“I just want to make music. I want to leave a legacy for my children so that they know who I am and what I was about” –Craig Alston
Soft-spoken jazz saxophonist Craig Alston is a very deep thinker who cares about his surroundings and his music. Music is his therapy as well as a way to connect with an audience.
“People come to hear me perform, I want them to relax and just enjoy. People have problems and they need a release from whatever it is they are going through,” Alston said.
The multi-talented Alston does not want to be placed in a box as a musician, “I want to be able to make music that people will feel good about. One minute it could be jazz, classical, dance or even country. I enjoy music. It’s as simple as that.”
His love of music came from attending music events with his father in Baltimore, like Artscape and the African-American Festival. “I knew from that point I wanted to be a musician, Alston said.
He has traveled the world performing with some big names in the music business including: Fertile Ground, The Four Tops, and The Temptations, just to name a few.
Now the time has come for Alston to do something for himself and he hopes listeners will enjoy his musical journey.
“At the end of the day, you have to be honest with yourself and what it is you do and ask yourself why you are doing it” said Alston who is currently working on a soon to be released CD.
On Sunday, November 2, 2014, the Craig Alston Quartet will perform at the James E. Lewis Museum of Art (JELMA) inside Morgan State University’s Murphy Fine Arts Center located at 2201 Argonne Drive. The peformance is part of the series Jazz at JELMA—the first set begins at 4 p.m. During intermission enjoy a Gallery Stroll Tour of the JELMA Exhibition: Ed Towles-Black Enterprise & Art.Tickets are available through Murphy Fine Arts Ticket Office, 443-885-4440.