BALTIMORE — Hello, my dear friends, happy holidays to you. This is one of my favorite times of the year. The lights, the smell of pine in the Christmas trees, the decorations in the neighborhoods and even the hustle and bustle in the department stores with folks trying to find the right gifts for their family members and friends. Then there are the office christmas parties and especially the shows and concerts designed just for the Christmas, Kwanzaa, Yom Kippur and Hanukah holidays. Just stop and look around you, then feel blessed that you made it to the end of the year.
Before I get started, I want to thank everyone who bought tickets and came to the last Jazz Expressways Foundation event for the year. It was a great success and almost a sell-out! The members of the Jazz Expressways Foundation, Howard and Cynthia Easley, Avon Mitchell, my husband, Shorty Trusty and I appreciate your support. Thank you for helping keeping music alive. We could not have done it without you.
Now, let’s talk about what’s coming up this weekend. Bilal Ali Productions will host a Motown Holiday Concert on Sat., Dec. 17 to celebrate with smooth jazz and the best of R and B featuring Steve, DJ Fresh, Vivian Owens and Dem “Bmore” Katz at the Quality Inn located at 1800 Belmont Avenue in Windsor Mills, Maryland.
The Kuumba Ensemble Heritage House Community Theater invites you to see a dynamite musical play by Roz Gaines called, “Low Down Dirty Blues.” It’s the story of the jumping juke joint competition for a national recording contract between six blues singers. The experience lures them into scandal, betrayal, and forbidden love and more. They play will premiere Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Randallstown High School auditorium, 4000 Offutt Road, Randallstown, Md. For more information, call 443-413-1470.
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Happy Birthday to Larry Washington, the oldest member of Arch Social Club who will celebrate his 92nd birthday on Sunday, December 18, 2016 at Arch Social Club on Pennsylvania and North Avenue in Baltimore from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with live entertainment, cash bar and food for sale. The celebration is open and free to the public.
Marianne and Howard, the owners of Jazzway 6004 are hosting a “Jazzway Holiday Show” with Craig Alston, Vince Evans on piano, Warren Wolf on Vibraphone, Tom Baldwin on bass, Eric Kennedy on drums, doing vocals are Micah Smith, Irene Jolenti and Nina Anderson also Marianne M-K will sing a song or two on Sun., Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. Jazzway 6004 is located 6004 Hollins Avenue in Baltimore. For more information, call 410-952-4528.
Celebrating the holidays and birthdays, are DJ Mike Jones and KF Sugar Chris—cabaret style on Fri. Dec. 16, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Diamondz Hall, 9980 Liberty Road in Randallstown, Md. This event is BYOB and BYOF with free set ups. For ticket information, call 410-262-6604 or 443-525-5016.
In closing, I want to let everyone know that my sister, Maxine Pryor passed away on Monday, December 5, 2016, after fighting a very long time with heart cancer. Her funeral was held at Joseph Brown, Jr. Funeral Home on Fulton and Reisterstown Rd. on Wednesday, December 14, 2016. Maxine celebrated her 65th birthday on October 2, 2016. It has not been easy losing yet another sibling; Maxine makes three in the past couple of years from cancer. I want to thank all my readers, friends for your love and support during this time of sorrow. I appreciate your sympathy and love. Maxine was a very special person in my life. Please keep me and my family in your prayers.
Well, my dear friends, I am out of space, remember if you need me, call me at 410-833-9474 or email me at rosapryor@aol.com. You can send me your photos, letters, cards and press releases to 214 Conewood Avenue, Reisterstown, Maryland 21136. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS.