Category Archives: Music

Jazz Musician Gerald Albright closes 2015 A Work of Art Jazz Week tonight at 7 with a concert at Wildwood

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Gerald-Albright-Master-Saxman-PhotoMultiple Grammy nominee Gerald Albright will close out the 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Week with a concert tonight at Wildwood Park at 7pm.

“A Work of Art” is the primary fundraiser for the Art Porter Music Education scholarship program. All proceeds from the week-long fundraiser benefit the scholarship fund. “A Work of Art” concludes in early August in observance of the birth month of Art Porter, Jr. Attendees enjoy a week of unique educational experiences by an impressive group of local artists, music students and national recording artists.

Ticket information is available at www.artporter.org.

One of the biggest stars of R&B, contemporary and straight-ahead jazz, Gerald Albright has earned his reputation as a “musician’s musician.” During the ’80s, Albright became a highly requested session musician, playing on albums by a wide variety of artists – including Anita Baker, Lola Folana, Olivia Newton-John, and the Temptations. He also toured extensively with Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston and many others. Albright also went on to record numerous successful solo albums for Atlantic Records. Two albums hit the number one slot on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Chart and were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in 1989 and 1990.

Albright was selected to be one of 10 saxophonists to play at President Clinton’s inauguration ceremony. Along the way, he has sold over a million albums in the U.S. alone and has appeared on nearly 200 albums by other artists.  Albright released Pushing The Envelope in June 2010. In December 2010, it received a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album. His 20102 album 24/7 was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album.  On August 5, 2014, Albright releases Slam Dunk. In December 2014, it earned a GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.

The Porter Players Jam Session is tonight for 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Week

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2015 awoa porter jamAn important part of jazz is collaboration and improvisation.  Tonight, as part of 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Week, the Porter Players will have a jam session at The Afterthought.  This free event starts at 8pm and goes until……..

“A Work of Art” is the primary fundraiser for the Art Porter Music Education scholarship program. All proceeds from the week-long fundraiser benefit the scholarship fund. “A Work of Art” concludes in early August in observance of the birth month of Art Porter, Jr. Attendees enjoy a week of unique educational experiences by an impressive group of local artists, music students and national recording artists.

Ticket information is available at www.artporter.org.

The rich vocals of Cynthia Scott highlight tonight’s “A Work of Art” concert for 2015 Jazz Week

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2015 awoa ScottEl Dorado native Cynthia Scott brings her vocal prowess to Little Rock tonight (July 30) for the 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Week.  She will be performing her blend of swing, soul, and jazz at 7pm and 9pm at Club Sway.

For three decades, the vocal artistry of the multi-talented Arkansas-born vocalist Cynthia Scott has encompassed the swing of jazz, the soul of blues, R&B, and the sacred stirrings of gospel music. She is loved by audiences from New York to Africa, Europe and Asia; by musicians from Wynton Marsalis to Ray Charles – who discovered her – and by jazz critics like the Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich, who called her “a mesmerizing vocalist.”  A talented actress and playwright, she brings these skills to her singing as she uses each song to tell a story.

“A Work of Art” is the primary fundraiser for the Art Porter Music Education scholarship program. All proceeds from the week-long fundraiser benefit the scholarship fund. “A Work of Art” concludes in early August in observance of the birth month of Art Porter, Jr. Attendees enjoy a week of unique educational experiences by an impressive group of local artists, music students and national recording artists.

Ticket information is available at www.artporter.org.

FingerPrints Band with Candy Williams play tonight as part of 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Week

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2015 awoa fingerprintsAfter two days of daytime performances, the 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Weeks shifts to evening today.  Tonight at 7pm and 9pm FingerPrints Band featuring Candy Williams will perform at Cajuns Wharf.

“A Work of Art” is the primary fundraiser for the Art Porter Music Education scholarship program. All proceeds from the week-long fundraiser benefit the scholarship fund. “A Work of Art” concludes in early August in observance of the birth month of Art Porter, Jr. Attendees enjoy a week of unique educational experiences by an impressive group of local artists, music students and national recording artists.

Ticket information is available at www.artporter.org.

Tonight at South on Main – the Local Live concert features Nan Maureen

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llsom nanTonight at 7:30 PM join the Oxford American magazine for this week’s Local Live concert at South on Main, featuring jazz singer Nan Maureen!

As always, Local Live is free and open to the public. To guarantee a table/seat for this popular series, call ahead at (501) 244-9660. Local Live is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Ben and Jane Hunt Meade.

Nan Maureen is a jazz vocalist who has been performing for many years in the Arkansas area, giving a special vocal touch to all the old jazz standards that everyone enjoys. She has recorded several albums and currently is the female vocalist for the Swing Band Reunion. She has been privileged to sing with the backing of many notable jazz musicians such as Art Porter and Charles Thomas and for this performance she will be joined by Bob Boyd on keys. To learn more about her go to www.nanmaureen.com.

Learn about Little Rock’s earliest auditorium (which also was a roller rink AND rifle range) today at noon at Old State House Museum Brown Bag Lecture

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11805726_10154024863604908_1192217255_nToday at noon, the Old State House Museum will have another Brown Bag Lecture.  This one focuses on three decades of unsuccessful efforts to build a municipal auditorium in Little Rock.  That time period was filled with big dreams, lawsuits, personality clashes, disappointments, and a Roller Rink that was also a Rifle Range.

In April 1904, Little Rock Mayor W. E. Lenon spoke of the need for a municipal auditorium in Little Rock. It would take thirty-six years for that dream to be realized. Along the way there were numerous twists, turns, detours and disappointments as the saga was played out in the newspapers, courtrooms, and offices of every major Little Rock architect at the time.

Until a permanent auditorium could be found, the City made do with vaudeville houses, high schools, and even a roller skating rink which doubled as a rifle range. Over the three decades of planning for an auditorium, some names came and went, others such as Mayor Lenon, architect Charles L. Thompson and Arkansas Gazette publisher J. N. Heiskell appeared time and time again. This Brown Bag Lunch Lecture explores the time period from 1904 to 1934 as it looks at the numerous unsuccessful attempts to construct a municipal auditorium in Little Rock.

In 2016, there will be a Brown Bag Lecture to look at construction and opening of Robinson Center Music Hall.

Scott Whiteley Carter is Special Projects Administrator for the City of Little Rock. As the unofficial historian of Little Rock City Hall, he can often be found leafing through sheaves of papers in the City Clerk’s vault or furiously scribbling notes in Little Rock research libraries. He is also the author of the LRCultureVulture.comblog. A native of Little Rock, he is a graduate of Missouri State University.

Minors in Music play at River Market today at noon as part of A Work of Art Jazz Week 2015

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minors-in-musicToday at noon at the River Market, the Art Porter Music Education “Minors in Music” will perform a free concert. This is part of the annual “A Work of Art” Jazz Week.

Minors in Music is a music education program that benefits musically gifted Arkansas students. The name is a spin-off from The Minor Key, a television show produced by Art Porter Sr. on AETN that showcased talented Arkansans. Minors in Music continues that legacy by providing the same opportunities for aspiring music students.

Under the direction of Dr. Danny Fletcher, the program combines workshops, musical and educational relationships with professional musicians and educators with a community service component to create a customized training program. The program emphasizes that the key to using music as a community-building tool is to ignite an early appreciation for community engagement within young musicians and give them the tools they need to become leaders and innovators. Music is transformative because it benefits students educationally and socially and connects a total population universally!  Minors in Music educates, encourages and empowers young people!

APME has a unique opportunity and responsibility to inspire the next generation of musicians, whether as educators, performers or producers, to explore non-traditional opportunities, and create interactive ways to inspire communities and future generations. It’s been said that true talent is often like a treasured family heirloom. As it’s passed down, each recipient polishes it, refinishes it, and makes it his own. Minors in Music are APME’s treasured family heirlooms. Their skills will be polished and refinished into their particular style and passed on to the next talented generation.