The extremely gifted Lizz Wright graced the Alys Stephens Center’s intimate Sirote Theatre on October 23, 2009 with her gorgeously smoky voice. Wearing a coral dress, a black shawl, and sandals–both of which she later discarded, Wright opened the night with “Old Man.” Her powerful and multifaceted contralto rode the song well, as one could hear a yearning in her voice that effortlessly fused folk and jazz. At one point, Wright stepped away from the microphone and became lost in the music as she danced and lightly tapped her chest–something she would do often that night. Wright’s music is an eclectic mixture of jazz, blues, gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, and folk; the way she intertwines the genres are astounding. Her gospel roots could be heard in “I Idolize You,” where the organ backed her soulful voice, and the guitar appeared to “talk” back as her voice floated over the song.

At times, Wright’s voice was emotive, delicately touching the inner chambers of one’s soul and not just their ears. She took the audience on a journey through love, deliverance, and life. Her exquisite vocal arrangements were electrifying, particularly when she sung “Hit the Ground,” a song her “daddy likes” as she put it.

Wright’s voice is lucidly beautiful, raw, and has the power to evoke passion. Her performance was moving, with her voice echoing a sweet tenacity. Wright stole the show with a traditional gospel song, “Walk With Me Lord,” that she blended with smooth jazz. Her voice was pleading and hopeful as the fluidity of the organ pierced the theatre. Mid-performance, Wright pulled off her earrings as she sung “hold my hand Lord,” and reached her hand out for emphasis.

Wright’s voice is pure in its simplicity and depth, a brilliance that can only be cultivated. She sung in different registers, artfully going from low to high. Her vocal arrangements were awesome as she plaintively yearned for love and affection, which were enough to resonate in one’s heart. Wright performed “Another Angel,” “My Heart,” “Stop,” “When I Fall,” “Blue Rose,” “Trouble,” “Coming Home,” “Easy Rider,” “Hey Mann,” “Salt,” and “Thank You.”

A big thanks to Shermika Dunner for reviewing the Lizz Wright show!

I just have to give a nice plug to our Arts in Action Education & Outreach Program and it’s director, aka “brains of the operation”, Kimberly Kirklin.  Since I’m in the marketing & programming world, I don’t always know what’s going on in our education department.  What I do know is there’s always a TON happening.  

Just take a look at this upcoming schedule of events for the next week – Yes, all of these events in one (1) week!

Friday, Oct 16 – ASC Kids’ Club on the Road presents “No Fear Shakespeare with Quinton Cockrell”
at Smith Middle School & a Kindergarten program at Washington K-8

Friday, Oct 16 – ASC Kids’ Club on the Road presents “Poet’s Corner with Sharrif Simmons” at Lewis Elementary  & at Homewood High School

Friday, Oct. 16 - Individual Guitar Lessons with ASC’s new Robert Redus School of Guitar at Glen Iris Elementary

 Saturday, Oct 17 – Drama Workshop for students at the ASC 

Saturday, Oct 17 – Make It Happen Performing Ensemble for students at ASC

 Saturday, Oct 17 - ASC Kids’ Club on the Road presents “Poet’s Corner with Sharrif Simmons” at the King’s Ranch

 Tuesday, Oct 20 – ASC Kids’ Club presents “The Watershed Workshop” highlighting the enviroment through the performing arts at Smith Middle School & at Inglenook K-8

 Wednesday, Oct 21 – ASC Kids’ Club presents “The Watershed Workshop at Barrett Elementary

Personally, I think that’s pretty impressive!   ASC Ticket Buyers & Donors make this possible.  When you purchase a ticket to the ASC, you are helping to build the Arts in Action program.  Most of these programs are offered completely free of charge to schools and students.  Through your support, the ASC even provides free bus transportation for many events! 

So, the next time you buy tickets to a show at the ASC, give yourself a pat on the back…together we’re making sure Birmingham’s kids get the arts education they deserve!

To find out more about the AiA program, visit www.AlysStephens.org.

We caught up with Nashville’s busiest songwriter and performer to discuss his upcoming ASC show and the intimate On Stage w/the Band format.  

ASC: I was lucky enough to catch you perform at the Ryman this summer with Elvis Costello. What was it like playing and recording with him?

