Yubu and the Ancient Youth is a unique assortment of musicians with experience in different music genres and cultures in America, East Africa, West Africa and Europe. This has molded them to have a unique perspective on the global music scene. The band has found a home in Memphis Tennessee, the home of the blues, where they develop, create and perform a tasteful spin of blues music.

Crosstown Arts presents the Pete Fucinaro trio, featuring Kansas City-based musicians saxophonist Pete Fucinaro, bassist Ben Tervort, and drummer Briant Steever.

JD Daltrey and Mike Maxis have been making music together for 10 years now. They have developed a chemistry in their musicianship that shines through on the stage with attitude and charisma. Their album Dancing Is Forbidden is a dance party project that takes you from the island to the disco with an air of sophisticated funk.

Bassist, composer, and educator Jonathan Wires is originally from New Hampshire. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the University of Memphis. During the early 2000’s he spent a lot of time developing his craft and recording with many of the local Memphis musicians including Mark Franklin, Ross Rice, Joyce Cobb, Chris Parker, Kelly Hurt, Paul Taylor, Art Edmaiston, Jim Spake, etc… In 2010, he pursued a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from Middle Tennessee State University, which brought him to Nashville, TN. In addition to performing and composing, Jonathan has been an active educator at both Middle Tennessee State University and Nashville State Community College. Under Jeff Coffin’s Ear Up label, Jonathan released his first recording entitled “Weaving” which features Jeff Coffin, Matt Endahl, and Joshua Hunt with guest appearances by Lindsey Miller, Don Aliquo, James Westfall, and Jamey Simmons.

Memphis’s very own Nygel “Champion Beatz” Yancey brings a musical experience that fuses a deep lineage of jazz culture with the new age hip hop and RnB sounds. Merging electronic sounds with live instrumentation is the foundation of the unique story told by Champion Beatz through his piano, drumming, and vocal talents. Champion Beatz has performed with many renowned artists such as Donald Brown, Ulysses Grant and more.

“Matt Longo isn’t immune to the horrors of the world, but he knows how to wrap them up in gorgeous, lush, sophisticated songs … One can hear the wit of Randy Newman, the lush arrangements of Harry Nilsson, and the poetic flair of Leonard Cohen.” – PopMatters

Matt Longo (aka Thin Lear) just finished recording the follow up to last year’s highly acclaimed debut Wooden Cave. The new record was produced, engineered & mixed by Memphis’ own Matt Ross-Spang, and recorded lovingly to tape at Sam Phillips Recording Service with some of the finest studio musicians in Memphis.

Bill is a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Guitar Player Magazine has labeled this event the “U.S. Open of guitar competitions.” Bill received a GRAMMY Award for his collaboration with musician and storyteller David Holt on the recording Stellaluna, and has been featured on the popular guitar compilations “Windham Hill Guitar Sampler” by Windham Hill Records and “Masters of the Acoustic Guitar” by Narada Records. In 2009, Bill’s music appeared in the Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Mel Bay Productions transcribed Mize’s second CD, “Tender Explorations,” into a songbook, and his original compositions have been transcribed for Fingerstyle Guitar and Acoustic Guitar magazines.

Join us for some fun and fast moving Resident Artist talks Pecha Kucha-style! 20 slides for 20 seconds each by 8 residents will give you a flavorful window into each of their practices. Featuring Jave Yoshimoto, Kenneth Reveiz, Robert Goodman, Zoë Charlton, Fidencio Fifield-Perez, Arriel Vinson, Sugar Vendil and Phong Tran.

Crosstown Arts presents the Brasilis String Quartet in the Green Room.

Peter Slavov is a New York-based bassist, composer, session musician, arranger, and educator. Since he started performing professionally in the mid-1990s, Peter has performed at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in more than 40 countries on 5 continents. Peter has performed at numerous legendary performance venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center (NYC), Town Hall (NYC),The Village Vanguard (NYC),Birdland (NYC), Blue Note (New York, Milan, Tokyo, Beijing and Nagoya), The Fox Theater (Atlanta), Severance Hall (Cleveland) and many more.

Phillip Bond is a 25-year-old Tennessee native whose energy illuminates into the crowd and all the way to the back of the venue. His humble stage presence is so comforting that you can’t help but dance along with him as he sings about the most meaningful and trying moments of his life. When he performs, he pulls his audience in and unleashes every part of himself to them. Born in Jackson and raised in Memphis, his roots bleed music, imagination, and authenticity. Every experience has led him to create his own unique sound within the adult contemporary genre. His ballad-heavy, upbeat, and easy listening tunes leave his fans feeling uplifted and satisfied. His music embodies characteristics similar to Beyonce and Prince, that help him to envision and produce true works of art, which is reflected through his first EP, “Perfect Lover.”

Haley Fohr is a vocalist, composer and singer-songwriter based in Chicago, Illinois. Her musical endeavors focus around our human condition, and her 10-year career as Circuit des Yeux has grown into one of America’s most successful efforts to connect the personal to the universal. Circuit des Yeux’s 2021 album -io was ranked on NPR’s 50 Best Albums of 2021, Pitchfork’s 100 Best Songs of 2021, and The Wire’s Top 50 Releases of 2021, among other best of 2021 year-end lists.

Luke Winslow King and Roberto Luti have toured extensively in North America and Europe, appearing on notable stages such as Austin City Limits, New Orleans JazzFest, Azkena Rock Festival (Spain), Tønder Festival Paradiso (Netherlands), Glastonbury (UK), Byron Bay Blues Fest (AUS), and countless more.

Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, Winslow-King’s seventh full-length album “If These Walls Could Talk” is to be released May 2022 on Ghost River Records, featuring Roberto Luti, Rev. Charles Hodges (Al Green), Fat Possum recording artists The Sensational Barnes Brothers, and was produced by Dominc John Davis (Jack White).

It’s time the world can open its ears to the dynamic R&B sounds of J. Buck aka “Buck Nasty”. Born Joshua Buck, this Memphis native is on his way to adding his contribution to Memphis’s music legacy. J.Buck distinguished himself as a solo artist and songwriter early in his career with unique stage presence and profound lyrics. In 2015, Buck released his debut EP The JBuck Experience, which the Murfreesboro Pulse cited as “a step towards the direction of this generation’s version of Marvin Gaye” At first glance, you may confuse him for the ghost of David Ruffin or Prince with his slick style and electrifying performances. With various influences from Rock, Blues, and Hip-hop, this soul brother amplifies the black male experience through love, addiction, and free thought.

A guitarist and composer/songwriter known for a wide-ranging body of musical work that moves effortlessly across genres, Wilson has released twelve solo albums, including his Grammy-nominated debut. The three most recent — “Frogtown,” “Songs and Photographs,” and “The Plan of Paris” — reveal his growing dedication to the art of songcraft as a powerful mode of musical communication.

In addition to his solo work, Anthony Wilson has toured and recorded with a diverse group of legendary artists, including Diana Krall, Charles Lloyd, Ron Carter, Bobby Hutcherson, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand, Melody Gardot, Aaron Neville, and many more.

Crosstown Arts presents The Adam Larson Trio featuring Bob Deboo and John Kizilarmut. This performance and workshop is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 

Performing on 6-string, 12-string, slide guitar or Acoustic Hawaiian Lap Slide, Gerhard captivates his audiences with virtuosity, generosity and sly humor.  Known for his gorgeous tone and compositional depth, Gerhard can move a listener with a single note. Scott Alalrik of the Boston Globe said it best when he wrote ‘Gerhard does not write instrumentals. He writes songs only a guitar can sing.

Crosstown Arts presents Ambient Chaos: Out of Space Series, featuring Pas Musique, Robert Traxler, Sci-Fi Industries, and Colour Sound Oblivion.

Roseanna Vitro began singing at an early age, drawing inspiration from gospel, rock, rhythm and blues, musical theatre, and classical music. Vitro has performed with Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Keter Betts, Kenny Werner and Fred Hersch. She sang with Lionel Hampton and toured with him and has appeared at The Blue Note, Iridium, Birdland, and Dizzy’s Jazz Club at Lincoln Center. She appeared with Steve Allen at The Town Hall at The Apollo Theater and recorded an album of Allen’s songs. In 2005 she performed and recorded with the Kenny Werner Trio at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

She has also worked with Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Elvin Jones, Gary Bartz, Kevin Mahogany, and David “Fathead” Newman, all of whom have appeared on her recordings.

Max Gomez apprenticed in the rarefied musical micro-climate of northern New Mexico, where troubadours like Michael Martin Murphey and Ray Wylie Hubbard helped foster a Western folk sound both cosmic and cowboy. Gomez has assumed stewardship of that lineage by producing the Red River Folk Festival, a boutique event held annually in late September in the musical mountain village of Red River, NM. Judging by the company he keeps, Gomez is positioned to emerge as a prominent voice of Americana’s next generation.

Although a native of Taos, it’s fair to say Max Gomez has some Memphis in him. The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter has collaborated with local legends like Keith Sykes and Mark Edgar Stuart, so we wouldn’t be surprised if some friends stop by and sit in.

Rachel Maxann is a performer who loves to bend genres with her style. In the last decade she has moved from Cincinnati, New Orleans, Los Angeles and travelled around the world performing. Each new space has allowed her to grow while experimenting with different styles of the culture. Rachel has been happy to create roots in Memphis and to share her love of Vintage Indie-Rock and Post-Modern Folklore music.

The Memphis Jazz Orchestra was founded in October, 1992 at Joyce Cobb’s night club on historic Beale Street. Since 1997 The MJO has been in residence at Alfred’s on Beale Street. The M.J.O. has distinguished itself in a series of concerts featuring such national jazz artists as guitarist Herb Ellis, trumpeter Marvin Stamm and pianist James Williams. A powerful and disciplined ensemble with virtuosic soloists and a command of many styles makes a concert by the Memphis Jazz Orchestra a truly memorable event.

Guitarist / composer Joel Harrison reunites his groundbreaking group Free Country to tour the mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the U.S. in April 2022. In visionary arrangements of country and Appalachian tunes, Harrison gave new width and depth to the word Americana. Harrison will be joined by David Binney (saxophone), Stephan Crump (bass), and Jordan Perlson (drums). The group will perform music from all three of their Free Country records. The timeless, haunting melodies of this music anchor the flights of improvisation that the band creates anew every night. The tour is funded in part by South Arts through the auspices of the Doris Duke Fund and the Jazz Road initiative.

Talibah Safiya’s lyricism is truly inspiring, creating vivid, captivating stories that connect you directly to each experience. Her vocals, combined with instrumentals, blanket the audience with the warmth of soulful, earthy tones. Her career has been on an upward projection since 2011. In 2019, she travelled the U.S. on her first tour “A Deep Water Sound”. She was celebrated in 2020’s Oxford American Music issue in an article titled “The Oracle of Castalia”. Some of her many accomplishments also include performing for – Sundance, The Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America, Mempho, and Americana Fest.

Rahsaan Barber has set on a singular path of musical excellence in performance, composition, education and entrepreneurship. Rahsaan enjoys a career that encompasses an ever-expanding range of musical styles including jazz, blues, funk, classical, fusion, soul, Latin and world music. Rahsaan’s passionate, sincere and studious approach to music-making has garnered professional appearances on stage alongside such heavyweights as Christian McBride, Brian Blade, The Temptations, Delfeayo Marsalis, The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the late Duffy Jackson, Winard Harper, Kirk Franklin, Meghan Trainor and The Wooten Brothers. He has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages for music including The Ryman, The Village Vanguard, Birdland, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

Doug MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit, and unforgettable live performances. At the heart of a Doug MacLeod performance is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters-from the faceless to the legendary-to strikingly real life.

Doug is a multiple Blues Music Award winner, including the 2020 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist Of The Year and the 2018 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album Of The Year ‘Break The Chain’. He was recently nominated for the 2021 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist Of The Year.

Enjoy an evening with the very best jazz Memphis has to offer! Featuring three powerhouse performances by Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra, 901 Jazz and University of Memphis Jazz Singers. Audiences will enjoy an eclectic showcase featuring jazz legends and newcomers.

Join us for the One-Woman Comedy show with artist in residence Lucy Wang in the Green Room.

During the past 40 years, Nat Reeves has been one of the top bassists in jazz. His supportive and stimulating playing has uplifted a countless number of sessions and recording dates (most notably with the great altoists Jackie McLean and Kenny Garrett) and he has led his own CD State of Emergency. Both as a performer and an educator, he has made a strong impact on the jazz world.

Early in his career, Nat Reeves not only performed with Jackie McLean but such greats as tenor-saxophonist Benny Golson, trumpeter Donald Byrd, drummer Art Taylor and pianists Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Walter Davis, Walter Bishop, Larry Willis and Kenny Drew. He became a longtime member of altoist Kenny Garrett’s group in 1994 and in recent times has worked and recorded with many of the who’s who of jazz including tenor-saxophonists Pharoah Sanders, George Coleman and Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, pianists Harold Mabern, George Cables, David Hazeltine and Anthony Wonsey, and drummer Joe Farnsworth among many others.

Roland Barber has performed in venues the world over, from Manhattan to Estonia, including Carnegie Hall, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Smithsonian, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and Madison Square Garden. Beyond the jazz realm, Roland has performed with a “who’s who” of the music scene, including the Wooten Brothers, Slavic Soul Party, Lauryn Hill, the Nashville Symphony, Lady A, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Lauren Daigle, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo, the Wood Brothers, Ron Isley, La India, Roberto Blades, Take 6, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Kirk Whalum, the NBC Saturday Night Live Band and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

More than three decades into his career, singer/songwriter David Wilcox continues to push himself, just as he always has. Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His lyrical insight is matched by a smooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings, giving him a range and tenderness rare in folk music. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.

About Folk All Y’all: Intimate, attentive performances by exceptional singer-songwriters, proudly presented in Memphis, Folk All Y’all is a public listening room series dedicated to providing artists and audiences with unforgettable music experiences.

Henry Booker, also known as Sir Henry, is a versatile musician who performs across the Mid-South with several bands. Henry started the Hood 2 Hood Recitals to promote nonviolence, peace, and positivity in urban neighborhoods in Memphis and beyond by playing classical music and R&B hits after he was in a tragic incident that nearly ended his life. The Hood 2 Hood Recitals began with Henry setting up his keyboard in public neighborhood locations so that music could be brought out into the community, for the community.

In the mid 1990s, The New York Times described Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart as “the best organ trio of the last decade.” The trio, which has now been together for over 30 years, has been recognized for charting new ground, with its synergistic playing, and thoughtful music. They have over a dozen recordings, all of which display their distinctive sound, whether exploring the depths of jazz standards, or playing their own original compositions.

With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star seems to rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she is currently recording her debut recording, which will feature Samara backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio. Not yet 21 years old, Samara has already performed in many of the great jazz venues in NYC, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note, and Mezzrow, in addition to working with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Jon Faddis, Kirk Lightsey, Cyrus Chestnut, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.