Tag: Crosstown Theater’

A Night of Memphis Deep Soul Gospel at Crosstown Theater

Join Bible & Tire Recording Co. and D-Vine Spirituals for a night of Memphis Soul Gospel featuring The Sensational Barnes Brothers, Elizabeth King, D-Vine Spiritualettes, The Vaughn Sisters, the Rev. John Wilkins, Elder Ward, Liz Brasher, and Gary “Lucky” Smith on the Kemmons Wilson Family Stage at Crosstown Theater.

The concert will celebrate the launch of The Sensational Barnes Brothers’ newly recorded, rugged ‘Nobody’s Fault But My Own’ and Elizabeth King & The Gospel Souls’ 1970s gems ‘The D-Vine Spirituals Recordings.’ Both recordings will be released on September 20th from the new Bible & Tire Recording Co., headed up by Bruce Watson of Fat Possum Records with the aim of showcasing new and archival Memphis gospel releases.

Tickets: $15
Doors at 6:30 pm | Show at 7 pm

The Midnight Hour at Crosstown Theater

Join us for a performance by The Midnight Hour, featuring Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Adrian Younge.

Tickets: $20 advance | $25 day of show
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 8 pm

Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Adrian Younge — the pair behind the unforgettable score for the Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage —have announced an extensive North American fall tour for their acclaimed 10-piece ensemble, The Midnight Hour, featuring very special collaborative opening sets from the group’s incredibly talented vocalists Loren Oden and Angela Muñoz, and guitarist Jack Waterson.

The Midnight Hour is Black Excellence: an ode to the cultural sophistication that the Harlem Renaissance established for its people. Performing with their jazz rhythm section and an orchestral section, reminiscent of maestros such as David Axelrod and Quincy Jones, The Midnight Hour is sophisticated hip hop.

 

CALL TO MUSICIANS — A Change of Tone: In/Out of Sync

An exhibition of live music
Proposal Submission Period: July 9  – September 10, 2019
Event dates: April 18th –  21st, 2020

Crosstown Arts is challenging musical artists to create a body of new work for A Change of Tone, an exhibition of live music, applicable to musicians of all genres, scheduled for April 18th – 21st, 2020.

This four-part, four-day event will feature a selection of four musical acts, one act per night, who will “exhibit” their music for a listening audience over loudspeakers in one venue as they simultaneously perform it in another, creating a non-traditional listening experience.

During this event, there will be two live feed interconnections between The Green Room music venue at Crosstown Arts, and Crosstown Theater: the first feed will be an audio feed for the audience in The Green Room to listen to, as the musicians, out of sight, perform their original work live in the empty Crosstown Theater auditorium. The second feed will video-capture The Green Room audience for the performing musicians in the Theater to see on a screen, so that they may virtually watch and technically perform, for their audience. The audience in The Green Room will be informed in advance that they will be watched by the performing musicians in the theater, creating an immersive environment for the listening audience in which the performers’ new music might achieve a vivid and seemingly living omnipresence.

Similar to the experience of being inside of a haunted house or abandoned building, this spectral approach to auditory perception will be, among other things, a sonic experiment in vulnerability. It will be an attempt to enhance and heighten the audio-sensory experience for the listener, and perhaps will intensify the presence and impact that music can have when our fight-or-flight response is instinctively activated, giving the sounds we hear the power to demand our full attention.

Submission Process:

The theme of this music exhibition is “In/Out of Sync.” What does it mean to be “in or out of sync”–with something, with nothing, with anything…with everything? In what ways do you feel or observe things as being in or out of sync with one another, and what approach would you envision yourself taking, musically, to express these feelings and interpretations as they present themselves within your reality? The goal of A Change of Tone is to invite artists to sonically and musically explore the varied interrelations between technical musical themes and humanity: what we experience, observe, believe, and imagine within the realms of our intellectual capabilities. 

Musicians who wish to apply to this musical showcase must submit an original proposal (one or more pages preferred) that explains their vision for the new music they intend to create as it pertains to the “In/Out of Sync” theme. Artists may take any approach to this, from topics based in society and everyday life, to the larger natural world and universe, and may do so through both the lens of these guiding ideas or beyond them. 

Submissions are due on Tuesday, September 10 at noon.

Apply here

Instructions if Selected:

This music exhibition is limited to 4 participants. The submissions will be randomly selected by a unique, curated lottery process, by which every proposal will be considered; the primary contact(s) for the four selected proposals will be notified of their acceptance and given a performance time slot on Tuesday, September 24, at 12pm. 

Musicians will then use the nearly 7-month period before the A Change of Tone: In/Out of Sync event to create a set of new music, no less than 45 minutes and no longer than 2 hours in length, with the intention of performing it live during one of the 4 performance timeframes (randomly assigned). The time slots are as follows*:

Saturday, April 18, 2020 –  7:30pm
Sunday April 19, 2020 –  7:30pm
Monday, April 20, 2020 –  7:30pm
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 –  7:30pm

Selected participants are encouraged to start creating their sonic and musical works as soon as possible to allow for adequate time for creation and rehearsal. If you are selected, please do not perform or submit proposals for work that was created prior to this open call (do not submit work created before July 9, 2019).

