If you feel a little swing in your step this week, it might be all the great jazz you can hear from our fair city’s rooftops, parks and plazas. Dance, drama and divas are on tap, too, plus some history to absorb and historic skills to appreciate. Just another full week of arts and culture in Greater Cincinnati.
Thursday, Sept. 11
CCAC Rooftop Sessions | 6:30 p.m. Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3412 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 513-497-2860. DETAILS: Building the Clifton Cultural Arts Center a few years back was clearly intended to give the center’s programming a home, but that doesn’t mean all that programming is in the building. On Thursdays through October, it means on the building, as in the roof. An eclectic lineup of musical acts performs free concerts high above Clifton Avenue (BYO chair, though). This week, it’s the classic jazz of the Phil DeGreg Trio.
Know Theatre, “King James” | 7:30 p.m. 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-300-5669. DETAILS: In the first years of the 21st century, Cleveland found a hero to rally around. Already a national star from high school, LeBron James went on (eventually) to lead his hometown team, the NBA’s Cavaliers, to break the city’s championship drought. Fans dubbed him “King James.” In his play of the same name, playwright Rajiv Joseph uses those heady years as the backdrop for the unlikely, 12-year friendship of Matt and Shawn, who bond through shared adulation of their sports idol. Runs through Sept. 27.
Friday, Sept. 12
Heritage Village Museum, Fall Homeschool Day | 10 a.m. Sharon Woods, 11500 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. 513-563-9484. DETAILS: As locals well know from school, the town that became Cincinnati was one of three early settlements – and not the first – on the north bank of the Ohio between the two Miami rivers. Greater Cincinnati’s living history museum invites you to get a taste of life in Columbia, which sprung up in 1788 about where Lunken Airport now sits. Enjoy activities and see pioneer skills, like 18th-century games, gravestone rubbing, beekeeping, blacksmithing, Dutch oven cooking, gardening and quilting. There’ll be historical figure reenactors, too.
(Photo by Aaron M. Conway)
Cincinnati Ballet, “New Works” | 7:30 p.m. Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-621-5282. DETAILS: Cervilio Amador kicks off his first season as Cincinnati Ballet’s full artistic director with the company’s traditional artistic bang. The annual Kaplan New Works Series this year comprises four world-premiere commissions – from choreographers Caroline Dahm, Yoshihisa Arai, Andonis Foniadakis and Andrea Giselle Schermoly – under the theme “The Colors of Emotion.” Eight performances through Sept. 20. Read more from our September magazine.
Saturday, Sept. 13
Gathering of the Guilds |10 a.m. Weavers Guild, 4870 Gray Road, Spring Grove Village. 513-591-2500. DETAILS: If this event sounds to you like a legendary medieval convocation, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. The Gathering of the Guilds celebrates the region’s artisans who work with modern aesthetics at crafts with centuries of tradition. Stop by for live demonstrations, children’s activities, and to sample wares. Besides the host Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati, participating organizations specialize in (to give you an idea of the breadth of the skills on display) clay, enameling, blacksmithing, lapidary and faceting, print and bookmaking, basketweaving, wood turning and quilting. The lot is small, so consider seriously the free shuttle from College Hill Presbyterian Church, 5742 Hamilton Ave.
CliftonFest |10 a.m.-10 p.m. Ludlow Avenue, Clifton. DETAILS: You likely didn’t realize it’s been so long, but Ludlow Avenue hasn’t hosted CliftonFest since before the pandemic. The tradition finally resumes, organized by the folks at the CCAC. As always, the festival celebrates art and music. Signed up for this year are more than 40 vendors showcasing handcrafted goods, 15 live performances and dozens of sidewalk chalk artists. Grab a bite from any of Ludlow’s restaurants; beer from Over-the-Rhine-based Mellotone Beer Project will be featured.
Xavier Music Series, TY Zhang |2 p.m. Bellarmine Chapel, Xavier University, 3801 Francis Xavier Way, Evanston. 513-745-3162. DETAILS: Xavier wasted no time, getting its annual music series off and running just after Labor Day. This weekend sees the first guitarist of the season, Tengyue “TY” Zhang. Zhang made history as the first Chinese winner of the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, the world’s premier guitar competition. His brings a program almost evenly split between the Baroque (Bach, Dowland, Rameau) and more recent Spanish or Latin works (Albéniz, Piazzolla, Sor).
No Promises Vocal Band | 8 p.m. 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Road, Oakley. 513-731-8000. DETAILS: Cincinnati’s professional boy band – no, not the one with the Lacheys – is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style with “The Boy Band Diaries,” backed by the KSO Boogie Band, the Kentucky Symphony’s subsidiary group that recreates studio orchestra arrangements. No Promises will also welcome a dozen former members and guest artists to the likely very full 20th Century stage. Expect to hear some Ink Spots, NSYNC, Four Seasons, Temptations and probably even a little 98 Degrees, too.
Sunday, Sept. 14
Cineposium Cincinnati, “Carol” | 7 p.m. The Carnegie, 1028 Scott Blvd. DETAILS: We don’t plug many trade conventions in this space because … well, you know why. Here’s one, though, that’s offering a public treat. Cineposium 2025 brings together members of the Association of Film Commissioners International – the folks that work to bring film productions to their areas – and this year’s host group is Film Cincinnati. The activities are centered in Covington, including a special 10th anniversary screening of “Carol,” the Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara love story set in 1950s New York but filmed right here in the Queen City. A discussion with filmmakers Christine Vachon and Todd Haynes follows.
Monday, Sept. 15
Jazz at the Park | 6 p.m., Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: Music under the trees in the park is a time-honored tradition for a reason. It’s a great way to spend an evening – especially a Monday after starting another work week. Head on down to the Porch in OTR’s Washington Park tonight to enjoy the Kelly MacKenzie-Thurley Quartet. The CCM grad, who now teaches at NKU, is a regular at clubs around town for a good reason.
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Jazz at the Square | 5 p.m. Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets, downtown. DETAILS: To be fair, music programming has been running all summer on Fountain Square, but it’s hard to recommend sitting on a paved plaza when it’s 90 degrees with tropical humidity. Now that the weather is more amenable, though, relaxing to some live jazz as the sun drops behind Carew Tower seems like a pretty good idea. Up this week are Jennifer Ellis and the Bobby Sharp Trio.
Seraph Brass | 7:30 p.m. Hall Auditorium, Miami University, 101 S. Campus Ave., Oxford. 513-529-3200. DETAILS: There are plenty of laudable traditions in classical music, but some should just bow out. One of the latter is an assumption that women aren’t (or can’t be) good brass players. If a corner of your brain harbors any such thought, the Seraph Brass would like a word. This all-diva group was founded to showcase women brass players and highlight musicians from marginalized groups. Take the drive up to Oxford to see how well they do it.
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