Tribute to American jazz singer Billie Holiday featuring Tamara Jones Monger (vocals), Keenan Shotwell (piano), Carl Casperson (acoustic bass), Gerard Harris (guitar), and James Sexton (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate 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. We provide 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.
Jazz tribute to American jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard featuring Scott Thompson (trumpet | flugelhorn), Art Edmaiston (tenor sax), Pat Fusco (piano), Sam Shoup (acoustic bass), and James Sexton (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
About Scott Thompson:
Scott Thompson boasts more than 35 years of experience as a professional trumpet player and has been one of the most recorded trumpet players in the last 25 years. Thompson received his undergraduate degree in Trumpet Performance and his master’s in Jazz Pedagogy at the University of Memphis.
He’s performed with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley, George Coleman, Lee Konitz, and all the Memphis piano greats, such as Phineas Newborn, James Williams, Donald Brown, and Mulgrew Miller.
His recording/touring credits include Al Green, Rufus Thomas, Cat Power, Lucero, Ann Peebles, and the Bo-Keys. His Grammy-winning credits include Robert Cray and Otis Rush. In 1993, Thompson won the Carmine Curuso International Trumpet Competition.
Lately, Thompson has been performing with Memphis’ Love Lite Orchestra, John Paul Keith, and Heavy Hitters 901, as well as his own jazz sextet, Scott Thompson’s Rescue Animals, which performs his original compositions.
Thompson’s musical influences include Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Randy Brecker, and Clifford Brown among others.
About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate 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. We provide 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.
Ticket sales for the Music of Nancy Wilson have sold out. Please check back next month for details on our next Crosstown Jazz Series concert.
Doors at 6:30 pm | show at 7 pm
Jazz tribute to Grammy-winning jazz songstress Nancy Wilson featuring D’Monet (vocalist), Darryl Sanford (piano), Carl Casperson (acoustic bass), Jonathan Bass (guitar), Mike Assad (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
Nancy Wilson (born February 20, 1937) is an American singer with more than seventy albums, and three Grammy Awards.
About D’Monet: How an artist starts a journey can say a lot about their destination; belting out melodies from the womb is a divine beginning. The classically trained voice known as D’Monet cannot be defined as a Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, or Pop singer … but she has redefined the meaning of the traditional soul artist.
D’Monet allows you to travel on contorted twists of loves’ successes and failures, all while exercising her massive vocal prowess. Nurturing her vocal gifts from the tender age of 4, along with developing her ear for the piano by 7, she now is a seasoned veteran.
D’Monet has shared her soul from New York to Los Angeles, but it’s only natural she makes Memphis, Tennessee the home of her “Futuristic Soul.” As D’Monet inspires those within her artistic circle, she soaks inspiration from classic triple threat artists, such as Anita Baker, Oleta Adams, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder and Rachelle Ferrell.
D’Monet has a gift for building bridges between a song and her audience, crossing cultural and musical genres. This elegant songstress approaches each note with a sophisticated passion, which leaves the listener addicted and wanting more. D’Monet’s recordings can only be matched by her live performances in various venues around Memphis, TN. She has been featured on numerous stages and sets, and her sound has allowed her to branch out across several genres.
She was honored to perform as the special guest for Black Enterprise’s Women of Power Summit in 2012. Having shared the stage with Soul Crooner Eric Roberson, and also having a brief stint as a background singer for Blackstreet’s Dave Hollister, D’Monet has become a musical mainstay, particularly in the city of Memphis. In 2011, D’Monet was featured on Markevius Faulkner‘s hit single “Day One,” which received major radio airplay on WHAL-FM’S 95.7 Hallelujah FM. In the wake of “Day One”’s success, D’Monet released her debut single, “Oooh Baby (Got Your Back).” Her quest to continue along her musical journey is just beginning.
About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate 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. We provide 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.
Free and open to the public (register here)
Doors at 5:30 pm | performance at 6 pm
Jazz tribute to the music of Grant Green, featuring Joe Restivo (guitar), Alvie Givhan (piano), Tim Goodwin (acoustic bass), and Pee Wee Jackson (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
Grant Green was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Recording prolifically and mainly for Blue Note Records as both leader and sideman, Green performed in the hard bop, soul jazz, bebop, and Latin-tinged idioms throughout his career.
About Joe Restivo:
Joe Restivo is a guitar player with over 25 years of professional experience as a performer. He is a graduate of the prestigious Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at New School University. While in New York he performed and studied with such jazz luminaries as Jack Wilkins, Junior Mance, Cecil Bridgewater, and Phil Markowitz. Heavily influenced and inspired by stylistically diverse soul and jazz guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, Steve Cropper, and Reggie Young, Joe has developed into a thoroughly in-demand guitarist and composer in Memphis.
About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate 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. We provide 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.
Jazz tribute to the music of Ella Fitzgerald featuring Jiana Hunter (vocals), Alvie Givhan (piano), Sylvester Sample (acoustic bass), Kelvin Walters (alto saxophone), and James Sexton (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
Dubbed “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. She could sing sultry ballads, sweet jazz and imitate every instrument in an orchestra.
Doors at 6:30 pm | performance at 7 pm
About Jiana Hunter:
Jiana Hunter received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Kentucky State University and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies Performance (Voice) from Western Michigan University. Having journeyed from Motown to the Memphis by way of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jiana has been a music educator and presenter for Music Educator Association Conferences in Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee. Special topics include: artistry, genre authenticity, vocal health and state presence.
Jiana served as the Vocal Division Head of Visible Music College, Professor of Vocal Jazz at
Oakland University, Jazz Voice instructor for Arts League of Michigan and master class
presenter at Middle Tennessee State University hosted by Dr. Cedric Dent. (Take 6) Jiana has also taught choral and/or vocal jazz for the dynamic, community and student-centered program of Stax Music Academy, Shelby County Schools and St. Georges Independent Schools.
Active in the music community, Jiana can be found singing lead and backing vocalist in the
genres of Pop, Soul, Jazz, Gospel/Praise and Worship and Gospel Jazz. Locally, Jiana has
performed alongside of Steve Lee, Prime Cut Band and Bamboo Forest in addition to various sponsored events by Memphis Music Commission, Dizzy Bird Jazz Lounge and national corporations.
Jiana has performed with notable musical imprints such as Darmon Meader, Billy Hart, Bobby McFerrin, Pastor Marvin L. Winans (Perfecting Church), Michael F. Mack, Dorinda Clark Cole, Jonathan Dunn, Tamela Mann, Donnie McClurkin, Donald Lawrence, Phil Perry, Maysa, Anthony Hamilton, Eric Roberson and KEM.
Ms. Hunter is an active songwriter and arranger. Her arrangements have been performed and/or recorded with students from Gold Company (WMU), The School for Creative and Performing Arts, (Cinti, Ohio) Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts (Detroit, Mi) and Stax Music Academy.
Jiana released her first Gospel Jazz single “True Love” (on a digital media outlets) from her
upcoming debut album “For You.”
About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate 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. We provide 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.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Please check back soon for details on the next Crosstown Jazz Series performance
Jazz performance featuring Stephen Lee (piano), Sal Crocker (tenor saxophone), Johnny Yancey (trumpet), John Birdsong (acoustic bass), and Renardo Ward (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.
The Jazz Messengers were an influential jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummerArt Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the outset. “Art Blakey” and “Jazz Messengers” became synonymous over the years, though Blakey did lead non-Messenger recording sessions and played as a sideman for other groups throughout his career.
Doors at 6:30 pm | performance at 7 pm
Complimentary beverages
