Music

The notion of standing on the shoulders of giants feels especially true when discussing music and the arts. In jazz, as Louis led to Dizzy, and from Dizzy we got Miles, we can often directly attribute our successes to our mentors and heroes. From my father, my first guitar teacher Crisanto Bautista, my jazz teacher Paulo Siqueira, to David Morgan and through Dr. David Banks who invited me to the Columbus Jazz Society in the…

“My dad was a bluegrass guitar player and loved traditional country, bluegrass, and gospel,” Charlie Starr says when asked what music he heard as a child. “My mom liked the Stones, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan. And my sister liked Rock 103.” Speaking by phone two days before Christmas from his Atlanta-area home, Starr – a Chattahoochee Valley native, having bounced across the river a few times growing up between Chambers County, Alabama and Troup…

Music, sweet music, filled the air in downtown Columbus on a warm Wednesday evening in November. The streets were alive and abuzz as middle-aged rock and rollers poured out of restaurants and bars on Broadway, giddy to see classic rock favorites “Foreigner” on their farewell tour stop at the RiverCenter. Meanwhile, the sweet sound of live music wafted from the Loft’s balcony onto the street below and baptized believers and non-believers alike. Such a vibrant…

Columbus has a rich jazz history which can often be overlooked. Ma Rainey, who is widely considered the “Mother of The Blues,” was born here and is a Columbus icon. Jazz has been a staple in our city over the decades through venues such as The Liberty Theater, which was part of the legendary “Chitlin Circuit,” and The Loft, which has been a patron of jazz since opening its doors in the 90s. Even as…

Local artist Jonboy Storey exudes that southern charm bred of a true country upbringing. He believes that is what makes the music he creates so impactful – “I think the fact that I’m living in the Deep South, immersed in it every day, makes me able to stay true to it. I’m doing the same things that the people who listen to country music are doing,” he says. Having grown up playing in the youth…

On first listen, you would never believe that local band Cigarette Girl is anything other than wholly original. Their chosen material may be covers, but that doesn’t stop them from making each track their own and filling every inch of the stage with unparalleled energy and musicianship.  It should come as no surprise that the band is home to a stellar cast of players: Grammy nominated and nationally touring drummer Sean O’Rourke; multifaceted guitarist, recording…

A fixture of the Columbus music scene, Jesse Shelby has for years been gifting our community with beautiful music, soft spoken kindness, and a true investment in doing good through his art. Collaboration has always been at the forefront of his endeavors, and his current venture, The Shelby Brothers, is no different. The Shelby Brothers is a four-piece band composed of Jesse and his brother, Hank Shelby, on guitar and vocals, Evan Collins on bass,…