Urban-15 is hosting a big event on Sunday and the layout of talent coming to perform is quite impressive. Urban 15’s George Cisneros details it:
"George and Aaron Prado, we have Ken Slavin, Bett Butler, Juan Tejeda is coming in, Bryce Milligan, Carmen Tafolla, Sheila Black, Laughing Gravy, which is the improvisational jazz group that’s working out of the High Wire Arts Center," he said.
Those performers and many more are coming, including Urban-15's drummers. The name of the event is Up From the Ashes. The reason behind the name?
"One of the artists we’ve been working with for almost 30 years has been Eduardo Garza — poet, musician, percussionist, painter, renaissance Vietnam vet," said Cisneros. "We’re doing a fundraiser for him because unfortunately his house burned in a fire and he lost a lifetime of art work and his home."
Garza created the Jazz Poets Society, bonding an open mic poetry forum with improvisational jazz musicians. Now in his honor, Up From the Ashes happens this Sunday. Cisneros gives details:
"From 3 p.m.-8 p.m. at Urban-15, that’s 2500 South Presa. There will be continuous acts from 3 o’clock, and we’ll be ending at 8 o’clock. There will also be some food, again 100% of the food sales will be going to Eduardo," Cisneros said.
I noted to Cisneros that it is also going to be an emotional evening.
"Yes, it will be because the five poets that are going to be reciting, they’ve been working with Eduardo for many, many years. Their bond is very deep," he said. "And so when a tragedy happens to one of their crew it is felt by all of them."
Laurie Ann Guerrero, San Antonio's new poet laureate, will also be there.
- Learn more about the event here: www.urban15.org
