The Renzi Education and Art Center, located at 445 Egan Street in Shreveport’s Highland neighborhood, is a pretty incredible place. Through their free after-school and summer programs, as many as 60 kids per day receive academic tutoring as well as art classes on topics ranging from animation and cartooning to fashion design and music video production. The not-for-profit organization will host a fundraiser jazz and blues brunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, May 11, featuring live music from some of Shreveport-Bossier’s most accomplished musical talents, including jazz drummer Brady Blade, Jr. and veteran bluesman Buddy Flett. The event will be held at Alan Berry’s venue The Shop, a funkily-rennovated old Standard Oil warehouse at 2002 Southern Avenue. If you’ve never been to The Shop, the unusual venue is reason enough to attend. But the killer music line-up certainly doesn’t hurt.
“We’re honored to have some of our favorite musicians performing at the jazz and blues brunch,” said Christy Kirkley, program director for the Renzi Center. “We have an all-star line-up of musicians, headed up by Buddy Flett and Brady Blade, Jr.”
Food for the shindig will be provided by Marilynn’s Place and Rhino Coffee, who’ve planned a Louisiana-style brunch spread including shrimp and grits, beignets, Marilynn’s Place’s popular “Mexican breakfast” (scrambled eggs over Mexican cornbread, topped with a creamy tomato sauce and bacon) and watermelon basil fruit salad. The infamous Bloody Mary and mimosa cash bar from Marilynn’s Place will also be available.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online or by calling (318) 222-1414. All proceeds will benefit the center’s after school program.
