"Spending an evening with Plunky and the Oneness is spending an evening full of festive carnivals and romantic wonder...The best part was knowing that even if you were a
jazz fan, a devout r&b listener or a rapper, you would be thoroughly satisfied. Plunky 8 Oneness is a must-see." Beat Premier Magazine
"...some of the more intriguing arrangements...combine African percussion, sax and electronics in a refreshing and someUmes exotic fashion...." Mike Joyce, The Washington Post.
Veteran sax man J. Plunky Branch takes the stage with his band, Plunky and Oneness, will cap off the Afro-American Cultural Center's Heritage Music Festival Saturday, with a
blend of cool jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, funk and hip-hop .
For more than twenty years Plunky has enthralled audiences in the U.S. and abroad. He
was a studio musician for television's top-rated "The Cosby Show."
Last fall, he toured in Europe, where he performed with his own group in London and also
with the Soulciety all-star revue which visited Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Plunky has twice toured Ghana, West Africa, once for the Ghana National Commission
Children, and again as a cultural specialist for the USIA. Plunky and Oneness has opened shows for numerous stars, including Patti Labelle, Ray Charles, Najee, Yellow Jackets, and
Frankie Beverly & Maze. They performed at the New Orleans World's Fair, at the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and at the Hampton Jazz Festival.
The MCC's Heritage Music FesUval brings to Charlotte a series reflecting the breadth and depth of African American music and traditions.
Plunky and Oneness is an excellent choice for the closing night because the spirit of celebration is an infectious force in its music.
Known for blending a variety of styles, this group has a strong national and internaUonal following and released its 12th CD "Groove Tones" in 1998.
The audience can look forward to an evening where rhythm, ritual, power and emoUon reign supreme and the entertainment brings enlightenment.
In addition to being a veteran saxophonist and a composer, Branch is also a lecturer and teacher.
He is a two Ume recipient of the NEA Jaz Fellowship; has been an instructor of African
American Music History at Virginia Commonwealth University; lecturer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; sought after artist-in-residence and for the past three years Plunky
has been named a Virginia Hero by Virginia Heroes, Inc. for his outstanding work with children.
Over his career Plunky has entertained and taught thousands, and in the process, has developed a broad-based following.
During his 1987 West African tour, critics proclaimed Plunky "...one of the greatest living saxophonist!"
The Charleston News & Courier said "Equally at home on tenor and soprano saxophone,
Plunky leads with a driving attack and a rocking fiery, blues-oriented inventiveness in solos that seem~inspire increasing crunch from an already blasting back-up group."
Plunky and Oneness, Heritage Music Festival; Stretchin' Out; Aug. 21; Afro-Arnerican Cultural Center, 401 N. Myers St., downtown Charlotte; 7 P.M. $10 in advance; $12 at the door.
