Media Contact: Lori N. Jones, ljones@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2975

Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is excited to welcome back Grammy Award-winning Ranky Tanky, joined by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer, for a not-to-be-missed performance on Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. 

Ranky Tanky, nationally recognized for its unique fusion of contemporary jazz and funk with the traditional Gullah music of the Southeastern Sea Islands, is composed of Quentin Baxter on drums and percussion, Kevin Hamilton on bass, Quiana Parler as lead vocalist, Clay Ross on guitar and vocals, and Charlton Singleton on trumpet and vocals. The five lifelong friends from Charleston, S.C., strive to revive and celebrate Gullah music and culture, which originated among descendants of West African slaves in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. 

Known for her vocal range and fierceness, Lisa Fischer spent four decades singing with The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, and Nine Inch Nails, and was featured in the Oscar Award-winning film, Twenty Feet From Stardom.

“We can’t wait to have Ranky Tanky back at the Quick – their passion and positive energy is infectious,” said Peter Van Heerden, executive director of the Quick Center. “To have Lisa Fischer join the band onstage ensures this will be one of the most memorable performances of our season.”

Ranky Tanky (a Gullah word for “get funky”) received Grammy Awards in both 2020 and 2023 for “Best Regional Roots Album.” Their sophomore album Good Times reached #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. 

The band has been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, The Today Show, PBS Newshour, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Ranky Tanky was a featured artist at President Biden’s inauguration event, We The People. The group was the subject of a 10-page profile in Oxford American’s South Carolina Music Issue and was named 2020 Artist of The Year by the Charleston City Paper.

Ranky Tanky and Lisa Fischer will also be at the Quick for a two-day residency, leading workshops and conversations with Bridgeport Public Schools students through the Arts for All program. The artists will share their expertise in learning new music, understanding the impact of the Gullah culture on music today, and the historical impact of Black music on American music. The residency is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

The November 10 performance is sponsored by New England Foundation for the Arts, Cindy Raney and Team, