Terrance Simien, but she needs no pedigree to knock you flat.”
— Malcolm Jones, The Daily Beast

Sparks Quartet
2023-11-09 13:30 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Sparks Quartet in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15 in advance | $20 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Sparks Quartet is an ensemble composed of Eri Yamamoto, Chad Fowler, William Parker, and Steve Hirsh. This group of free jazz improvisers came together in New York in 2021 with a plan to spontaneously compose new folk music, a task made richer by the diverse cultural backgrounds each member brings to the table. Yamamoto originates from Kyoto, Japan; Fowler from Arkansas; Hirsh is a New York native currently living in the Minnesota wilderness; and Parker is a key figure in the New York avant-garde movement.
This concert is the first stop on a national tour that will take the group along the Mississippi River to Iowa and Minnesota. It is a special occasion for the quartet, celebrating the release of their second album, “Live at Vision Festival XXVI,” and launching a national tour. Attendees can look forward to an evening that subtly blends jazz and folk elements with collaborative improvisation and the varied influences each member adds to the quartet’s collective sound.
This performance is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Musicians
William Parker
William Parker first came to public attention playing with pianist Cecil Taylor. He played with saxophonist David S. Ware from 1989 until his last concert performance in 2011. He’s led the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and In Order to Survive and is a member of the Other Dimensions In Music and many of Peter Brötzmann’s groups. He’s closely associated with the Vision Festival.
Eri Yamamoto
Eri Yamamoto has been sharing her uniquely lyrical and evocative music with listeners in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Africa, Jamaica, and Australia. “She has a deft sense of harmony and note selection…her virtuosity never gets in the way of playing it straight from the heart.” -Daniel A. Brown, DownBeat “My hat’s off to her… already she’s found her own voice.” – Herbie Hancock
Chad Fowler
Chad Fowler started his music career in Memphis, Tennessee, playing soul music alongside some of the city’s most revered artists, such as Ann Peebles and the Hi Rhythm section, and then in a number of avant-garde jazz groups. He has played and recorded with Alvin Fielder, William Parker, Brian Blade, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille, Matthew Shipp, Douglas Ewart, Kidd Jordan, Christopher Parker, and WC Anderson.
Steve Hirsh
Steve Hirsh plays music on the drumset. Like it was a piano. Or a symphony orchestra. His touch can be light as a caress or as intense as a jack hammer. In his hands (and feet), the drum set is a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds and moods. Steve has been fortunate to play with, among others, Eri Yamamoto, William Parker, Joel Futterman, Matthew Shipp, Luke Stewart, Dave Sewelson, Steve Swell, Mara Rosenbloom, Gabby Fluke-Mogul, Sean Conly, Matt Lavelle, Babatunde Lea, George Cartwright, Christopher Parker, Kelley Hurt, Donald Washington, Chad Fowler, Douglas Ewart, and Zoh Amba. Born and raised in New York City, Steve now makes his home in the woods of northern Minnesota.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: WILD STYLE
2023-11-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Wild Style at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Charlie Ahearn / 1983 / 82 minutes / Rated R
The original hip-hop movie, Wild Style was the first feature film to document the scene’s music, break dancing, and street art at its inception. Through the eyes of a subway tagger named Zoro (played by graffiti legend Lee Quinones) and his encounters with assorted B-boys and g-girs, rappers, and fellow artists, we see the vibrant street culture of the Bronx in the early 1980s. Filmed with vivid, semi-documentary authenticity, this extraordinary time capsule boasts appearances by groundbreaking artists like Grandmaster Flash, the Cold Crush Brothers, Lady Pink, Fab 5 Freddy, Busy Bee, and others.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Rizo
2023-11-03 14:30 - 16:00 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Rizo in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, November 3, 2023
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Step into a facet of your own personal dreamscape with the Grammy award-winning chanteuse, Rizo. Using the portal of glamor, seduction and powerhouse vocals, Rizo welcomes you into her prismatic world where the femme divine reigns.

A joyful, sensorial, combustible mix of rock-and-roll bravado, vintage pop diva and comedic antics, Rizo has won a cult following worldwide. Come join the fun for an evening of radical optimism as she holds the beauty and sorrow of life in her tiny hands.

Bio:
The New York Times once referred to Rizo as “SENSATIONAL… A fierce but kindhearted fusion of comedy, burlesque, performance art and rock ‘n’ roll.” Taking a cue from Piaf, Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) fully embraces the role of chanteuse. In recordings, she is a mysterious figure, a siren ushering you through tableaus of heartbreak, lust, and the murkiness in between. Live, she is an eyeful.
An international cult favorite, her stage shows bring her powerhouse vocals together with seductive storytelling and wild hilarious audience experiments. Rizo is a provocateur with an electric wit, and has been called a “diva par excellence” by The Guardian. In the studio she has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma; whose album Songs of Joy & Peace, which features Rizo, won a Grammy Award.

