Neville Brothers to bring R&B sound to K.C.

Kansas City, Mo. — The Neville Brothers, an R&B group known for its New Orleans sound, will play at 8 p.m. Friday at Yardley Hall in the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd.

The four Neville brothers have been making music together since the 1950s. Their careers began in Uptown New Orleans, where they grew up. After eight years of playing separately, the brothers reunited to record “The Wild Tchoupitoulas” in 1976.

The Neville Brothers have gone on to sell millions of records worldwide.

The brothers are Aaron, vocals; Art, keyboard, organ and vocals; Charles, tenor, alto and soprano saxophone, native flute and vocals; and Cyril, percussion and vocals.

Tickets are $36-$48 and are available by calling (913) 469-4445 or visiting www.jccc.net/CarlsenCenter.

Jazz drummer to be host to clinic

Topeka — Former Topekan Todd Strait will lead a jazz drumming clinic at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the band room of the Garvey Fine Arts Building at Washburn University.

The event is free and open to the public.

Strait gained attention of drumming legend Louie Bellson while still in high school and went on to work with pianist Marian McPartland and Tal Farlow.

In 1986, he was a member of the 50th anniversary tour of Woody Herman’s “Thundering Herd,” and continues as a member of Karrin Allyson’s group.

The event is sponsored by the jazz studies program of the Washburn music department, Zildjian Inc., Downbeat magazine and Yamaha. For more information, call 231-1010, Ext. 1847.

Folk dance group to perform in Topeka

Topeka — Folk Dance USA, an award-winning dance group from Brigham Young University-Idaho, will showcase American dances from 1800 to 1960 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Washburn University’s White Concert Hall.

The performance will benefit the Topeka Rescue Mission and Doorstep, Inc., two Topeka organizations that serve homeless or low-income people.

Since 1972, Folk Dance USA has represented the United States at folk dance festivals in more than 40 countries on five continents.

This group of 24 dancers is accompanied on many dances by a six-person bluegrass band, which also plays several bluegrass instrumental tunes during the program. The dancers and musicians are all students at Brigham Young University-Idaho, which is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Tickets are $6. For more information, call (785) 357-1437.