Oleta Adams

Friday, May 17, 2019 at 8PM at SOPAC

Since the runaway success of her 1990 debut album Circle of One (which went Platinum), and the impassioned hit single “Get Here” (which became an unofficial anthem of the 1991 Gulf War) Oleta Adams has inspired a growing legion of fans around the world with journeys of the heart via songs that draw deeply from her roots in Gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of Soul, R&B, Urban, and popular music. Her success was first nurtured by worldwide tours with Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton and Luther Vandross and was solidified by four Grammy Award nominations and more than two and a half million records sold.

A long-time resident of Kansas City, Kansas, where she has found sanctuary from the turmoil of the entertainment industry, Oleta Adams also remains anchored by her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest where she spent her formative years in Seattle and Yakima, Washington. This is also where she first demonstrated her budding vocal gifts in the church where her father was minister. After high school, Oleta eventually landed in Kansas City where she became a local institution with a regular gig at the Hyatt Regency where many national and international touring artists came to hear Oleta Adams sing.

In 1989, serendipity came in the form of the British band Tears for Fears, whose front men Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith asked her to appear on the The Seeds of Love album, video and European tour. Proving that good things come to those who wait, upon her return to the U.S. Oleta signed a record deal for her first solo album which Roland Orzabel produced.

Though the years she has recorded duets with the likes of Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Toots Thielmans, Shirley Ceasar and of course the infamous songs she recorded with Tears for Fears. Oleta Adams music is featured in Hollywood movies Corrina, Corrina,  Sleeping With the Enemy,  Jason’s Lyric, and her vocals were instrumental in setting the tone in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Her stunning vocals can be heard singing “Feeling Good” in the 2008 Buick Enclave commercial.

Oleta’s musical odyssey continues with her ninth album release in 2017, Third Set.

The Subdudes and Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet

Friday, March 8, 2019 at 8PM at Landmark on Main Street

It's our annual Mardi Gras party & dancing in the aisles is encouraged!

Over 25 years and ten albums, the Subdudes have quietly become one of America's national music treasures. The New Orleans-formed group is a vibrant cauldron of sounds that stirs together meaty grooves and jazzy dynamics, soulful R&B swagger, easy vocal harmonies, cheeky rock 'n' roll attitude and folky social consciousness -- not to mention some of the sharpest musicianship and ensemble playing you'll ever hear from any five musicians.

For more than four decades, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet has been making some of the most potent and popular Cajun music on the planet. Born out of the rich Acadian ancestry of its members, and created and driven by bandleader Michael Doucet's spellbinding fiddle playing and soulful vocals, BeauSoleil regularly brings the audience to its feet. With 12 Grammy nominations, Garrison Keillor called them simply "The best cajun band in the world!"

If you like Clifton Chenier, Dr. John, Vassar Clements, this music is for you.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

The Subdudes

Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 7:30PM at SOPAC

Over the course of 25 years and ten albums, The Subdudes have quietly become one of America’s national music treasures.

The New Orleans-formed group is a living encapsulation of American music, a vibrant cauldron of sounds that stirs together meaty grooves and Jazzy dynamics, soulful R&B swagger, easy vocal harmonies, cheeky Rock ‘n Roll attitude and Folky social consciousness — not to mention some of the sharpest musicianship and ensemble playing you’ll ever hear from any five artists.

Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist, John Magnie, The Subdudes draw most of their inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, blending Blues, Gospel, Funk, and R&B with their own harmony vocals; their sound is also notable for the band’s substitution of a tambourine player, Steve Amedée,  for a drummer. Tim Cook on percussion, bass and vocals and Jimmy Messa round out the band on bass and guitar.

More than just a concert, the “dudes” leave you feeling like they’re having a party and you were lucky enough to be invited.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band with special guest Cha Wa

Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 8PM at Landmark on Main Street

It's party time!

Celebrating over 40 years since their founding in 1977, New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including bebop jazz, funk and R&B/Soul.

This unique sound, described by the band as a 'musical gumbo,' has made the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genrebending romps and high-octane performances.

New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian band Cha Wa radiates the fiery energy of the best features of the city's street culture. Not that you need a firm understanding of Indian or brass band culture to feel the dance-ready vibrations of Cha Wa's new music. "It's dance music so I think people are attracted to it. Even if people have no idea what the history is, it's automatically infectious," they explain. 

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band with special guest Cha Wa

Friday, February 22, 2019 at 8PM at SOPAC

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Celebrating over 40 years since their founding in 1977, New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including Bebop Jazz, Funk and R&B/Soul.

This unique sound, described by the band as a ‘musical gumbo,’ has allowed the Dirty Dozen to tour across 5 continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums and collaborate with a range of artists from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. Forty-plus years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.

In 1977, The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social and pleasure clubs dated back over a century to a time when black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of Jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late ’70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue’s name: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Cha Wa

From the funk-laced beats and bass-heavy sousaphone blasts that kick off their album Spyboy to the gritty warmth of singer J’Wan Boudreaux’s voice, New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian outfit, Cha Wa radiates the fiery energy of the best features of the city’s street culture.

Dating back to the late 1800s, the Mardi Gras Indian tradition began when African-American men first marched in Native American dress through the streets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras day. The tradition, which includes a host of songs shared among the various tribes, has been kept alive for over a century and today is as vital as ever. Mardi Gras Indians have influenced the biggest names in New Orleans music: The Meters, Dr. John, the Marsalis family, the Neville Brothers, Trombone Shorty and others. The most prominent Mardi Gras Indian today is Monk Boudreaux and his grandson J’Wan Boudreaux, who is stepping up with Cha Wa to propel their culture forward.

Vivian Green

Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 8PM at the South Orange Performing Arts Center

Vivian Green’s sultry voice and charismatic presence has earned her a place as one of the country’s most captivating Soul singers on the scene today. “Emotional Roller Coaster” rocketed her to stardom in 2002, and she is now celebrated regularly on all the top R&B/Hip-Hop albums charts.

Born in Philadelphia, Vivian Green was raised in a home where Motown classics were always playing. She began singing at age five, started playing piano by eight, and by eleven began writing songs. By age thirteen, her career as a professional singer was on its way.

She honed her craft at the piano every day after school, writing mature love songs far beyond her years. At fifteen she began to record at multi-platinum group Boyz II Men’s studio. At seventeen she received her first professional songwriting credit co-writing the song “Dear God” on their Platinum album Evolution.

Her mature, sultry voice and knowledge of material allowed her to sing in some of Philadelphia’s premiere Jazz clubs despite her age. Her break-through moment came at age nineteen when Vivian Green sang background for renowned Soul singer-actress Jill Scott on an international tour.

Vivian Green teamed up with Grammy Award- nominated Eric Roberson to create the demo that would win her a deal with Sony Music. The demo contained the first smash hit “Emotional Roller Coaster,” from her debut album A Love Story released in 2002. This album was certified Gold and  received rave reviews from People, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and USA Today . Her second album Vivian released in 2005 and produced “Gotta Go Gotta Leave (Tired)” a no.1 Adult Contemporary /Dance hit. The New York Times called the album a “stellar sophomore performance.”

Vivian Green has several notable features and collaborations. She made her film debut in the Oscar-nominated biopic De Lovely. She also appeared in the TV Series American Dreams, portraying Brenda Hollaway singing “Every Little Bit Hurts”. Green wrote the songs for playwright-film-maker David. E. Talbert’s stage play Love in the Nick of Thyme. She is featured on Cyndi Lauper’s album The Body Acoustic and the late Guru’s Jazzmatazz 4. She was also featured on Soundtrack to a Revolution, a compilation of spiritual songs featuring artists Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, The Roots, and Mary Mary. Most recently she collaborated with Jazz pianist Brian Culbertson for his album Dreams and produced the top 10 Adult Contemporary hit “Still Here”. The song also appeared on her 4th album The Green Room.

