The No Tears Project is a jazz-inflected collective formed in 2017 and led by Arkansan-based vocalist Kelley Hurt, and pianist Christopher Parker. The group’s repertoire is inspired by explorations into social equality and strives to create recognition as a precursor to reconciliation. Born from a musical composition (“No Tears Suite”) written by Hurt and Parker and commissioned by the nonprofit Oxford American magazine to honor the civil rights heroes the Little Rock Nine, No Tears has evolved into a touring group. The ensemble’s second album, Humanitics is forthcoming in early 2025.
Musicians:
Kelley Hurt (voice / artistic director); Christopher Parker (piano / artistic director); Rodney Jordan (bass); Darrian Douglas (drums); Robert “Bobby LaVell” Garner, Jr. (tenor sax); Marc Franklin (trumpet); Chad Fowler (alto sax)
This concert is made possible in part by Jazz Road, a program of SouthArts.