Tonight at Joplin’s Empire Market, Charles McPherson will perform the first of two concerts scheduled this weekend. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

After months of anticipation, jazz great alto saxophonist Charles McPherson and his band will perform a ticketed concert tonight at 7. The performance is a part of Connect 2 Culture’s Curtain Up series, and proceeds benefit the creation of a Black History Mural in Joplin. McPherson was born in the city and moved to Detroit at the age of nine, where he studied with renowned pianist Barry Harris and started playing jazz professionally at age 19.

McPherson, who now resides in San Diego, has had a few recent tour dates and has spent the majority of the pandemic preparing himself for a return to touring full time. “Yea, well, it’s fun, and it will be fun. And that’s true, I have been practicing, plus I love to do it, so it’s not like a hard thing for me to do, but at least I will be in shape.” At McPherson’s request, Connect2Culture will be enforcing a strict COVID-19 policy to attend Friday and Saturdays concerts, including wearing a mask, proof of complete vaccination, or a negative COVID test 72 hours prior to the show. For 89 9 KRPS, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro