Jazz And Uptown Soul From The Velvet Chair Experience At The Bessie

What is now Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in downtown Chattanooga was once known as Ninth St.

For decades, nightclubs along that street in what was then a Black neighborhood showcased jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, and soul - a music scene rivaling Beale St. in Memphis and Bourbon St. in New Orleans.

At the end of this month, a new concert series - the Velvet Chair Experience - rekindles that scene.

The first concert - featuring jazz and uptown soul from vocalist Karen Collins - is on Sunday, May 28th starting at 7 PM at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.