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Weekend In Entertainment: Jazz, A Fashion Show And A BBQ Contest Highlight A Robust Weekend In Charlotte

Jason "Slim" Gambill
Jason Gambill Website
Jason "Slim" Gambill

Slim Gambill is the lead guitarist for multiplatinum country artists Lady A. He will be performing at Middle C Jazz Club this weekend. Also, the Carolina Fashion Awards are on tap, the Cine Casual Film Series continues. And to spice up the weekend, there’s a barbecue grill-off. With WFAE "All Things Considered" host Gwendolyn Glenn for this edition of Weekend in Entertainment is Katrina Louis, senior writer for Q City Metro.

Gwendolyn Glenn: Hi, Katrina!

Katrina Louis, QCity Metro
Sarafina Wright

Katrina Louis: Hi, Gwen.

Glenn: Well, let's hear a little more of Slim Gambill. Katrina, tell us about him and the upcoming show.

Louis: Jason "Slim" Gambill is a producer, a composer, arranger. He'll be at Middle C Jazz Club. They'll have craft cocktails and small plates when doors open at 6 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-serve. But the show is happening this Friday. A show is at 7 p.m. and another one at 9 p.m.

Glenn: Also, JazzArt Charlotte has a virtual series with Greg Jarrell and Dawn Anthony. (music playing) That's Dawn in the background.

Louis: Charlotte knows Dawn Anthony, she's been a staple in the jazz music scene here. She's also a teaching artist and a lecturer as well as a performer. She's done headline tributes to Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald.

Greg Jarrell is the co-founder of QC Family Tree. It's a community organization in the west Charlotte neighborhood. And their mission is to support economic opportunity within the Enderly Park neighborhood. And as a jazz saxophonist in his spare time, he does regularly performs concerts in clubs and venues across North and South Carolina.

For this performance, you can hear him directly from Crown Station. The event is free, but they are asking for donations and tips to support these artists and musicians. We know the impact COVID has had on the entertainment industry. So they are if you're able to ask donations and tips, you can do that at www.thejazzarts.org.

Glenn: And Katrina, how can folks tune in to this virtual show?

Louis: Viewers can tune into JazzArt Charlotte's Facebook pageor their YouTube channel to stream the show that airs Thursday night from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Glenn: OK, moving on to the Carolina Fashion Awards taking place in Charlotte this weekend. I hear the theme is all about the color blue; explain?

Louis: So, they will have a Carolina blue carpet for this show that's dedicated to people in the fashion industry. So that's models, photographers, stylists. They'll have a pre-show and a designer showcase that kicks off at 5:30. The actual awards show is from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Glenn: And what about the models? Will they be all modeling blue designs?

Louis: They will. The whole theme is blue. So they'll have that from the models. But they're also asking for guests who attend to come and show your style in blue.

Glenn: OK, sounds like fun. Where will this be held and what time?

Louis: This will be at Studio 229 on Brevard in uptown. So the address for that is 229 South Brevard St. in uptown Charlotte this Saturday. Again it starts at 5:30.

Glenn: OK, and I understand that those in the show will have to have taken a COVID-19 test, and anyone attending will have their temperature checked at the door and tables will be socially distanced. Safety for all.

Katrina, there's also a barbecue cook-off from the Queen City this weekend. Tell us about that.

Louis: What is Carolina without barbecue? The2021 CharlotteSmokeOff is happening this Saturday at 2 p.m. at The Unknown Brewing Company. That's on South Mint Street, again in uptown Charlotte. I heard that tickets for that are currently sold out. But keep your eyes peeled — you may be able to still get in if tickets become available.

But there will be live music, craft beer, of course, barbecue. And then the proceeds are going to the Purple Heart Homesorganization.

Glenn: And what about social distancing?

Louis: There'll be social distancing. The event takes place outside, but still come with your masks. Keep social distanced and enjoy the food.

Glenn: Great. Now, the Cine Casual Film Series is back. What's this week's pick, Katrina?

Louis: So this week's film picked especially for Charlotte is Espero Tua(Re)volta. It depicts the Brazilian student movement from the protests of 2013 until the election of the new president, Jair Bolsonaro in 2018. The documentary is narrated by three high school students, and it's meant to share the collective voice of the movement itself.

Glenn: Sounds interesting, especially with all of the news coming out of Brazil these days. OK, and there's also a Trap and Paint event happening this weekend in Matthews on Saturday, the Girl TribePop-Up returns to the Charlotte Convention Center Saturday and Sunday for boutique shopping, cocktails and, more with safety protocols in place. And on Sunday, the Bechtler Ensemble will be performing at the Duke Mansion. You can hear them in the background taking us out.

Thanks for being with us, Katrina.

Louis: Thanks again, Gwen.

Katrina Louis is a senior writer for Q City Metro.

Gwendolyn is an award-winning journalist who has covered a broad range of stories on the local and national levels. Her experience includes producing on-air reports for National Public Radio and she worked full-time as a producer for NPR’s All Things Considered news program for five years. She worked for several years as an on-air contract reporter for CNN in Atlanta and worked in print as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun Media Group, The Washington Post and covered Congress and various federal agencies for the Daily Environment Report and Real Estate Finance Today. Glenn has won awards for her reports from the Maryland-DC-Delaware Press Association, SNA and the first-place radio award from the National Association of Black Journalists.