Events

Tonya Dyson is a beloved artist who has not only built a devoted following in a creative landscape of her own design but has helped develop and nurture that same environment for countless other Memphis artists. She’s the genuine article in Memphis’ new soul underground.

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. Featuring vocalist D'Monet with Johnny Tate, Carl Caspersen, Jonathan Bass, and Anthony Knox.

Violist Amaro Dubois and pianist David Cordoba perform music from Dubois’ new album Luz.

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.

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.

“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. 

Crosstown Arts Summer 2023 resident artists present artist talks.

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.