Performing Arts at Wharton Center: Jazz

SOUTHERN JOURNEY: AN AFRO-AMERICAN CELEBRATION!

FEATURING RANKY TANKY AND SPECIAL GUEST DOM FLEMONS

COBB GREAT HALL; SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2021, 8PM

South Carolina’s global Gullah ambassadors and the Billboard chart-toppers making “soulful honey to the ears” (NPR): Ranky Tanky. The soulful songs of the Gullah culture are brought to life by this band of native South Carolinians who mix the low country traditions with large doses of jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B.

The group is joined by Grammy Award ® winner, two-time Emmy nominee, and 2019 Wammie Award winner Dom Flemons, known as “The American Songster,” as his repertoire of music covers over 100 years of American folklore, ballads, and tunes. Flemons is considered an expert player on the banjo, fife, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quill, and rhythm bones.

Sponsored by MSU Federal Credit Union with additional support from Jackson National Life Insurance Company.

Media sponsor: WKAR

ALICIA OL ATUJA

INTUITION: SONGS FROM THE MINDS OF WOMEN

PASANT THEATRE; THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021, 7:30PM

“ … [a] singer with a strong, lustrous tone and anamiably regal presence onstage” —The New York Times

Alicia Olatuja has been astounding audienceswith her exquisite vocals, artistic versatility, andcaptivating presence since she first came intothe national spotlight in 2013, performing as thefeatured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choirat President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.Olatuja showcases her broad vocal range throughIntuition: Songs From The Minds of Women. Intuitionis Olatuja’s celebration of women composers,reinterpreting their songs through her lens of classic,jazzy soul. Alicia Olatuja is one to watch. Don’t missthis stunning new voice.

Sponsored by MSU Federal Credit Union.Media sponsor: WKAR

AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS

COBB GREAT HALL; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021, 7:30PM

“Branford Marsalis’ quartet has been a model ofdaring, unapologetic artistry for the past three decades.” —Jazziz

“His quartet, featuring Eric Revis on bass, drummerJustin Faulkner, and pianist Joey Calderazzo, hasbecome an institution.” —PopMatters

After four decades in the international spotlight,saxophonist Branford Marsalis is far from slowingdown. From his early acclaim bringing new energyand new audiences to jazz, he has refined andexpanded his talents and his horizons as a musician,composer, bandleader and educator – a 21st-centurymainstay of artistic excellence. A multi-Grammy ®winner and NEA Jazz Master, he is joined by theBranford Marsalis Quartet, a thriving ensembletogether for over three decades.

Sponsored by MSU Federal Credit Union with additional support from Lansing Board of Water and Light.

Media sponsor: WKAR