Rizo has also received a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, a Time Out London theater award, and a London Cabaret Award.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: STOP MAKING SENSE
2023-11-02 14:00 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts and the Memphis Listening Lab present Stop Making Sense at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Jonathan Demme / 1984 / 88 minutes / Rated PG
Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, the 1984 film was directed by renowned filmmaker Jonathan Demme and is considered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time. Stop Making Sense stars core band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison along with Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry, and Edna Holt. The live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads’ most memorable songs.
Presented in collaboration with Memphis Listening Lab.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Mahogany Chamber Music Series: Chamber Music … 1, 2, 3, 4!
2023-10-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Mahogany Chamber Music Series: Chamber Music … 1, 2, 3, 4! in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Doors open at 5:30 pm | Show begins at 6 pm
Tickets: $20 | $5 student tickets available
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
With the unique concept of gradually introducing performers to the stage, artists Ross Salvosa, Artina McCain, and the Joshua David trio will take the audience on a journey from classical solo piano, to the amused tenderness of Samuel Barber’s Souvenirs, and end the night with a riveting set of jazz featuring world-renowned jazz trombonist Mike Dease.

The Mahogany Chamber Performances is a series of three chamber music concerts curated by Dr. Artina McCain and presented by Crosstown Arts, spotlighting Black and other underrepresented composers and performers.
MICHAEL DEASE

