On Saturday night, students and parents attended a performance at the Levitt Shell featuring jazz artist Joyce Cobb, alongside the Stax Faculty Players, The Rhodes Jazz Band and the Stax Academy Jazz Ensemble. This event, hosted during Parents weekend, gave students and faculty the chance to perform with a jazz legend at one of the most famous music venues in Memphis.

Joyce Cobb, an Oklahoma native, was trained in music from a young age. She started her music career in Dayton, but later moved to Nashville and eventually Memphis, where she signed with the Stax record label. In a short time she was producing and recording music, most famously her Top Forty hit “Dig The Gold.” Through her career, Joyce Cobb performed in various places and genres, but her soulful, belting voice and her passionate lyrics remain unchanged.

Mike Curb Institute Director John Bass said, “Joyce is one of the real treasures of Memphis music.” He further added, “Anyone who has seen her perform knows that she is one of the most talented and engaging artists in the city. She pulls you in to her performances and makes the experience feel like it just for you. Away from the stage, she is every bit as genuine and gracious.”

She initially joined the Rhodes community  in the Music Department as an instructor, where she teaches music and vocal music to students.

“We are thrilled to have Joyce serve on faculty at Rhodes, sharing her wisdom and gifts with our students,” Bass said.

At the performance, all were able to enjoy the outdoor facility thanks to clear skies. Parents got the opportunity to mingle with others in a special VIP section, and students filled the open area in lawn chairs and picnic blankets. The Levitt Shell, which focuses on community building events, hosts many artists during its Concert Season, but focuses heavily on Memphis Acts. This was the seventh year the Levitt Shell has hosted a “Rhodes Night.”

As Rhodes Student took the stage with Cobb, they were accompanied by many members of the faculty, as well as the Stax Academy Jazz Ensemble. The Stax Academy Jazz Ensemble trains groups of Memphis-based group of young jazz artists in Music Theory, performance and the music industry. On stage, songs ranged from classic songs like “Sonnyman for Two” performed by the Jazz Ensemble to “ Grove is in the Heart” by a few Rhodes vocalists. They had been preparing since the semester began.

“Joyce Cobb is a cool teacher,” Max Kaplan ’19 said. “She has a lot of experience about what sounds good. She’s gonna assign you a song and see what you can give her, and if it’s not right—she’ll know. In the end you end up learning how to do it properly, and get better too.”

Capping off Parents Weekend and a month of hard work, Jazz Night offered a unique opportunity for students, parents and faculty to mingle with the Memphis community and celebrate their shared history.