Join us in the GPAC Grove from 6:30-7:45pm, before The Rippingtons hit the main stage, featuring live music by the Bill Hurd Quartet, food trucks and bar. Also in the GPAC lobby we will have an artist reception for our featured visual artist, Kelly Fischer, from 5-7:00pm. Free and open to the public.
Food Trucks:
Mempops
Parker’s Concessions
Riko’s Kickin Chicken
Bill Hurd Quartet:
Bill Hurd is a welcome feature at any Memphis venue catering to jazz fans. His mastery of the alto and tenor saxophone is reminiscent of Coltrane and his virtuosity on soprano and baritone sax is equally impressive.
Hurd has recorded with Kirk Whalum, Isaac Hayes, Maurice White, Greg Curtis, Phil Perry, Kevin Whalum, J. Blackfoot, and Wendy Moten and with fellow legendary Memphis musicians like Floyd Newman, Rod McGaha, Rick Braun, and Lester Snell.
But Bill Hurd’s genius is not limited to music. He is also known as Dr. William C. Hurd, a practicing Ophthalmologist. In addition to his medical degree, he has an MBA from M.I.T. and a B.S. in engineering from Notre Dame (where he was an All-American captain of the track team and named Notre Dame's 1968 Athlete of the Year). Furthermore, Hurd has patented inventions of medical devices relating to his work as an eye surgeon. His two sons are honors graduates of Notre Dame, and his wife of 42 years is a Tennessee Circuit Court Judge.
Obviously, Bill Hurd has high standards, and those standards extend to choosing the members of his quartet. Tom Lonardo (drums), Sidney Kirk (keyboard), and Erroll Thomas (bass) are all considered among the South’s finest musical talents.
