Julia Marino: Alive After Five
"Since 1993, Alive After Five has been Knoxville’s most unique live music experience. Beginning at 5:30 pm on 35 Fridays each year (divided into four seasonal series), Alive After Five provides a great way to wind down at the end of the workweek or jump-start the weekend, or sometimes both!" - Michael Gill, Alive After Five Coordinator
Alive After Five at the Knoxville Museum of Art was just the place to be for some early-evening culture and entertainment last Friday, July 21. Sharon Mosby & the Wendel Werner Quintet played spunky jazz standards, entertaining a crowd of 361 dancing and singing attendees. The dance floor was scattered with classy couples working on their Charleston moves. Large round tables were seated with art enthusiasts, jazz lovers and anyone looking to experience art, music, and good company in a stylish, smoke-free setting. The wine was flowing. The free popcorn was popping, and the crowd was gracefully socializing to the band's saultry renditions of "Fever," and other jazz favorites.
At one point in the evening, Sharon called on anyone with a July birthday to approach the stage. With my 22nd coming up this week, my friend Yoiryos wouldn't let me get away with hiding behind a sculpture as I had planned. So I walked up to the band along with about 15 other birthday boys and girls. The quintet, as well as a few other singers from the audience, began clapping and singing a quirky version of "Happy Birthday." "Happy Birthday! I hope you get some tonight!" sang Sharon and her friends in happy waves and crescendos. Needless to say, we all blushed a little, and soon inspired couples began to dance Charleston again.
Perhaps Alive After Five Coordinator Michael Gill describes the Alive After Five experience best.
"Our audience likes high-energy, danceable music, something they can ‘shake a tale feather’ to, and I try to give them what they want."
Gill explaines how Alive After Five aims to present a "variety of musical genres by local, regional and national artists and beyond."
He listed Boogie-woogie pianist Philippe LeJeune, from Toulouse, France, who played on Bastille Day July 14, and other artists from Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and Japan as a few diverse performers to grace the museum's stage.
Alive After Five began as primarily a jazz program, but has become quite diversified with jazz making up about a third of the programming in the past five years, Gill said.
"Big band jazz and swing is very popular, and also blues, R & B, reggae, and rockin’ Americana. I can say pretty confidently that we have the most diverse audience in Knoxville."
I couldn't help but agree the more I began to talk to members of the audience and discover all their different interests and tastes. People of all ages got up and danced and enjoyed the catered food. There was no questioning the universal theme of fun, food and music, however.
Speaking of diverse music, the line-up for Alive After Five this summer and fall is smokin'. Check out these upcoming shows in the summer series and get ready to get alive after five!
Blue Mother Tupelo
July 28 – Blue Mother Tupelo. Bluesy Americana by former Knoxville group now based near Nashville.
August 4 – The Artists Formerly Known as Soul Sanction. The “Rename the Band Party” for this 9-member Motown/R & B group that holds the all-time single performance attendance record at Alive After Five. The audience at this show will pick the new name for the group.
The Artists Formerly Known as Soul Sanction
Fall series:
September 22 – Rocky Wynder Quartet. Jazz, blues and Latin tunes by a Knoxville saxophone legend.
September 29 – Roger “Hurricane” Wilson. Blues guitar wizard from Atlanta.
October 13 – Werner & Schmidt. Jazz and R & B by pianist Wendel Werner and sax-man Terry Schmidt
October 20 – Boys’ Night Out. Soul and Carolina beach music by 11-member band.
October 27 – Diane Jobe’s Cosmic Soul Band – Rockin’ funky soul by all-star line-up.
November 3 – Tennessee Sheiks – Acoustic swing and Gypsy jazz, featuring vocalist Nancy Brennan Strange
November 10 – Double bill: Sara Schwabe & Her Yankee Jass Band with Phil Pollard & His Band of Humans. Out to prove there’s no such thing as too much fun!
November 17 – The Streamliners. Jump, jive and wail with Knoxville’s most popular swing band.
November 24 – Jenna & The Joneses. Boogey off those extra Turkey Day pounds with Knoxville’s favorite funky, jammin’ blues band.
December 1 – The Downtowners “Holiday Special”. A festive jazz celebration.
And keep your eyes and ears open for “Alive into 2007!”, the 3rd annual New Year’s Eve Party at KMA.