September 12 - SMC/A&EC After School Program begins.

Dwyer Cultural Center 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue Entrance at 123rd Street New York, NY 10027-5351 (212) 222-3060 www.dwyercc.org

Loft Arts Productions and Arts & Education Continuum are happy to announce our partnership with the Dwyer Cultural Center. We will be producing the Uptown Tea Series. Artists and dates are listed below:

September 25
Will Calhoun - intelligently and artistically combines, Indigenous Afro Roots, Urban beats/samples, visual multimedia, and Jazz. A far reaching acoustic/electronic journey from this Two Grammy Winning Drum Master, joined by pianist Marc Carey and bassist Burniss Travis. Mr. Calhoun will also present a small photo exhibition from his African/South American travels.

October 23
The Salim Washington Trio – performing recent compositions on tenor saxophone, flute and oboe, accompanied by bass and drums. Dr. Washington, co-author of "Clawing at the Limits of Cool" on the music of Coltrane and Miles, he will also give a pre-concert talk: “Writing about jazz and how it impacts my music”.

November 6
Rosemary George - brings her new show ‘Torch n' Blues’ to Harlem, featuring a tribute to Louis Armstong, Billie Holiday and a trip down the Broadway of Black America. Singer Rosemary George will perform "Hot Chocolates" by Waller /Razaf, now entitled "Ain't Misbehavin'". This song put Louis Armstrong on the New York map as he played this song in the pit at Connies Inn. Rosemary’s band-mate Marcus Dargan will sing "Aint Misbehavin ", “Your Feets Too Big !” The entire band will play two selections from Showboat by Kern, Gerswhin's “Summertime” and JD Parran’s arrangement of “Yesterdays” to round up the walk through history.

December 4
Heritage O. P. - is an acoustic percussion and vocal ensemble that fuses rich cultural traditions, diaspora rhythms of Africa, South America, Caribbean with African American tradition and modern musical trends. Their contemporary sound has a strong beat and positive lyrics designed to uplift, inspire, and move the listener to dance. Heritage O.P.’s vision is to heal and unite, believing that music is truly the “healing force of the world”, causing all hearts to beat as one. Heritage O.P. celebrates KWANZAA! Bring your dancing shoes.

Happy New Year 2012!

January 22
Salongo! is a title from Zaire meaning “We come together to create something beautiful out of love.” Sãlongo is the brain-child of trumpeter, composer, arranger & leader, Eddie Allen. This 7-piece Afro-Cuban/Brasilian group combines the driving rhythmic concepts of congero legend Mongo Santamaria, the rhythms of Brasil, the harmonic concepts in jazz and the commercial appeal of Santana. “The band,… leans more toward a smoother blend of Latin jazz than authentic, brassy roots music. Yet, that’s exactly what makes their modern interpretations palatable for the masses. There’s plenty to like…..”- Nancy Ann Lee - Jazz & Blues Magazine

February 26
Joseph Daley Project - brilliant composer, educator and low brass player, Mr. Daley brings a new perspective to big band and orchestra. Specializing in new/contemporary music, jazz, and improvisation, Mr. Daley has received fellowships in music composition from the National Endowment, MacDowell Colony, Music Omi and Geraldine R Dodge Foundation. Recently retired music educator completing 30 years of service. Mr. Daley has performed, recorded and toured the world. In 2011 Mr. Daley released “The Seven Deadly Sins” CD documenting original compositions for Jazz orchestra.

March 25
Firey String Sistahs - founder of the Firey String Company, Nioka Workman brings her new project to Harlem. The Hui Cox/Nioka Workman Project is an uninhibited, versatile fusion of styles exploding from organized forms into improvisatory new sounds. 7-string guitarist Hui Cox and 5-string electric cellist Nioka Workman, combine an impressive history of experiences together to create world music that blends harmony, universal energy, life force engaging the listener in future reaching experiences. The Hui Cox/Nioka Workman Project will perform selections from their latest CD ‘Iron Blossoms’. HuiCox-NiokaWorkman.blogspot.com

April 22
Clifton Anderson - a quartet of stellar Jazz artists performing hits from Mr. Anderson's latest CD. Clifton has previously released “Decade” (2009) Doxy Records/Universal Music and “Landmarks” (1997) Milestone/Concord. He has received The Jazz Journalists Association nomination for “Trombonist Of The Year” (2009). Recent appearance leading the Clifton Anderson Quintet on closing night of the 2010 Nice Jazz Festival.

May 27
The Seed, a film by cinematographer Joshua Bee Alafia, was created in 2009, Ethiopia/USA, 101 min. starring, Messeret Tsagaye, Elga Amessa. The Seed is a story with an air of magic, THE SEED chronicles the life of Fikir, an orphan boy of the streets, after an angel appears to him in a dream. Director Alafia blends the colorful reality of an Ethiopian city with supernatural fantasy to create a gentle story of perseverance and hope. The angel endows Fikir with the powers of a soothsayer, and his bold pronouncements to a series of disbelieving strangers sets wondrous happenings in motion wherever the seed of love has room to grow. In English and Amharic with English subtitles. DV-CAM video. (BS) FF Director Joshua Bee Alafia will be present at both screenings for audience discussion.

June 24
Alfred Patterson Quartet - new African- American classical music for brass.

July 8
Firey String Sistahs - singer, violinist Charisa Dowe and her band "The SoulEvolution" create a symphony of jazz-infused soul, reminiscent of great funk bands of old. They've been described as the melodic juxtaposition of James Brown and Jill Scott, with all the funk, heart and soul in between. Charisa’s new CDs releases are, 'Soul Stories’, 'This Journey Home' a gospel gem and the very popular CD released in January 2009: 'Never Looking Back' for Heineken Red Star Soul, that received airplay on 98.7 KISS FM,

August 5
Bridgette & Michael Wimberly - a controversial new theater work in progress by this dynamic team. Michael Wimberly of MWProductions Sound Design is a composer for film, dance, theater and for vocalist. He is the producer of the Power Of Drum, an annual drum clinic and performance event held in NYC featuring top percussionist in the industry. Bridgette Wimberly was part of the 2006/08 Women’s Projects Producers Lab, a member of Lincoln Center Theatre’s Directors Lab where she produced four satellite productions in collaboration with the Lab, A Manhattan Theatre Club Fellow, and a member of the poetry group Cave Canem. She is also the recipient of fellowships/Awards from The New York Foundation for the Arts (Poetry), The New York Urban Arts Initiative, and the Harlem Arts Alliance for Ballet Neo, a dance TV pilot she wrote with ballerina Virginia Johnson. She has been on the Board of Directors at Cherry Lane Theatre, the longest continuously running Off-Broadway Theatre, for ten years. She recently became a lifetime member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre.