Events

An extraordinary artist, Lily Afshar has grounded her career on a strong foundation of excellent formal education, upon which she has built an exceptional record of innovative achievements. With a bachelor's degree from The Boston Conservatory, she earned her Master of Music at The New England Conservatory and went on to study at Florida State University, where she became the first woman in the world to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Music in guitar performance. She pursued greater proficiency with summer studies at the Banff Centre for Fine Arts and the Aspen Music Festival, advanced training at Gargnano, Italy, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, and master classes with Andrés Segovia at the University of Southern California.

Join us for a very special evening to celebrate the release of Mark Edgar Stuart's brand new album, "Until We Meet Again," from Madjack Records. Mark will be playing a full band show with Memphis' finest, including Reba Russell, Will Sexton, Art Edmaiston, Landon Moore, and Shawn Zorn, plus a few surprises. There will also be a very special guest opener, critically acclaimed, singer-songwriter and former Memphian Kelley Mickwee from Austin, TX.

The University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music treats the audience to a special performance by Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra with featured guest Charlton Johnson. This 17-piece jazz ensemble will thrill music lovers with the sounds of legendary Harlem Renaissance artists such as Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, along with modern composers such as Jim McNeely and Bob Brookmeyer.

Crosstown Arts presents Doll’s Playlist, a show where the audience picks the music! Doll McCoy has curated a playlist of songs you can find on Apple Music & Spotify that are compiled of her favorite B-side music, requests from you, and original music! Follow the playlist, send your request, and she’ll perform it at the show! This show features a special opening performance by Nashville saxophonist/singer/producer Michael Holt.

Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer and arranger Tom Guarna began his musical studies at age fifteen, rapidly demonstrating a natural ability to play and compose. After studying classical guitar and composition at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in 1986, he played local gigs in New York and fine-tuned his education with John Abercrombie. He earned a Bachelor Degree from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and a Master’s Degree at The Juilliard School.

Crosstown Arts Spring 2022 resident artists Richard Jamal Echols and Brandon Blvd will present artist talks in the Green Room at Crosstown Arts.

PXLS is a Memphis-based video game music cover band with their own unique take on video game music. Come see a live band playing your favorite 8-bit and 16-bit era songs and relive the soundtrack to your childhood. If video games don't interest you, fear not! With a repertoire that spans several genres like rock, jazz, reggae, and latin there is sure to be something for everyone. Costumes welcome (and encouraged)!

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.

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.

Dallas-based Cézanne Quartet and pianist Jonathan Tsay perform works by Brahms, Clara and Robert Schumann, and Prokofiev in the Green Room.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

There is a moment near the top of jaimie branch’s FLY or DIE LIVE, the new album recorded by the trumpeter’s quartet in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 23rd, 2020, which feels like it bears the weight of both that specific pocket of time, and a prophecy for all that was soon to come. branch and her Fly or Die crew — cellist Lester St. Louis, double bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer/percussionist/mbira player Chad Taylor — had just kicked off the concert at Moods, with the opening tracks off their then-new studio album FLY or DIE II: Bird Dogs of Paradise, the second of which, “Prayer for Amerikkka” is among the best political songs written during the Tr*mp Era, and when the moment in question pops off.

The duo, consisting of twin brothers Christian and Christopher Underwood, grew up surrounded by music. The brothers developed a very unique musical connection, which is on full display in their live performances. As bass and drum players, the pair have the ability to lock in a powerful rhythm and bass foundation, effortlessly making up for each other’s shortcomings and complementing one another’s strengths.

Described by one critic as “a phenomenal harp player who can make her instrument ring with unparalleled purity”, Maeve Gilchrist has taken the Celtic (lever) harp to new levels of performance and visibility.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York, Maeve‘s innovative approach to her instrument stretches its harmonic limits and improvisational possibilities. She is as at home as a soloist with an internationally renowned orchestra as she is playing with a traditional Irish folk group or using electronic augmentation in a more contemporary, improvisatory setting.

Crosstown Arts Spring 2022 resident artists Lucy Wang, Kate Roberts, John Rash, Gunter Guapp, and Jasmine Marie will present artist talks.

Morgan Massey, a graduating senior from the University of Memphis Music Business program, is presenting Taking Over: Women in the Music Industry. The event is a benefit concert for A Step Ahead Foundation and will be held on April 1st at The Green Room in Crosstown Arts. The show will serve to empower and encourage young women who are navigating a male dominated industry. Taking Over features four incredible female performers and a fully female crew. The event will include exclusive shirts for sale and a sponsored raffle to raise funds for donations. Come close out Women’s History Month by supporting these ambitious and passionate young women!

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 on-stage 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.