JAZZ FEST

The Jazz Fest concert series is Alexander City's signature music event of the summer

Bring on the Jazz

FRIDAY, JUNE 11 AT STRAND PARK IN ALEXANDER CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 12 AT THE AMP ON LAKE MARTIN

BRHS Jazz Band, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. AJ Ghent, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Larkin Poe, 9 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. The Selfless Lovers, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. North 41, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Funk You, 9 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

For more information, visit alexcityjazzfest.com or like the Alex City Jazz Fest Facebook page. Contact the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce with questions at 256-234-3461.

Larkin Poe AJ Ghent

The lineup is set for the 31st annual Alexander City Jazz Fest, which is scheduled for Friday, June 11, in downtown Alexander City’s Strand Park and Saturday, June 12, at The Amp on Lake Martin. Kicking off Jazz Fest on Friday night at Strand Park is the Benjamin Russell High School Jazz Band. They will be followed by AJ Ghent, and headlining Friday night’s festivities is Grammy Award nominat-T it’s exciting to have this caliber of musicians performing to the attendees Jazz Fest attracts over the two days. I would like to thank Russell Lands for serving as the presenting sponsor, as well as all of our sponsors, and the City of Alexander City for allowing us to host this event each year.” Kicking off the 31st year of one of Alabama’s longest-standing free music festivals is the Benjamin ed Larkin Poe. Saturday night at The Amp on Lake Russell High School Jazz Band, led by Dale Martin will open with The Selfless Lovers, followed Bloodworth, BRHS Director of Bands. The Jazz by The North 41. Headlining Saturday night and clos- Band meets during the spring semester and performs ing out the 31st installment of Jazz Fest is Funk You. a spring concert, representing the school and Pride This two-day music festival is free to attend and pre- band program at numerous events each year. The sented by Russell Lands. ensemble is open to all students who are interested “We are thrilled with the diversity and talent we’ve and dedicated to the challenge of performing a great recruited to perform at this year’s Jazz Fest,” said Ed and vast selection of material in a short amount of Collari, President and CEO of the Alexander City preparation time. Chamber of Commerce. “This is the signature event Friday night’s second act is AJ Ghent, who along for Alex City and the Lake Martin community, and with his Singing Guitar, construct a musical sound

Funk You North 41

that can be heard howling from the church to the streets to the clubs. Ghent was the front man in Colonel Bruce Hampton’s Band. His style can be defined as fresh, nostalgic, electrifying and roots rock, fusing blues, funk, rock and pop and mashing it all into a genre he likes to call, Neo Blues.

Wrapping up the festival’s opening night is Larkin Poe. Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their own brand of Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll, which is gritty, soulful and flavored by their Southern heritage. In late 2018, Larkin Poe released their third studio album, Venom & Faith, which was nominated for the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, they are descendants of tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allan Poe.

Opening Saturday night’s show at The Amp on Lake Martin is The Selfless Lovers, a piano-driven rock ‘n’ roll band from Austin, Texas. The group’s original music draws on classic rock, soul, blues and Southern rock influences. The Selfless Lovers are a must-see live act, showcasing an energized retro sound, fantastic musicianship and danceable original songs. The band’s singer even plays saxophone and piano at the same time during the set.

The North 41 will occupy the middle act of the second night of Jazz Fest. They are a dynamic blend of rock, funk, and jazz with the danceability of pop music and sophisticated musicianship that keeps audiences hanging on every guitar solo, every drum solo and every whaling keyboard lick.

Rounding out the 30th edition of the Alex City Jazz Fest is Funk You. Friends, fun and love comprise the ethos of Funk You, a nine-piece musical juggernaut from Augusta, Gerogia. Motivated by a love of live performance, and armed with a captivating sonic presence, the band places a healthy helping of soul atop a funky backbeat that continues to evolve after a decade on the road.