Musicians may also conduct an artist talk or meet-and-greet in the Crosstown Theater auditorium after their performance. This component is optional, but highly encouraged.

Each performance will be recorded by a sound engineer and will be given to the artist free of charge, to use for any purpose. The artists will receive both a stereo room recording and an unmixed, multitrack version of their performance so that they may create their own personal mix of their performance. All artists selected to perform at the event will also receive: a $125 stipend for each musician within a group of 2 or more individuals; or a $200 stipend for solo musicians. 

Music stands will be provided at the venue for artists who would prefer to reference their work during their performance (this is highly encouraged as we are not expecting artists to perfectly memorize such newly created work within the 7-month timeframe).

Copyright infringement and cover versions are not allowed at this event.

*If you are selected, we will try to accommodate as much as possible for any scheduling conflicts, though unfortunately, due to the numerous events being hosted by Crosstown Arts in our various venues throughout the year, this could mean that you may have to forfeit your participation, and we will have to make another lottery selection in your place. If this happens, we hope that you will still feel inspired to create new work based on the themes you chose to explore in your proposal. Only one written proposal is allowed per submission, per artist; proposals can be made on behalf of a solo musician, or any group of two or more musicians.

Thank you for your proposal submissions. Please contact Lauren Cain at  lauren@crosstownarts.org if you have any questions.

Amy LaVere Album Release Show at Crosstown Theater

Join us as Memphis-based singer-songwriter Amy LaVere performs on the Kemmons Wilson Family Stage at Crosstown Theater in anticipation of her new album release. Painting Blue is due out on August 16th on Nine Mile Records.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | show at 8 pm

About Amy LaVere:
There’s something uniquely fun about Amy LaVere, even when she’s breaking your heart.

She is well known among songwriters and critics alike. NPR’s Robert Siegel says she“specializes in lyrics that are more barbed than her sweet soprano prepares you for.” Her growing catalogue of material and steady critical acclaim suggest a first-tier presence on the Americana and indie-folk/punk circuits. Her latest album Painting Blue comes out August 16th on Nine Mile Records (Glorietta, David Wax Museum, Carson McHone, Patrick Sweany, Greyhounds).

Amy’s live performances are anything but predictable. She might appear on stage with a full band, sporting a mask and pink wig, or simply be a natural in blue jeans and sandals, but her upright bass and clever song delivery are constants. Her voice is at once the bully and the victim. She’s performed in venues as wide-ranging as St. Andrew’s Hall in London and Memphis’ famed dive bar Earnestine and Hazel’s. There’s no room she can’t find an audience in and charm it to pieces.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, this future bard moved continuously throughout childhood due to her father’s job. She spent notable parts of her life in Canada, Texas, Maryland, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. Outside of Detroit and only just entering high school, Amy formed her first band and began writing and performing.  Music fans first discovered this “sweet soprano” on This World is Not My Home in 2005, but it was her Jim Dickinson-produced breakout album Anchors & Anvils two years later that put Amy LaVere on the map. Stranger Me, the 2011 release on Archer Records, was called “the break-up album of the year” by Spin. Paste said it was “among the year’s best,” and it earned a first listen feature from NPR’s All Things Considered. She followed it in 2014 with another critical smash: Runaway’s Diary, a concept album based on her own experience as a teenage runaway, produced by Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars).  American Songwriter called it “boundary pushing… heartfelt, reflective, challenging and consistently compelling.” NPR Music’s Robert Christgau said it was her best yet.  Of Hallelujah I’m A Dreamer (Archer Records, 2015) No Depression said simply: “pure bliss.”

In addition to her solo records and a tireless touring schedule, Amy enjoys working with otherartists. In 2012 she joined an all-star collaboration called The Wandering, composed of Amy, Luther Dickinson, Shannon McNally, Sharde Thomas and Valerie June. They released Go On Now, You Can’t Stay Here (Songs Of The South, 2012) to critical acclaim and sold-out shows.

In the afterglow of The Wandering, Amy and Shannon McNally hit the road together and released an EP titled Chasing the Ghost, The Rehearsal Sessions (Archer Records, 2012),  featuring songs from both artists recorded live during rehearsals for the tour. Amy next paired up with noted Memphis rocker John Paul Keith to create Motel Mirrors. Their styles clearly complemented one another, which made for magic on stage and in the recording studio. Their eponymous vinyl EP release was named one of the “10 Essential Albums of 2013” by No Depression. In 2017 Motel Mirrors released a full length effort, In the Meantime; this record had the addition of some Will Sexton co-writes and his powerful guitar work throughout. Motel Mirrors later released a live recording, Gotta Lotta Rhythm, on the Italian label Wild Honey.

