Featuring:  7:30 pm – Under-18 Artist, ATAP Trio
                    8:30 pm – Woody Russell
                    9:30 pm – Jose Ruiz and the Sweet Tones

When:         Friday, May 22, 2015
                    Kids activities begin at 6:30 p.m.
                    Music Starts at 7:30 p.m.

Where:       Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
                   1106 East 11th Street
                   Austin, TX 78702

Cover:       Adults – $5 Suggested Donation
                  Kids (12 and under) enter Free

Food available from: 
Nice-N-Ful Vegetarian Soul Food, Wasota African Cuisine, Arte & Sano Colombian Food and Free Live Oak Beer (21+).

Contact: DiverseArts Culture Works, Diversearts.org, (512) 538-5657

Join us Friday to kick off the end of May and the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend with this month’s East End Fourth Fridays!. DiverseArts Culture Works, in collaboration with the East End IBIZ District, will host another round of the original community-wide block party series this Friday, May 22nd at 6:30 p.m. Come on down as we open up Kenny Dorham’s Backyard for patrons to enjoy the newly revitalized lawn and community gardens, flavorful food trailers, family friendly activities and live musical performances starting at 7:30 p.m.  

The evening’s performances will begin with under 18 artists, ATAP Trio, followed by Woody Russell and Jose Ruiz and the Sweet Tones.

BYOBeverages (No glass containers please) | Blankets and lawn chairs welcomed.

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Featured Artist:

Woody Russell: Critically acclaimed, award winning vocalist, guitarist and composer, Woody Russell, is a contemporary troubadour with one foot in the jazz and blues tradition and the other planted firmly in defiance of any genre categorization. He’s released a body of recorded work that spans from the folk-roots infused songwriter fare of his first album, …as simple as that (1996) to the more recent and highly praised blues/soul release of Up Against It (2010) and his latest recording, Delicious Days (2013); a new album infused with sophisticated arrangements and harmony more closely associated with jazz. As a lyricist, Woody digs deep in to intimate, personal narratives while equally at home addressing a broader social consciousness. And, not unlike a primary influence of his, Van Morrison, Russell navigates the melody and rhythm of his written word with a precision and expression akin to a jazz improviser. For more information on Woody Russell, please visit his website at www.woodyrussell.com.

Jose Ruiz and the Sweet Tones: Jose Ruiz came to the harmonica late in life some 14 years ago, at the age of 41. Some might consider that to be a very late start indeed, but many others consider his musicianship an inspiration. Equal parts jazz and blues, an improviser, an educator and a student, he wears the name “Sweet Tone” for good reason. Recently ranked among the Top Ten best instrumentalists in Austin, Texas where he is based, Jose continues his meteoric rise through the ranks of the regional scene as an instrumentalist of a singular voice – a rare trait for any musician to achieve; that immediately identifiable musical personality. Now signed to Gold Man Records, he released a new single in 2013, No Left Turn, and is currently composing music for an upcoming EP. Jose is also host of a very successful monthly harmonica jam in Austin at El Leon’s, as well as a weekly gig with The East Side Blues Syndicate blues jam. Jose also leads his own band, fittingly named “The Sweet Tones”. A man motivated by the pursuit of his singular style and always looking ahead musically, Jose Ruiz may have come to his chosen instrument late in life, but he has more than made up for lost time and shows no signs of slacking off now. For more information on Jose Ruiz and the Sweet Tones, please visit his website, www.josesweettone.com.

The New School of Music Trio – ATAP Trio: Talented young musicians, Cameron Riggs (15) on piano, Patrick McNally (17) on drums and Truman Clark (14) on bass form the New School of Music’s ATAP Trio. Under the direction of bassist Evan Nicholson, their energy and love of Jazz shows in their performance. ATAP Trio is a classic jazz trio that is well beyond their years!

The New School of Music provides a non-competitive and challenging atmosphere where people of all ages and musical levels are able to study all styles of music.

For more information about the ATAP Trio, please visit the New School of Music Facebook page. For more information on the New School of Music, please visit the website, www.musiclessonsaustintx.com.

East End Fourth Fridays! is a programming series produced by DiverseArts Culture Works to showcase the cultural legacy and identity of Austin’s East End – the Soul in the heart of the City. Held every 4th Friday of the month, East End Fourth Fridays! is designed to bring a relaxed, open-air art and culture block-party to the newly revitalized East Austin. 

IBIZ Districts(r) are a program of Austin Independent Business Alliance and are co-sponsored by the City of Austin Economic Development Department. 

Come join us this Friday as we move and groove to celebrate the return of East End Fourth Fridays! and the Kenny Dorham’s Backyard performance season. For continuous information and updates, please visit the East End Fourth Fridays! Facebook page or the DiverseArts website.