Music fills the weekend

This first weekend of December offers some interesting concerts. Here’s a roundup of what’s happening in the midstate.

Friday

In the final session of ExploreGeorgia.org’s Songwriters Series — a special keyboard summit — Ike Stubblefield, Lloyd Buchanan and Lola Gulley will swap songs “in the round,” then engage in an improv jam session with a backing band.

With a career of more than 50 years, Stubblefield has worked with a venerable who’s-who of popular music. This includes B.B. King, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Rare Earth, Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, George Benson, Boz Scaggs, Esther Phillips and Curtis Mayfield.

Acclaimed vocalist and keyboardist Buchanan recently wrapped up a tour with Alabama Shakes. He toured with Oleta Adams, Wet Willie and others, and currently leads the Grammy-winning R&B group Cubed Roots. Buchanan plans to unveil new material during this concert.

Award-winning artist Gulley has been proclaimed as one of Atlanta’s “Queens of Blues.” She played trumpet and drums before switching to keyboards, and later toured with the late Johnnie Taylor. Gulley also shared the stage with Bobby Womack, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Pointer Sisters, Betty Wright and Chubby Checker.

This performance, at the Douglass Theatre beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, is part of Georgia Tourism’s “Year of Georgia Music” campaign, which promotes the state as a destination for live music.

Saturday

The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents an encore performance of “The Magic Flute” at the Douglass Theatre. This presentation reprises the broadcast that launched the Met’s Live in HD series. The shortened English-language production, which brings whimsical humor and breathtaking puppetry to Mozart’s timeless fairy tale, starts at 12:55 p.m. Saturday.

The Phillips Children’s Performing Arts Studio presents “An Amazing Holiday Musical,” which celebrates the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ through music, dance and spoken word. The performance will feature the Phillips Performing Arts Dancers, Jazzy Jazz Concert Band and special guest performers. The free concert at Macedonia Church begins at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Barry Darnell and the Mobile Slim Band perform in a concert that benefits the Navy SEAL Foundation. This nonprofit foundation supports U.S. Navy SEALs and other special operations personnel — our country’s most elite warriors — their community and families by empowering and assisting them during times of illness, injury, loss and transition. The show at the Library Ballroom starts at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday

See the Otis Redding Foundation’s DREAM Choir in concert at Vineville United Methodist Church. Also, the Wesleyannes Chorus and Concert Choir perform during the Wesleyan Christmas Concert on the Weslyan College campus. Both free concerts begin at 4 p.m. Sunday.

This story was originally published December 1, 2016 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Music fills the weekend."