Tweet It! .@common, @robertglasper, and @karriemriggins aka @Augustgreenebnd come to the @KimmelCenter 11/29. More info @ Kimmelcenter.org Press Contact: Lauren Woodard Rachel Goldman 215-790-5835 267-765-3712 [email protected] [email protected] SUPERGROUP AUGUST GREENE FEATURING GRAMMY® AND EMMY® AWARD-WINNING MUSICIANS COMMON, ROBERT GLASPER, AND KARRIEM RIGGINS MAKE KIMMEL CENTER CULTURAL CAMPUS DEBUT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, September 5, 2018) – The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes the groundbreaking new supergroup August Greene, featuring the Grammy®, Golden Globe, Emmy®, and Oscar® Award-winning artist Common; the Grammy® Award- winning musician Robert Glasper, and the Emmy® Award-winning producer Karriem Riggins. Developed in 2016, August Greene features a blending of rap, jazz, R&B, and soul – speaking to the feelings and emotions surrounding the black experience. For one-night-only, Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 8:00 p.m., this dynamic trio will take the Academy of Music stage performing their new peaceful and profound music. “The three incredibly talented musicians that make up August Greene are providing audiences with a soundtrack for the world we live in today,” said Ed Cambron, Executive Vice President of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “Music plays such an important role in how communities express themselves; this presentation is a first on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, and we hope it serves as a catalyst for conversation as well as an enjoyable evening of hybrid artforms.” Since 1992, the Chicago-born Common has uplifted listeners with his emotive blend of hip-hop and soul, releasing some of the genre’s greatest work, including 1994’s underground breakthrough Resurrection (featuring the classic “I Used to Love H.E.R.”) and 2000’s Like Water for Chocolate (a magnum opus featuring the Grammy® nominated single, “The Light”). In recent years, Common has turned his attention to the silver screen, appearing in high-profile films like Smokin Aces (2006), American Gangster (2007), Selma (2014), Suicide Squad (2016), and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). In 2015, his track “Glory”— the official theme of Selma—won the Oscar®, Golden Globe, and Grammy® for Best Original Song. Robert Glasper, a Houston-born pianist known for his esoteric mix of jazz, rock, and soul, has long created music that defies expectation. Across various albums—including 2005’s Canvas, 2007’s In My Element, and 2009’s Double Booked—Glasper has occupied his own space in black music, straddling the line between mainstream and underground, gathering his own accolades along the way. In 2012, the musician’s Black Radio—a massive collaborative effort featuring Erykah Badu, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, and Musiq Soulchild, among others—won the Grammy® for Best R&B Album. Two years later, Glasper’s “Jesus Children”—a remake of Stevie Wonder’s 1973 cut of the same name, featuring Hathaway and poet-actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner—won the Grammy® for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Then in 2016, Glasper’s score for director Don Cheadle’s Miles Ahead won the Grammy® for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Karriem Riggins, a Detroit native, is a world-renowned percussionist and producer whose work can be heard on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo, Kaytranada’s 99.9%, and Esperanza Spalding’s shape-shifting Emily’s D+Evolution, among many other albums. As a beatmaker, Riggins pivots between wistful soul and gritty drum breaks, giving ample room for his featured artists to shine. In 2017, Riggins, Glasper and Common earned an award together; their “Letter to the Free” (from director Ava DuVernay’s 13th documentary) won the Emmy® for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Other featured upcoming performances at the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus include: Black Violin (October 27, 2018, Merriam Theater), Django Festival Allstars (November 3, 2018, Perelman Theater), Tom Segura (November 16-17, 2018, Merriam Theater), and PHILADANCO Choreographers on the Move (November 16-18, 2018, Perelman Theater). AUGUST GREENE FEATURING COMMON, ROBERT GLASPER, AND KARRIEM RIGGINS Academy of Music November 29, 2018, 8:00 p.m. Tickets Tickets are on sale now and start at $39.00. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 215-790-5883. See www.kimmelcenter.org for more information. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center’s mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center Campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the Merriam Theater. The Kimmel Center is also home to eight Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2018-2019 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit www.kimmelcenter.org. # # # For photography, please visit https://kcpress.smugmug.com/ .