RUTH NAOMI FLOYD - MUSIC FOR THE SOUL at SOUTH Restaurant & Jazz Club (Unscripted Jazz Series)

Music for the Soul weaves together the acclaimed sacred jazz canon of award-winning vocalist and composer Ruth Naomi Floyd with her bodies of work honoring Frederick Douglass, Octavius V. Catto, Marian Anderson, and the narratives of formerly enslaved African Americans, among others.  Featuring special guests Craig Handy and pianist Aaron Graves, this inspiring quartet performance explores faith, remembrance, freedom, justice, defiant joy, and radical hope through expressive vocals, original compositions, and improvisation.

Craig Mitchell Handy is an accomplished American tenor saxophonist celebrated for his dynamic style and rich musical legacy. Born in Oakland, California, Handy developed his musical skills at North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984. After completing his formal education, he began a distinguished career marked by collaborations with jazz legends including Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Abdullah Ibrahim, Elvin Jones, and many more.