The Philadelphia Museum of Art welcomes an eclectic mix of international performers and jazz artists for the fall season of Art After 5 in the Museum’s Great Hall Stair. Each Friday evening the space becomes a lively, festive concert hall. This season also marks the culinary debut of Stephen STARR Events, the Museum’s exclusive new caterer, which turns out distinctive appetizers and signature cocktails for guests to enjoy.

Highlights of the fall 2010 season include a concert with drummer Cindy Blackman, who has performed with such legends as Lenny Kravitz, and her group Another Lifetime on October 15. Those in the mood for a macabre scene should stop by the Haunted Museum Masquerade on October 29. The evening features a Jazz Age-themed Halloween party complete with spooky art tours and ghoulish cocktails, in addition to tap and swing performances by flapper-style dancers (don’t forget to wear a killer costume!). Composer JP Jofre and his orchestra recreate the seductive rhythm of a Tango Party on November 5, while the celebrated Moroccan-Berber singer, composer, and producer Malika Zarra performs for the first time in Philadelphia on November 26. The innovative sounds of contemporary chamber music float through the Great Stair Hall on December 10, as the ground-breaking collective Relâche hosts a concert inspired by the Museum’s modern art exhibitions on Michelangelo Pistoletto. The year ends with a lively New Eve’s Party on December 31 with top hits performed by party band Marquee. During Art After 5 events, guests can explore the Museum’s galleries and special exhibitions between sets.

Art After 5 showcases a diverse and dynamic lineup of world music and dance performers on the first Friday of each month. Recognized and emerging jazz artists perform on all other Fridays. The fall 2010 Art After 5 schedule is as follows:

October 1
Notte Salentina—Celebrate Salento
The band Khaossia travels from Italy to perform traditional music from the Salentina peninsula. Virtually untouched by tourists, this region is rich in its own distinct cultural treasures. This performance is supported by The Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia.

October 8
Pedro Giraudo
Argentine-born Pedro Giraudo leads a thirteen-piece band that has captivated audiences around the world with its passion and energy. While the band’s underpinnings are Argentine, its big-band sound is in the tradition of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and others.

October 15
Cindy Blackman and Another Lifetime
Drummer Cindy Blackman has performed in Lenny Kravitz’s band as well as with her own group. Having studied at the Berklee College of Music, she can effortlessly move from straight-ahead jazz to rock to funk. She will play in a trio with guitarist Aurelien Budynek and bassist Felix Pastorius.

October 22
Jack Donahue
A New York City-based singer and songwriter, Jack Donahue has performed with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and headlined at such legendary clubs as Birdland and The Rainbow Room.

October 29
Haunted Museum Masquerade
Swing and tap your toes at an enchanting Jazz Age–themed Halloween masquerade, featuring live jazz and swing by The Moonlighters and spectacular tap and swing performances by Gin Minsky, Dandy Wellington, and other fantastic dancers. Costumes are encouraged!

November 5
Tango Dance Party
JP Jofre and his tango orchestra play songs from the golden age of tango. JP Jofre has been part of some of the most important tango shows from Buenos Aires in New York such as Tanguera: The Tango Musical, Romper el Piso (Break the Floor), Tango Connection, and Tango Noir.

November 12
Tessa Souter
London-born of Trinidadian and English parents, the New York-based vocalist, composer, and lyricist infuses jazz with the soul and passion of flamenco, Indian, and Middle Eastern music.

November 19
Greg Osby
Saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator Greg Osby has made an indelible mark on contemporary jazz as a bandleader and guest artist with such acclaimed artists as Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie. His current focus is cultivating new artists on his label, Inner Circle Music.

November 26
Malika Zarra
Moroccan-Berber singer, composer, and producer Malika Zarra leaps effortlessly between seemingly unconnected languages and traditions, uniting them while utilizing each to further enrich the others. Her mezzo-soprano voice can communicate powerful and subtle ideas and feelings in Berber, Moroccan Arabic, French, and English.

December 3
Festival of Lights
Metropolitan Klezmer, established in 1994, brings eclectic exuberance to Yiddish musical genres from all over the map. Performing vibrant versions of lesser-known gems from wedding-dance, trance, folk, swing, and tango styles, as well as soundtrack material from vintage Yiddish films, they reinvent tradition with both irreverence and respect.

December 10
Relâche
Taking inspiration from the Museum’s Michelangelo Pistoletto exhibitions, Relâche chamber ensemble performs Strange Stone by Kamran Ince and Pleiades by Sophia Serghi.

December 17
Denise King
Singing pop and jazz standards with touches of the blues, soul, and gospel, Denise King possesses a voice steeped in a sophisticated style much like one of her idols, Sarah Vaughan.

December 24
Christmas Eve
The Museum will be closed this evening.

December 31
New Year’s Eve Party
Join us for a New Year’s Eve pre-party at the Museum! Philadelphia’s top party band Marquee will play your favorite songs, and the mood will be festive as we prepare to ring in 2011.