Jim: It was amazing experience, I still can’t believe it happened. It looks like we will be doing more touring in 2010. One of the highlights for me, was that we started writing together. That’s a real dream come true and I hope to do more.

ASC: You seem to be a regular at the Ryman. I noticed you recently hosted the Americana Music Awards again. Do you feel a different energy performing there than in other venues?

Jim: Yes I do, there is so much history in the place that I can feel the vibrations of past performers and performances, like Hank Williams, that graced that stage.

ASC: Tell us what your working on these days. Any new collaborations or solo projects in the works?

Jim: I am finishing a record of collaborations with Robert Hunter (co-writer w/ Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead). We started writing together about 10 years ago, when I was doing my first record with Ralph Stanley, Robert is one of my favorite writers of all time and it’s a blessing to get to work with him. We’ve written probably close to 60 songs together.

ASC: For the Birmingham show at the Alys Stephens Center you’re performing in the bluegrass trio format. As an artist, what does this format allow that maybe you’re not getting to do in other settings?

Jim: I actually might bring more than a trio to surprise you!

ASC: Speaking of setting, the show here is part of the ASC’s “On Stage w/the Band” format, meaning it’s super intimate with audience members actually seated on the stage with you. Any thoughts on what this might mean for your show?

Jim: It sounds like it is gonna be a really fun experience for me. I’ve never performed in that kind of setting, so I’m really excited about it and looking forward to being with you all!

Great seats are still available to see the JIM LAUDERDALE BLUEGRASS TRIO, Wednesday, October 14th.  The show is part of the ASC’s “On Stage w/the Band” series.  $40/on stage.  $35/right above stage.

Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org for tickets.

Were you here for Buddy Guy’s performance on Saturday? What a show! Let us know what you thought.

And, check out the review in today’s Bham News:

Here’s our favorite video of the week:

There are still great seats remaining for this Saturday night’s performance by Buddy Guy.  Call (205) 975-ARTS or visit www.AlysStephens.org to reserve your seats!

We launched our brand new GET SMART, SUPPORT THE ARTS campaign yesterday and the smart car is now making it’s way through Birmingham.

Join us today at the RBC Bank branch located at 2000 Meadow Brook Lake Dr.  You can see the smart car and register for your chance to win.  Plus we’ll be giving away great prizes including 2 pairs of tickets to see blues legend Buddy Guy next Saturday night, 5 Jim N’ Nicks gift certificates, and an ASC-JP Membership.

 We’ll be at RBC until 4 p.m. today.  Come join us!

To find out where the smart car is headed each week, visit www.wheresmysmartcar.com.

We’ve been talking about interARTive all summer long and it’s finally here this Thursday night!  One of our favorite bands, Act of Congress, is headlining this FREE band party so I thought it’d be a good idea to find out how they have spent the summer.

Jessica:  Hey Chris, we’re all really looking forward to your performance on Thursday.  What has Act of Congress been working on this summer?

Chris: It’s been a fun summer!  We wrote a theme song for the television show Documentary “Arrested Development”…We’ve been working with Disney on an event at Epcot Center coming up on Oct.3…We’re in the final stages of ironing out a collaboration with the 65 piece Huntsville Youth Symphony, arranged by Grammy Nominee Don Hart, and led by conductor Joe Lee. We have a 3 song Cover E.P. that is coming out in the next month. We did some studio work on the band “Maylene and the Sons of Disaster’s”  latest album…We also performed with the Arova Contemporary Ballet on a collaboration of 4 of the bands songs…We’re currently beginning pre-production on our next album.

Jessica: I know some gigs are more memorable than others.  Any recent shows that stand out?

Chris:  A few weeks ago we played at the first ever International Newgrass Festival in Oakland Kentucky. Pioneer Sam Bush organized the event, and we we’re honored to be a part. We also were a headliner at the Chattanooga Nightfall concert series. It was also fun to participate in the last City Stages. (although I don’t think that check is ever going to clear)

Jessica: What bands have you seen this summer that got you excited?

Chris: I’m the odd ball rocker in the group. I like this European metal band called Nightwish. Everybody else makes fun of me though….We’re local, so we like to support local music…. The band just played a community event with Taylor Shaw’s (formerly of Wild Sweet Orange) band The Great Book of John, and solo artist Jon Black. They are two of our favorites.  We also like the Newgrass band “Cadillac Sky” from Texas…

Jessica: So the theme for interARTive next Thursday is “When Art Becomes Interactive”.  How do you work to make your shows interactive with the audience?

Chris: We try to be as accessible as possible, before and after shows…Adam is our band extrovert. He is always cutting up with the audience. We love people, so I think it’s natural for us to be interactive with them.

interARTive is a free event hosted by the Alys Stephens Center Junior Patrons.  Come out this Thursday night and bring all your friends!  It’s from 6-9 and features live performances by Act of Congress and local blues singer/songwriter Kendra Sutton, plus craft brew tastings from Free the Hops and Birmingham Budweiser, the unveiling of our new smart car giveaway, ticket drawings, & more!

Another view of life at the ASC. Thanks Dana!

It has been an exciting couple of weeks here at the Alys Stephens Center. After all of our Drama Camps wrapped up, the staff was informed that there was a movie production that wanted to rent our venues, dressing rooms, lobbies, and even the Haskell Courtyard to film their project.

The movie is called Lifted. It is about a small town guy who wins an American Idol- like contest at the Alys Stephens Center.

Work here is never the same every day. In the course of preparing for the movie, I had to research the artwork that is found in the Abrams Patron’s Lounge and the lobby. This included hunting down Frank Fleming to sign a release for his statue, The Performers, to be in the film. I also had to Google and use the online Yellow Pages to chase down Jin G. Kam, whose painting Consolation features Vladimir Horowitz at the piano.

The script and schedule is subject to change on a daily basis to make the best use of time. Performances are unpredictable in general, but we usually know they start at a specific time!

I am coming back from a break to enter my office, and there is a guy standing near my door, who I have never seen before in my life. “Could you please not go that way right now? We’re worried that it might affect the sound.” My office was near the room they using for a scene, and I couldn’t go to my desk. Mind you, there have been other times that I had to stay in my office. (Namely President Bush was doing a Press Conference a few years back, and the Secret Service was in every nook and cranny of the ASC). So I waited until they yelled cut, and was released to go inside. Life is a little less ordinary when even your trip to the water cooler has to be rerouted to avoid causing a scene that wasn’t intended.

by Dana Pharo, ASC Performing Arts Asst.

Quote: #Jazzlives: A Twitter Campaign by Listeners of Live Jazz

So an informal circle of jazz activists is trying this experiment to generate new numbers: Get people at live jazz events in the next weeks–including but not only the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival (NYC, Aug. 29 -30) and Labor Day weekend fests in Tanglewood, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Aspen, Vail, Philadelphia, Chapel Hill, etc.–to add #jazzlives to tweets about who has been heard, and where.

So far principals of AllAboutJazz.com, JazzCorner.com, Jazz Promo Services, the Jazz Journalists Association, the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, the Angels City Jazz Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Detroit International Jazz Festival and WBGO have signed on to promote the #jazzlives campaign. So have bloggers Larry Blumenfeld, Nate Chinen, the Jazz Police, Willard Jenkins, James Hale, Don Heckman, Peter Hum, Howard Mandel, Plastic Sax, Doug Ramsey, Hank Shteamer and A Blog Supreme (NPR), among others.

Including the “hashtag” #jazzlives will allow tweets to be searched and collated on Twitter, TweetDecks and other digital devices. A campaign widget which can be embedded in blogs and websites will exhibit the tweets as they roll out in real time.

For the widget or more information on this campaign, write tweetjazzlives@gmail.com.

For this campaign, “jazz” is defined loosely–as each listener who tweets chooses to define it. To participate, tweet about who you hear perform and where the performance was, adding the hashtag #jazzlives and whatever else fits in Twitters 140 character limit. Tell jazz- listening friends to do likewise to prove jazz lives.

Place the Jazz Lives widget on your website or blog. Click here to grab the code.

Quote: Stung by a Bee? There is an App for That

Whether exploring deep in the wilderness or traveling abroad, having comprehensive first aid information at your fingertips is always a good thing. It’s especially good when all of the content is stored on the phone and you aren’t dependent on a data connection! This is where iMedjet, Medjet’s new free iPhone app, comes in handy.