Painting Blue, produced by her husband Will Sexton, captures perfectly the moment that Amy is in. Will Sexton’s masterful production and Amy’s soft, clarinet-like vocal pour over you, pushing and pulling, stirring and calming.  As we’ve come to expect, this record is honest, revealing and sounds uniquely like no one else.

The MD’s perform The Beatles’ Revolver

Join us as The MD’s — a Memphis-based Booker T & the MG’s tribute band — perform The Beatles Revolver album on the Kemmons Wilson Family Stage at Crosstown Theater.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7:30 pm | show at 8 pm

In March of 1966, negotiations were being made for The Beatles to possibly record their next studio album in Memphis, TN at Stax Records. Concerns over security, money, and other factors ultimately killed the deal and The Beatles remained at Abbey Road. Can you imagine what that next record, to be titled Revolver, would have sounded like had it been recorded in Memphis? Would Otis Redding have added some background vocals? Would Booker T have played organ? What about the Memphis horns?

Since The MD’s main goal is to keep the incredible catalog of Booker T & The MG’s music alive, they have decided to try something a little different. With the utmost respect to Booker, Steve, Duck, and Al, they are going to perform Revolver as they think the MG’s would have in the ’60s.

About The MD’s:
The only Booker T & the MG’s tribute band in the group’s hometown of Memphis, TN. The MD’s will play anything Booker T & the MG’s ever recorded in the studio or at a live show.

Kafé Kirk with special guest Michael Lington

Join Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum for Kafé Kirk, a monthly jazz series in Crosstown Theater featuring musical and spiritual collaborations with special guest artists. This month’s guest:  contemporary soul/jazz saxophonist Michael Lington.

Doors at 5 pm | performance at 6 pm

General admission tickets — $45
VIP tickets (includes a meet-and-greet and free CD) — $60

About Kirk Whalum:
Soulful, passionate, stirring … these are the words most often used to describe Kirk’s music. Forged from his Memphis gospel roots and his 1980s initiation into the thriving Houston nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his.The 80s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming his own band. It was there that Kirk ultimately developed both his “voice” and songwriting in the crucible of the local club scene — especially at a rooftop club called Cody’s. It was also in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first No. 1 album. Kirk and Bob also received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, Joined at the Hip.

After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in-demand session player for top artists like Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones, and, most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Kirk soon followed that career high point with his phenomenal hit album released on Warner Bros. Records, For You, perhaps the most successful of over 25 solo recordings to date. Others include his eclectic, and much-lauded, Gospel According to Jazz series, (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4). In addition to his many solo projects, Kirk was also a member of the popular soul/jazz group, BWB, which features Kirk as the “W” of the group with Rick Braun (trumpet) and Norman Brown (guitar).

About Michael Lington:
Growing up in Copenhagen, Michael Lington remembers the precise moment he decided he needed to move to America if he was going to seriously pursue a career in music. He was still a budding musician at the time, who loved several different genres: jazz, pop, R&B, and more — as a young boy he’d even met the American swing legend Benny Goodman. But it wasn’t until he was on the verge of turning 20 that Lington—now recognized as one of the most creative and successful contemporary soul and jazz saxophonists in the world—made his fateful decision.

Immersing himself in his favorite music — David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, King Curtis, Hank Crawford, Cannonball Adderley, and Grover Washington — Michael started out on clarinet but soon found his true calling, the saxophone. Already established in his homeland, he made the move to the U.S. and began to grab a foothold in the music industry there. Eventually, after much hard work, his place within the American and international music scene came to him naturally.

Michael Lington is releasing Silver Lining, his 10th solo album, the followup to 2016’s critically acclaimed Second Nature. Silver Lining features mostly original compositions by Lington and producer/co-arranger/keyboardist Barry Eastmond, as well as a pair of stunning, choice covers.

Silver Lining begins with “City Life,” one of three consecutives Eastmond/Lington compositions at the top of the track list. It features guitar from the legendary Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Following the next two originals, “Break the Ice” and “Déjà Vu,” arrives the first interpretative piece on Silver Lining, Curtis Mayfield’s classic, timeless ballad “People Get Ready,” which the late R&B icon recorded with the Impressions in 1965. To sing the song, Lington recruited 2017 Grammy winner William Bell, himself a soul legend who recorded for Memphis’ Stax Records back in its heyday.

Lington has learned much about business as his musical career progresses, eventually leading him and his business partner, Roy McClurg, to launch his own record label, Copenhagen Music, in 2014. Lington is also an entrepreneur outside of music, operating his own wine and cigar companies. He continues to tour, performing as many as 80 concerts per year, and has played in more than 40 countries, working many of the world’s most prestigious venues. He’s even performed for a U.S. President.