Benefit Jazz Concert: Deep Roots-Tall Trees
Friday August 8, 2014 7pm
Lyric
Theatre & Cultural Arts Center
,
Here
is how you can support our efforts: Concert ticket
information: All tickets available at www.lexingtonlyric.com or (859)
280-2218 concert poster |
Featuring: KEVIN HARRIS read more read more CHARLETTE'S WEB read more |
This concert is a benefit fundraiser for the First African Foundation’s capital campaign to purchase the historic First African Church located at Short and Deweese Streets in Lexington. After purchase and renovations the plan is to develop a center will feature a concert hall, rehearsal rooms, art galleries, community service space, café, gift shop and administrative offices. Video about First African Foundation
Deep Roots-Tall Trees Performers: The concert performers feature jazz pianist, Kevin Harris, jazz trumpet player, Michael Cruse and singers, Charlette's Web. All of these fabulous musicians developed their musical talents while growing up in Lexington. Kevin and Michael represent the fruit from current branches of the “tall trees” that grew from the “deep roots” of Lexington’s legacy of producing very talented jazz artists and accomplished musicians in every genre of music. Lexington has a long and respected musical tradition(deep roots) that has developed creative talents (tall trees) in classical, jazz, bluegrass, R&B, gospel, hip hop and other musical forms. Our concerts will honor and recognize these performers. Read more about Kevin Harris; Michael Cruse and Charlette's Web
William E. Thomas
Music Awards
This concert will also serve as the inaugural presentation of the William E. Thomas Music Awards given to individuals from Lexington who have distinguished themselves in the various musical traditions. This year’s recipients will be the late jazz saxophonist, Clarence “Duke” Madison and opera singer, William B. Ray.
article about Clarence "Duke" Madison The awardees
will receive a piece of commissioned art by Lexington’s wood sculptor, Lavon
Williams and recognition in the First
African Foundation’s Music Hall of Fame.
About William E. Thomas
William E. Thomas was born 1950 in Lexington, KY and after earning a bachelor’s
degree in music at Oberlin College and a MFA at Penn State University, he was
named the chair of the music department at Phillips Academy in Andover,
MA. Following his retirement from Andover, Thomas threw himself into an effort
to save his childhood church in Kentucky, a significant black history landmark
building constructed and paid for by enslaved persons in the 1850s. His vision
for the project, which was outlined in an article about Thomas in the fall 2012 issue of Andover Magazine, included converting
the old building into a multi-purpose cultural center that would contain a
concert hall and museum devoted to spotlighting the work of black artists.
William served as FAF board president until his untimely death in April 2013.
Concert ticket
information:
All tickets available at www.lexingtonlyric.com or (859)
280-2218
Admission prices and seating: all seats assigned $30, $20,
$10 plus fees
Friends of First African
Foundation-is the youth outreach
program devised by the First African
Foundation concert committee that will allow underserved youth in our
community an opportunity to experience professional jazz and music concerts.
Our goal for this 2014 concert with Kevin Harris and Michael Cruse is to
provide 50 tickets to underserved youth and their chaperones. Please consider
becoming a Friends of FAF by making a
donation that will be used to purchase tickets for our youth to attend the
concert. You can make your Friends donation
at: http://firstafricanfoundation.org/donate/
or call (859) 270-3699. Ticket sponsors will receive recognition in the concert
program book.
Deep Roots-Tall Trees Jazz Concert will benefit the First
African Foundation and serve the First Annual William E. Thomas Music Awards
About the First
African Foundation: We seek to purchase the historic First African
Church located at Short and Deweese Streets in Lexington, Kentucky. We plan to
renovate and develop a facility dedicated to presenting the lives of African
Americans in the Bluegrass. The center will feature a concert hall (the old
sanctuary), rehearsal rooms, and galleries for exhibition, photographic
library, community service space, café, gift shop and administrative offices.
http://firstafricanfoundation.org/
· Andover
article about William Thomas
· William Thomas, Founding President,
2010-2013
· Video about First
African Foundation
· Article
about William B. Ray
· article about
Clarence "Duke" Madison,
www.nkaa.uky.edu/record.php?note_id=2591
· Andover:
An Afternoon of Music to Benefit First African Foundation