Pops opener dazzles with Jacktown Sons’ MSO debut
Celebration of Jackson’s own — old school R&B with new symphonic oomph
Jackson, Mississippi — Timeless R&B plus symphonic spectacle marks Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s opening Pops concert, as Jacktown Sons bring home the best of soul-stirring favorites. The concert is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 26, at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center in Jackson. Thalia Mara Hall is temporarily closed for repairs.
Jacktown Sons represents a new frontier for the Jackson-based quartet of career performers who first harmonized as students in the Jackson State University choir 30 years ago. Group members Larry Armstrong Jr., Juan Knott, John Macklin and Brian Williams have captivated crowds for decades with their rich, smooth blend of Motown and more, all highlighted by standout dance routines and a dynamic vibe. They have performed across the country and in Europe with artists such as Michael Bolton, Cassandra Wilson and Ronald Isley.
“High energy, soulful and guaranteed to energize an audience,” Jacktown Sons’ promoter Jesse Thompson described the group’s signature style. Jacktown Sons’ rhythm section and MSO musicians will make the music sing, too. “I’m serious, they will rock.”
The Temptation’s “Get Ready” and “Can’t Get Next to You,” Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ “Tracks of My Tears” and the O’Jays’ “Love Train” are just a few of the favorites on the program, as well as a couple of Jacktown Sons originals.
This concert is a dovetail fit with MSO’s 80th anniversary season and its aim to salute music and musicians on the home front.
“We’re really trying to highlight Mississippi music and Mississippi artists,” MSO President and Executive Director Jenny Mann said. “This is the birthplace of America’s music, and we’re the symphony of that birthplace. We’re working very hard to show the world what amazing artists we have right here, right now.
“We’re really excited because this is going to be a fun concert,” she continued. “This is Mississippi through and through,” with brand new arrangements by Jackson-area Bill Murphy.
Season ticket holders with Conductor, Connoisseur, and Loge reservations will enjoy reserved seating at the new venue. Please see the box office or an usher for assistance upon arrival. All other seats are general admission and are first-come, first-seated.
Individual tickets for this Pops concert are $43 general admission for adults, and $5 for kindergarten through college students (with valid student ID). Visit msorchestra.com for ticket orders and concert details.
The on-site box office will open at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the concert at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center.
MSO’s Pops Series is generously supported by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. This concert is sponsored by the Meyer and Genevieve Falk Endowment Fund for Culture and Arts at the Community Foundation for Mississippi, and guest artists Jacktown Sons are sponsored by Frascogna Law Group, PLLC. MSO is supported in part by the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
What: Jacktown Sons, MSO Pops Series concert
Who: Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, October 26, 2024
Where: Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center, 4908 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS