Going In-Depth With Marcus Miller, Beth McKee, And Triad To Do

Marcus Miller

The 5th Annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival kicks off in High Point on Friday, September 5th. Over the past five years they've brought some of the top names in jazz and blues to Oak Hollow Park. The festival has also featured local, regional, and student musicians. This year all the headliners are Grammy Award winners - Like today's guest, Marcus Miller.

Marcus Miller is a multi-instrumentalist who's musical legacy stretches over the past four decades. From his career revitalizing work as a producer & instrumentalist for Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis, to his production history with R&B superstars Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey, Marcus has been the go-to guy for arrangements, studio polish, and inventive yet groove driven bass. He collaborated with David Sanborn on stage and in studio, and released a string of solo recordings from the 90s to now. Peer into his catalogue and you'll also find classical collaborations such as 2008's A Night in Monte Carlo (with the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra). His latest record is called Afrodeezia. It was recorded around the world, and was inspired by his role as a UNESCO Artist For peace, a role that Marcus explains during his conversation with Triad arts executive producer and admitted superfan, David Ford.

Marcus Miller is playing at The 5th Annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival in High Point, NC, on Saturday September 5th. Other highlights of the weekend include Snarky Puppy, Earl Klugh, Pancho Sanchez, and David Sanborn.

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Beth McKee

Singer/songwriter Beth McKee's Sugarcane Revival and Hurricane Party with Tommy Malone and Jeffrey Dean Foster comes to the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art – SECCA—next weekend.

INDY week say's Beth's music “… sits at the edge of the swamp and the city, adding cosmopolitan polish to the regional impulses of the places she's called home.” In today's show, we sample from Beth's new CD: Sugarcane Revival.

You can hear Beth perform several selections live at SECCA on Saturday, August 29th in Winston-Salem. The concert kicks off at 7:00pm.

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Triad To Do

This week Neal shares his new interest in bluegrass and the band he can thank for that interest - the Steep Canyon Rangers. The band is playing at the Blue Ridge Music Center on Saturday, August 29th. The concert begins at 7pm. Tickets are $20.

Bethany lets you know about the last two events for the Reynolda House's Cinema Under the Stars Series. You can watch Dr. Strangelove this Friday, August 27th andRushmore on Friday, September 4th. Gates open at 7:30pm and the film starts at 8:30pm. Cost is $5 per person / $20 per car.

Eddie recommends the new documentary Best of Enemies playing at a/perture cinema. The film chronicles the 1968 debates between conservative William F. Buckley Jr. and liberal Gore Vidal. Their debates changed the course of "pundit television as we know it" and boosted ABC's ratings.