The Steve Roberts Jazz Ensemble closes the 2026 Arts in Appalachia series with a solstice holiday concert at the Cherokee County Arts Council on Friday, December 18, at 4 p.m.

Performing as Conception, the Birmingham, Alabama, group brings together some of the region’s top players in a mix of jazz, funk, soul, Latin, and contemporary improvised music. The music is rooted in Birmingham’s jazz tradition and made for longtime jazz fans and new listeners alike.

Steve Roberts, trumpet, is associate professor of jazz studies and trumpet at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He taught earlier at Mars Hill College and Iowa State University, and has performed with Marcus Roberts, Kirk Whalum, Jon Faddis, Allen Vizzutti, Martha and the Vandellas, and Cecil and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Ryan Brown, bass, is a Birmingham bassist and educator who has played professionally since he was 17, covering nearly every style of American music. He gives clinics at folk music conventions and universities.

Carlos Pino, guitar, has more than 30 years on stage in jazz, rock, blues, gospel, Latin American, and classical music. He teaches jazz guitar at UAB and Miles College, plays for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Red Mountain Theatre, and has released two albums of his own.

Tickets: $15 general, $10 CCAC members, free for students.

Event details
Date: Friday, December 18, 2026
Time: 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Cherokee County Arts Council, 33 Valley River Avenue, Murphy, NC 28906
Admission: $15 general, $10 CCAC members, free for students
Presented by: Cherokee County Arts Council, as part of the Arts in Appalachia concert series
Contact: director@cherokeeartscouncil.org, (828) 233-5624

The Arts in Appalachia series is supported by the Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.