BLUES FOR THE CAUSE: GARY CLARK JR. LIVE AT KENNY DORHAM'S BACKYARD (2009)
BLUES FOR THE CAUSE: GARY CLARK JR.
LIVE AT
KENNY DORHAM'S BACKYARD
with Matthew Robinson and the Central East Band, and special guest, touring jazz trumpeter Russell Gunn
DiverseArts Blues Family Tree Project and KAZI-FM Present...
What: DiverseArts Culture Works presents Gary Clark Jr. LIVE
Where: Kenny Dorham's Backyard
Just east of the Victory Grill
1106 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78702
When: Friday, September 4, 2009; Doors Open at 8 p.m. to 12:00pm
Cost: Donations accepted at the door: $8 suggested/$10 reserved seating
Contact: Harold McMillan (512) 477.9438
Grilled Soul Food • Cash Bar • Outside under the stars
DiverseArts is happy to announce that Gary Clark Jr has offered to come to our aid and headline an exclusive fundraising show at Kenny Dorham's Backyard this Friday, September 4. One of our Blues Masters events, this Friday’s show brings together two generations of Austin homegrown blues guitar talent as the youthful Clark is joined on the bill by Matthew Robinson and the Central East Band, one of Austin’s hottest veteran guitarist and blues-shouters---an East Side Blues standard-bearer. The surprise-featured guest for the evening is touring jazz trumpeter Russell Gunn. In town for his Tribute to Kenny Dorham concert on Saturday at St. James, Russell will make an appearance at KDs Backyard and give us a sample of why he is creating such buzz and garnering Grammy nominations for his fiery trumpet work.
Round out the evening with some good food from Clifford Gillard’s grill (from the Victory Grill Café), some ice cold beverages, and a cool breeze and you’ve got a perfect night for some live blues---and to help raise some funds for a good cause!
DiverseArts is, and has been for years, the most prolific nonprofit producer of cultural programs along East Austin's 11th Street District. The organization now finds itself very much in need of public support in order to continue its programming mission. This event, like other DiverseArts programs at Kenny Dorham's Backyard, is meant to not only raise funds, but also to emphasize the importance of the organization's work to preserve, present, and document the African American cultural legacy of the newly designated East Austin Cultural Heritage District. The goal of the fundraiser is to spur interest in and boost the fundraising efforts of DiverseArts during the current period of economic recession and provide immediate support for the organization's fall season of programs and ongoing engagement in East Side cultural preservation.
Recognizing the need, and wanting to do something to help bring attention to the Cultural Heritage District and the work of DiverseArts, Austin's most prominent rising star on the international blues scene, Gary Clark, Jr, has offered up his talent and time for the event.
Gary Clark Jr. began his blues music career at the age of 13. He plays a variety of instruments; guitar, harmonica, bass, and drums. Gary has opened for various acts such as Gatemouth Brown, Bobby Blue Bland, Texas Johnny Brown, Jimmie Vaughn, and Joe Ely. During his career Gary has released two CD's; "Worry No More" (2002) and "110" (2004).
www.garyclarkjr.com
Matthew Robinson’s guitar playing and style of blues-shout singing sets him apart from most of Austin’s bluesmen. A hometown product of East Austin, Matthew has been an active and key player in the progression---and preservation---of East Side Blues since he was a teenager. Honing his chops as a youngster in onstage with T.D. Bell, W.C. Clark, Major Burkes, James Polk and others, Matthew finds himself in the position of being one of the remaining elders of that scene. Now with several international tours and a few critically acclaimed records (on Dailtone) to his credit, Matthew has earned the status but does not get the attention he deserves here in River City. Though a young 62, his style and stage presence is exciting and anything but predictable. Get ready for a sweat-soaked, high energy set!
Russell Gunn, a modern day jazz legend, infuses elements of Cuban, Brazilian, African, "Go Go", and Hip Hop music in his original jazz works. He has performed with a variety of artists ranging from Wynton Marsalis, Cee-Low of the hip hop group the Goodie Mob, and neo soul artist, Maxwell. During his career, he has released two CD's; "Young Gunn" (1994) and Grammy nominated "Ethnomusicology, Vol. 1" (2000).
www.russellgunn.com
The Austin Blues Masters Series @ The Historic Victory Grill
During DiverseArts Spring/Summer 2009 Season we are intent on producing high quality cultural programs that provide glimpses into why Central East Austin—the East End—is a designated Cultural Heritage District.
The Austin Blues Masters Series will present a performances, stage talks, and screenings that pay tribute to the East Side’s historic identity as Austin’s original home of the Blues, and to the community of musicians whose careers directly connect them to the roots of Austin’s blues tradition. The series, scheduled for the second and fourth Thursdays in May, and the first and third Thursdays in June will feature members of Austin’s Blues Family Tree whose career spans and advanced musicianship truly qualify them as Blues Masters. In most cases these musicians represent the historic East Side roots of the tradition, but not exclusively. The series will also showcase significant members of the connecting generation of players whose work has helped define the contemporary sound, look, and feel of present-day blues in Austin. And, with each installment of the Series, the Victory Grill remains a key player, major factor, and significant monument in our efforts to preserve the tradition and provide quality cultural programming content in Austin’s newly designated African American Cultural Heritage District.
