Celebrate Summer With SoulJourners At Eastport UM Church

Get ready for a special event in the maritime heart of Annapolis. On Sunday, July 26, Annapolis Jazz & Roots will invite music loving residents and visitors to Eastport United Methodist Church (EUMC) for the annual Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival fundraiser. The ever-popular SoulJourners band will entertain in shows at 4:00pm and 6:00pm. Complimentary drinks and birthday cake will be served commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence.

For the past four years, the two organizations have worked together to bring jazz and roots music to Annapolis residents and visitors as part of the Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival in November. The July 26 affair will help fund even more free and low-cost events this fall. Other festival venue partners will also be on hand to meet and greet attendees and join in the fun.

One of the city’s most in-demand groups, the SoulJourners will feature David Arthur on bass, Carl Corse on tenor saxophone, Charlotte Kuethe on vocals, Jim Stivers on guitar and Brad Strader on drums. Known for their engaging sound and dynamic stage presence, the band serves up a rich repertoire of jazz, funk, Latin and blues tunes. The musicians are known to listeners and dancers throughout the Baltimore-Washington-Annapolis triangle.

The well-crafted set list includes groundbreaking tunes that made music history, such as “Blue Bossa,” written by trumpeter Kenny Dorham in 1963. This innovative blend of hard bop and bossa nova was likely influenced by his visit to Rio de Janeiro two years earlier and made famous by Joe Henderson in his debut album, “Page One.”

Another favorite is “Mister Magic,” written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter in 1974. The song was a breakout hit for saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. and the title track of his 1975 release. His fusion of jazz funk with smooth jazz earned new respect and appreciation for the smooth jazz genre. And who can hear “I Want You Back” and sit still? Released in 1969, that mega hit heralded the album “Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5.” There is much more in store. The dance floor awaits!

SoulJourners leader David Arthur has performed in many popular groups including Jazz Mosaic and Harmonic Fifth. The latter jazz outfit appeared in the Baltimore area and at historic venues in the nation’s capital such as Mr. Henry’s, Twins Jazz and Westminster Presbyterian Church. The Arthur family is legendary on the Annapolis arts scene. For two generations, family members have made music on countless stages, while also working behind the scenes running major events such as the Annapolis Arts Festival and Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival. David Arthur has been a panelist for the Maryland State Arts Council and served on the Art in Public Places Commission for over a decade. He recently began volunteering on the Annapolis Jazz & Roots advisory board.

The festival has presented international and regional artists from many countries and artistic disciplines since 2022. Its adventurous programming has attracted media attention across the U.S. Events explore different cultures and musical traditions rarely or never heard before in Annapolis (such as sounds from India, Spain, West Africa, Brazil, Venezuela and Korea). Artistic Director Paula “Paulina” Phillips has helped bring a caliber and variety of world music to Annapolis which, in the past, was only accessible via travel to Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and more distant metropolitan hubs.

In 2026, festival events will take place in Eastport and four other neighborhoods on weekends from November 6-15. Venue partners include Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library, Eastport United Methodist Church, Peerless Rens, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, Pip Moyer Recreation Center, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis and Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Attendees come from Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and surrounding states.

Eastport United Methodist Church is located at 926 Bay Ridge Avenue in Annapolis. The concert is suitable for adults and teens. Admission is $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Most events sell out in advance. Early ticket purchase is advised. To reserve seats, visit instantseats.com. Select the venue: Annapolis Jazz & Roots. The short ticket link is https://instnt.us/AJRF.

Interested but unable to attend? You can still support the festival by purchasing a ticket online or mailing a donation. Make checks payable to the following: Annapolis Community Foundation. Be sure to write “Annapolis Jazz & Roots” in the memo and send to P.O. Box 4922, Annapolis, MD 21403. To learn about the history of the festival, visit: www.annapolisjazzandrootsfestival.com and join the “Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival” Facebook group.

Note: Annapolis Jazz & Roots had originally planned to hold this event at Peerless Rens Club. Exciting improvements are being made to the building, and the club will be open to the public for the festival and other events in the fall.