With summer fast approaching, Musical Instrument Museum celebrates the season with a series that brings big names such as iconic hipster Rickie Lee Jones and folk singer Tom Rush to the Valley. The museum will also put the spotlight on the culture of India with live music and exhibit talks that guarantee a good time for all ages.
Doc Severinsen and the San Miguel Five
Wednesday, May 1, 7-9 p.m.
Tickets: $37.50-$47.50
The vivacious trumpeter and bandleader Doc Severinsen leads the San Miguel Five in an evening of sophisticated Latin rhythms and jazz. It is virtuoso classical Spanish with a jazz flair, gorgeous ballads, both Latino and American, plus some great movie music and gypsy jazz, à la Django Reinhardt. Together with guitarist (and co-leader) Gil Gutiérrez, Doc has crafted an innovative and exciting program.
David Bromberg
Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $37.50-$42.50
David Bromberg is a master’s master, a string wizard whose virtuosity led him to be a first-call, “hired gun” guitarist for recording sessions, ultimately playing on hundreds of records by artists including Bob Dylan (“New Morning,” “Self Portrait,” “Dylan”), Link Wray, the Eagles, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson and Carly Simon. He’s played with everyone and he’s toured everywhere. He can lead a raucous big band or hold an audience silent with solo acoustic blues. Over time, Bromberg’s range of material, based in the folk and blues idioms, grew to encompass bluegrass, ragtime, country and ethnic music.
Experience India
Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5
Tickets: Free with museum admission
Save the date for Experience India. See performances by local and international artists, make your own ankle rattle, and participate in a drumming workshop! This weekend will also feature a presentation on Indian musical instruments by ASU’s Dr. Ted Solis, a program made possible by the Arizona Humanities Council. More details available soon.
Lecture: The World on a String: Indian Musical Instruments in Cultural Context by Dr. Ted Solis, Arizona State University
Saturday, May 4, 2-3 p.m.
Tickets: Free with museum admission
Discover the vivid panorama of the colorful history of the Indian subcontinent in a presentation through instruments by Dr. Ted Solis.
Simone Dinnerstein & Tift Merritt
Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29.50-$37.50
Simone Dinnerstein, a Juilliard-trained classical pianist, and Tift Merritt, a singer-songwriter whose father taught her to play piano and guitar by ear, join forces for the first time in “Night,” a unique collaboration uniting the classical, folk and rock worlds, exploring common terrain, and uncovering new musical landscapes. When the two met, they immediately realized that their passion for music and performance was kindred, if not the same.
Lecture: The World on a String: Indian Musical Instruments in Cultural Context by Dr. Ted Solis, Arizona State University
Sunday, May 5, 2-3 p.m.
Tickets: Free with museum admission
Discover the vivid panorama of the colorful history of the Indian subcontinent through musical instruments in a presentation by Dr. Ted Solis.
Sara Watkins
Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22.50-$27.50
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and fiddle player Sara Watkins first came to prominence in the Grammy-winning, platinum-selling bluegrass-hybrid band Nickel Creek. She’s just released “Sun Midnight Sun,” her second solo album, and has been a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
La Santa Cecilia
Thursday, May 9, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $19.50-$27.50
La Santa Cecilia is a Los Angeles‒based Mexican American band that exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock, and world music by utilizing Pan-American rhythms like cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, rock and klezmer music.
R. Carlos Nakai & Will Clipman
Saturday, May 11, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $32.50-$37.50
Tucson-based multi-instrumentalist R. Carlos Nakai is the world’s premier performer of the Native American flute. A cultural anthropologist of Navajo-Ute descent, he began his musical studies on the trumpet but his musical interests took a turn when he was given a traditional cedar flute as a gift and challenged to master it. Nakai is a traditionalist who views his cultural heritage not only as a source of inspiration, but also as a dynamic continuum of natural change, growth, and adaptation subject to expressive needs. He creates original compositions that capture the essence of his heritage in highly personalized ways.
Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole
Sunday, May 12, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $32.50-$37.50
Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole is a five-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano (Hawaiian Grammy) Award winner and is considered “the voice of Hawaii’s new generation.” Heir to seven generations of culture borne by the esteemed Kanaka’ole family of the Big Island, he carries the mantle proudly with ancient oli (chant) traditions, modern melodies, and original mele (songs) in a powerful mix of music that speaks to the heart and to the soul.
I Am AZ Music: Extreme Acoustic Guitar
Monday, May 13, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $15
Jake Allen, Bill Dutcher, Duffy King and Anthony Mazzella bring their jaw-dropping talents to MIM Music Theater for an evening of acoustic guitar music that is sure to leave you spellbound.
Béla Fleck
Wednesday, May 15, 7-9 p.m.
Tickets: $52.50-$62.50
Just in case you are not familiar with Béla Fleck, there are some who say he is the premier banjo player in the world. Others claim that he has virtually reinvented the image and sound of the banjo through a remarkable performing and recording career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations. If you are familiar with Fleck, you know that he just loves to play the banjo and put it into unique settings.
Marcia Ball
Friday, May 17, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29.50-$37.50
2012 Grammy-nominee Marcia Ball is a living example of how East Texas blues meets southwest Louisiana swamp rock, as Rolling Stone described, “Rollicking, playful, good time blues and intimate, reflective balladry … her songs ring with emotional depth.”
Tom Rush
Sunday, May 19, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $29.50-$37.50
Tom Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound; artists ranging from Tom Petty and Emmylou Harris to Garth Brooks have named him one of their major influences. He helped shape the folk revival in the 1960s and the renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s, and his return to touring a few years ago has brought him to a new generation of fans.
Carla Morrison
Thursday, May 23, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29.50-$37.59
Morrison is a Mexican singer-songwriter whose powerful vocals and heart-wrenching lyrics have earned her two Latin Grammy Awards and multiple Latin Grammy nominations. ABC News called her “Mexico’s answer to Adele.”
Get the Beat! World Drumming Series: Rhythms of Asia
Saturday, May 25, 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 per class; museum admission may be purchased separately
Join the circle and get the beat! Frank Thompson, founder of AZ Rhythm Connection, offers a chance to experience community drumming for all levels, from absolute beginners to enthusiastic professionals. Each fun, relaxing, and family-friendly session will highlight a new culture or genre, plus provide plenty of time for making music and jam sessions. Guest artists and MIM curators will stop in to demonstrate or share information about instruments, cultures, or rhythms. Bring your own drum or use one provided. To register, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
Maria Muldaur and Her Red Hot Bluesiana Band
Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $27.50-$32.50
Best known for her seductive 1970s pop staple “Midnight at the Oasis,” Maria Muldaur has since become an acclaimed interpreter of American roots music: blues, early jazz, gospel, and New Orleans music, with her Bluesiana Band.
Jane Monheit
Wednesday, May 29, 7-9 p.m.
Tickets: $29.50-$42.50
Praised for her exceptional sultry jazz vocals, Grammy-nominee Jane Monheit electrifies critics and audiences with her expressive interpretation, tone, and poise. The Guardian of London said: “Monheit decorates a melody, lights up a lyric, but never loses the essential thread of the song itself.”
Joy Kills Sorrow
Thursday, May 30, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $17.50-$22.50
Bringing together a national flat-picking guitar champion, a Béla Fleck‒inflected banjoist, a young mandolin dazzler, and a John Lennon Songwriting Contest winner with a haunting voice, Joy Kills Sorrow is a modern American string band with an indie rock sensibility.
Rickie Lee Jones: My Life in Words and Music
Friday, May 31, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $42.50-$57.50
Rickie Lee Jones, the iconic hipster, defined a laid-back style along with her then boyfriend, Tom Waits, and when she told everyone that “Chuck E.’s in Love,” the world fell for her. Her 2012 release of deconstructed rock classics, “The Devil You Know,” got rave reviews. “Rickie Lee Jones has made a career out of surprising people. She takes on these iconic tracks fearlessly and never disappoints,” said National Public Radio.