Michael Dease is one of the world’s eminent trombonists, lending his versatile sound and signature improvisations to over 200 recordings and groups as diverse as Grammy-winning artists David Sanborn, Christian McBride, Kanye West, Michel Camilo, and Alicia Keys. Born in Augusta, Georgia, he played the saxophone and trumpet before choosing the trombone at age 17. In 2001, Dease moved to New York City to become part of the historic first class of jazz students at The Juilliard School, earning both Bachelors and Masters degrees, and quickly established a reputation as a brilliant soloist, side-person, and bandleader.
Give It All You Got (Posi-Tone, 2021), Dease’s newest release, has received positive acclaim from JazzTimes Magazine and a coveted 4-star review from Downbeat Magazine. The music centers on themes of devotion to the past and future of the jazz lineage, realized at the Jazz Institute at Brevard where he serves as director. As a bandleader, this is Dease’s eighth album for Posi-Tone, fourteenth of his career, and features Gregory Tardy, Ulysses Owens, as well as his wife Gwen Dease and eldest daughter Brooklyn Dease on percussion.
Dease is the winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll for 2021 Trombonist of the Year, the 2016 Rising Star Jazz Trombonist, and is a three-time Grammy award winner with Christian McBride and Alicia Keys. He is also a sought-after lead, section and bass trombonist with today’s leading jazz orchestras. His experiences include bands led by Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Charles Tolliver, Rufus Reid, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. However, it is on the frontline of small groups led by master musicians like The Heath Brothers, Winard Harper, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Claudio Roditi, and Lewis Nash, where Dease has revitalized the trombone’s image. Not content to simply improvise, Dease arranges and composes for many different bands, constantly adjusting his tone and timbre to add just the right flavor to the music.
Dease’s unique blend of curiosity, hard work and optimism has helped him earn worldwide recognition, including awards from ASCAP, The International Trombone Association, Yamaha, Eastern Trombone Workshop, New York Youth Symphony, Hot House Magazine, and Michigan State University, among others. Dease is profiled in Cicily Janus’ book, The New Face of Jazz: An Intimate Look at Today’s Living Legends (Random House). His experience in the studio has led him to produce several recording sessions for emerging artists, often composing and writing liner notes for the releases.
Dease’s singular talent has made him an effective and prolific teacher, resulting in invitations, master classes and residencies at University of North Texas, Scranton University, University of Iowa, Florida State College, Broward College, and many institutions abroad. He serves as tenured full professor of jazz trombone at the renowned Michigan State University jazz program, where he received the 2019 Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award and the 2018 MSU Teacher/Scholar Award. Prior to MSU, he was on faculty at Queens College – CUNY, The New School and Northeastern University. In 2015, Dease founded the Jazz Institute at Brevard at the Brevard Music Center, and he continues to direct the Institute along with the Seiko Summer Jazz Camp (Japan) while also serving as the trombone faculty at the Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute (New York). Many of Dease’s current and former students are enjoying successful careers in the music world.
Always an informed but forward-thinking musician, Dease has taken many lessons from master musicians while primarily studying with trombone legends Wycliffe Gordon and Joseph Alessi. His associations have run the entire spectrum of musical experience: Alicia Keys, Paul Simon, Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Illinois Jacquet, Slide Hampton & The World Of Trombones, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, WDR Big Band, George Gruntz, Billy Harper, and numerous others.
Michael Dease is an enthusiastic endorser and Performing Artist for Yamaha Trombones, Trumpets and Saxophones, Pickett-Blackburn brass mouthpieces, and the custom repair services of expert craftsman Scott Sweeney of Sweeney Brass in Raleigh, North Carolina. Most importantly, he enjoys spending time with his extraordinary wife and Professor of Percussion at MSU, Gwendolyn Dease, and their daughters Brooklyn and Charly.
ROSS SALVOSA
Ross Salvosa is a Lecturer of Piano/Piano Pedagogy at Central Washington University and an active member of the Music Teachers National Association and is currently serving as 2023 Poster Session Chair as well as a member of the conference planning committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force of the Washington State Music Teachers Association. He has served in the juries of the Seattle International Piano Competition, Oregon Music Teachers Association Young Artist Competition, Steinway Canada Young Artist Competition, Vancouver International Festival of Russian Music, Philippine National Music Competition for Young Artists, and the Piano Teachers Guild of the Philippines Festival and Competition. He has given piano pedagogy lectures and masterclasses for the Steinway Young Artist in Canada (Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver), BC Registered Music Teachers Association (Richmond, Langley and South Fraser), Kenosha Music Teachers Association, Piano League, Cultural Center of the Philippines, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Philippine Suzuki Association and the Manila Piano Series.
Ross is on the advisory board of the Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition where he also served as outreach coordinator. He was the chairman and artistic director of Music Without Borders Society in Vancouver-BC from 2013 to 2018. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of British Columbia, where he was a recipient of the Mildred Johnson scholarship award, and his Masters and Bachelors of Music Degrees from the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University under full scholarship. He studied with Sara Davis Buechner, Corey Hamm, Roberta Rust, Kenneth Broadway, Ralph Markham, Emilio Del Rosario, Reynaldo Reyes, Mauricia Borromeo, Ruby Pilante-Salvosa, Abelardo Galang II, and Jose Artemio Panganiban.
JOSHUA DAVID
Joshua David is a 24-year-old composer, pianist and bandleader from Birmingham, Alabama. He began taking piano lessons at age four, and at age five, began studying classical piano at Birmingham-Southern College Conservatory initially under Adam Horowitz and then Dr. Adam Bowles. At ten years old, he began studying percussion in the school band with teacher Aaron Paul Brown and won many awards for musical excellence in both piano and percussion. At age 16, Joshua released his first album, Joshua David, a collection of original jazz compositions which has received radio airplay across the U.S. and the U.K. Joshua participated in the Ruben Studdard Music Camp from age 12 to 17 and received a scholarship from the Ruben Studdard Foundation his freshman year of college.
Joshua graduated cum laude from Samford University in May of 2021 with a Bachelor of Music Degree. While at Samford, he majored in music composition under the instruction of Dr. Mark Lackey. While in college, he continued to study classical piano with Dr. Jason Terry. He also was a member of the jazz ensemble, commercial music ensemble and gospel choir.
Currently, Joshua is doing what he loves: composing, performing and producing music. He was recently commissioned to compose four contemporary classical works for a social justice project which is being performed at venues around the country including the Peabody Institute and Carnegie Hall. Joshua has composed music for independent films and has collaborated with other artists and bands on jazz and gospel projects.
On September 19th, Joshua released his second project, Stay Cool, a hip-hop and R&B inspired jazz EP. He has a third album in the works, paying homage to significant jazz influences in his life such as Thelonious Monk, John Coltraine, Chick Corea, and others. He plans to release it in 2023. Joshua has been the worship leader at Restored Sight Christian Church for nine years and gives all glory and honor to God for the gift of music and every opportunity he has been given.
Joshua David’s music is available for purchase on his website, iTunes and Amazon. You may stream Joshua’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL and all other streaming platforms.
ARTINA MCCAIN
Hailed by the New York Times as a “virtuoso pianist” Artina McCain, has built a formidable career as a performer, educator and speaker. As a recitalist, her credits include performances at Wigmore Hall and Barbican Centre in London, Weill Hall at Carnegie and Merkin Hall in New York City and more. Other highlights include guest appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. In 2022, she was the mistress of ceremony for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Dedicated to promoting the works of Black and other underrepresented composers, McCain curates Underrepresented Composers Concerts for multiple arts organizations. She is an American Prize winner for her solo piano recordings of these works and won a Gold Global Music Award for her recent album project Heritage. In 2021, Hal Leonard published her transcriptions of Twenty-Four Traditional African American Folk Songs.
McCain was a featured inspirational leader in the award-winning PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation: Degree of Impact in an episode exploring the real-world impact of professionals with doctoral degrees in and outside of academia.
McCain’s performances have been heard on the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Germany’s WDR and television appearances including features on CSPAN for the MLK 50 Commemoration. McCain is a three-time Global Music Awards winner including collaborative projects I, Too (Naxos), with soprano Icy Monroe, focused on African American Spirituals and Art Songs and Shades, a collaboration with her husband and duo partner Martin McCain.
After not performing for 6 years while battling a performance injury, she now enjoys a prolific concert career with more than 10 years of full injury recovery. She uses her recovery to serve as an advocate of musicians’ wellness–curating articles, lectures, and forums to educate teachers and students. Most recently the BBC featured her on the podcast Sideways telling her miraculous story of injury to recovery. McCain has written and presented on wellness and other topics in the Piano Magazine and at multiple universities, Music Teachers National Association Conference and the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy.
McCain graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University. She received her Master of Music from Cleveland Institute of Music and holds a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Piano and Coordinator of the Keyboard Area at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis and Co-Founder/Director of the Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition.
In her spare time, Artina enjoys boutique shopping, traveling internationally and is an avid tea aficionado.
Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.
