The Crosstown Strictly 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.
Under the direction of Dr. Michael Shults, University of Memphis Jazz Combo 1 is the top performing small group jazz ensemble at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. The all-star combo specializes in compositions by post-bop jazz masters including Wayne Shorter, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett, and Memphis’s own James Williams.
Deepstaria Enigmatica is a quintet of improvisers from Memphis, Tennessee, dedicated to creating otherworldly soundscapes. Named for a rarely seen, bell-shaped jellyfish discovered by Jacques Cousteau, the group’s every note is inspired by that famous ocean explorer’s sense of discovery. But don’t assume the five veteran musicians create only chaos: they are as attuned to melodies and harmonies as they are to fine gradations of noise. What emerges with each extemporaneous performance can range from dark swirls of frenetic fury, to interplanetary hard bop, to sunlit, ambient dreamscapes punctuated with snatches of folk song.
With a lineage that goes back to the late 1890s, the University of Mississippi’s jazz ensemble is one of the oldest in the nation. By 1927, the group adopted the name “The Mississippians,” which is still in use today by the premier ensemble of Ole Miss Jazz.
Gritty City Bang Bang is the brainchild of guitarist Jonathan Bass. Original compositions by Bass are elevated by Memphis titans Mike Assad and Carl Caspersen. This trio delivers improvisation permeated with cinematic Americana vibes, bringing the funk when needed. Next to the likes of BBQ and Home Depot, there has never been a better destination for heavy lifting of the human soul.
Standard 4-Pack is led by Victor Sawyer and features Randy Ballard (trumpet), Victor Sawyer (trombone), Stephen Lee (piano), and Neal Bowen (bass), performing a selection of favorite jazz standards.