In 2014, she became the first artist signed to rapper/producer Kwamé‘s record label, Make Noise Recordings. Vivid, her fifth studio album was distributed via Caroline Records. In April 2015, the first single released from the album was “Get Right Back to My Baby” which climbed to #2 on Billboard’s Urban Adult Contemporary chart. She was also nominated for a Soul Train Award.

 In 2016 Vivian Green released “Grown Folks MusicWork” which went to the top 15 on Billboard’s Urban Adult Contemporary chart. And in 2017, six albums into her illustrious career the aptly titled, VGVI [Make Noise/Caroline]—pronounced “vee–gee–six,”  has earned her highest chart entry in over a decade on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, garnered acclaim from Vibe and YouKnowIGotSoul, and yielded  a bona fide hit in the form of “Get Right Back To My Baby.”

Lean on Me: José James celebrates Bill Withers

Sunday, March 4th | 7 PM | Landmark on Main St.

A deep and soulful young vocalist whose international profile has exploded in the last few years, José James has transcended his reputation as a jazz singer to embrace influences including R&B, Moroccan Gnawa music, hip-hop and gospel. On the heels of 2015's beguiling Billie Holiday centennial tribute Yesterday I Had the Blues and the electro-pop of this year's Love in a Time of Madness, James returns with a celebration of the music of iconic soul singer and composer Bill Withers.

James' flexibility and omnivorous musical taste is reflected in his hugely diverse résumé, which includes work with Jazz great Chico Hamilton as well as Electronica hero Flying Lotus. In his review for The New York Times, writer Ben Ratliff described James as "a romantic baritone with a deep-funk band, stretching out songs, evoking both the '70s of Roberta Flack and Gil Scott-Heron and the '90s and oughts of J Dilla." In a program called Lean on Me, James offers his reverent-yet-expansive take on Withers classics including "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me," and "Just the Two of Us, backed by a stellar band.

Vetted personally by Mr. Withers himself, the show is an exploration of the deep musical catalogue that touched millions of hearts and united communities worldwide. Featuring Withers' top ten hits as well as his soul ballads and rare grooves, James brings both a deep musical appreciation and a contemporary approach to songs such as "Ain't No Sunshine," "Hope She'll Be Happier," and "Just the Two of Us."
Fittingly, James has assembled a truly all-star cast of musicians to play with him: Nate Smith on drums, Reuben Rodgers on bass, James Francies on keys and Brad Allen Williams on guitar.

Lean On Me: José James

Celebrates Bill Withers

Friday, March 2 at 8PM | SOPAC

A deep and soulful young vocalist whose international profile has exploded in the last few years, José James has transcended his reputation as a Jazz singer to embrace influences including R&B, Moroccan Gnawa music, Hip-Hop and Gospel. On the heels of 2015’s beguiling Billie Holiday centennial tribute Yesterday I Had the Blues and the electro-pop of this year’s Love in a Time of Madness, James returns with a celebration of the music of iconic Soul singer and composer Bill Withers.

James’ flexibility and omnivorous musical taste is reflected in his hugely diverse résumé, which includes work with Jazz great Chico Hamilton as well as Electronica hero Flying Lotus. In his review for The New York Times, writer Ben Ratliff described James as “a romantic baritone with a deep-funk band, stretching out songs, evoking both the ’70s of Roberta Flack and Gil Scott-Heron and the ’90s and oughts of J Dilla.” In a program called Lean on Me, James offers his reverent-yet-expansive take on Withers classics including “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Use Me,” and “Just the Two of Us, backed by a stellar band.

Vetted personally by Mr. Withers himself, the show is an exploration of the deep musical catalogue that touched millions of hearts and united communities worldwide. Featuring Withers’ top ten hits as well as his soul ballads and rare grooves, James brings both a deep musical appreciation and a contemporary approach to songs such as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Hope She’ll Be Happier,” and “Just the Two of Us.”

Fittingly, James has assembled a truly all-star cast of musicians to play with him: Nate Smith on drums, Reuben Rodgers on bass, James Francies on keys and Brad Allen Williams on guitar.