#ArtLitPhx: JAZZ meets POETRY: Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron

This month’s JAZZ meets POETRY event is a Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron, and will be held at The Nash (110 E Roosevelt St, Phoenix, Arizona 85004) on April 26 from 7:00-10:00 pm.

JAZZ meets POETRY is a new series at The Nash for 2017-2018 that places poets and jazz musicians center stage to make art that is expressive, interactive and captivating.

Part theatre part concert, this performance tributes Gil Scott-Heron — considered to be “one of the most important progenitors of rap music” (AllMusic’s John Bush) — with original poetry, spoken word and musical accompaniment provided by The Nash Music by The Geibral Elisha Movement.

SPECIAL GUEST: Brooklyn, NY-based artist Tai Allen, who released a book and soundtrack project — No Jewels — in 2017. In 2010, his album “Easy Readin’” was awarded Album of the Year by the National Poetry Awards. He is a member of the National Black Writers Conference Steering Committee and has also served as the Conference’s Poetry Cafe host. Allen also is creative director for Arts+Crafts, where he curates an annual Tap+Cork Brooklyn Beer & Wine Fest, and creates performance opportunities for emerging artists, djs and poets.

Advance tickets: $15, $8 Students (25 & under with ID). At the door: $20, $10 Students (25 & under with ID).

#ArtLitPhx: Wordplay Cafe presents Seven Deadly Sins

Starting August 10th, Mesa Arts Center is partnering with Creative Catalysts to present Wordplay Cafe open mic. The monthly event will start with a performance writing workshop then follow up with open mic performances, featured storytellers, spoken word artists and musicians. Volstead Public House on 105 W. Main St will host the workshops until the finale story slam on March 22nd at Mesa Arts Center. Find out more information and get the complete schedule here. This is a platform for local community members to take their story and transform it into spoken word and performance art.

#ArtLitPhx: The Langston Hughes Project

The Langston Hughes Project presents Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz, a multimedia performance embodying poet Langston Hughes’s jazz poem suite. The performance will take place on Wednesday, April 12th, 2017 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Agave Community Room at Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s Pecos Campus (2626 East Pecos Road Chandler Az 85225.)

The twelve part epic poem is a homage in verse and music to the African American struggle for artistic and social freedom in the 1960’s.

Experience the poem through spoken word with Dr. Ron McCurdy, accompanied by live music from the Ron McCurdy Quartet with images and video from the Harlem Renaissance.

This event is free and open to the public, however there is limited seating. For more information visit Ron McCurdy’s website.

This event is co-sponsored by Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Arizona State University.

 

#ArtLitPhx: World Poetry Day Festival

In celebration of World Poetry Day, the ALAC is celebrating the beauty of poetry and spoken word with some very exciting performances in Phoenix through verse, music, and interpretive dance.

The World Poetry Day Festival will take place on Saturday March 25th, 2017  from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center (147 E Adams St, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.)

There will be a variety of languages featured in poetic form on stage including Nahuatl, Spanish, Navajo, Portuguese, English, Spanish, Spanglish (Chicano style), Sign Language and more!

ALAC is a cultural center that promotes and preserves Latino~Mexican~Chicano~Indigenous Arts and Cultures.

The event is hosted by Maggie Messerschmidt with performances by Sergio Herrera, Rashaad Thomas, Deborah Berman-Montano, Joe Montano III, Joel Joelskii Salcido, Khalifah Ahmeedou, Varnadeaux, Jules Dinehdeal, Talima Flores-Allah, Maria Rodriguez-Pope, Teatro Nervo, JC Koffy, Chris Danowski, Diana Noquetzal Garcia, Reyna E. Montoya and Ileana Salinas-Mireles, Yovani Flores, Raay Francy, Melissa Dunmore, Adrian de Hoyos, Freddy Lopez, Susan Nguyen, and Bojan Louis.

A suggested donation of $5 per person is greatly appreciated. See the Facebook Event Page for more information.

All transactions are cash only purchases, including drinks, snacks and collections of poetry from the performing artists will be available the day of the event.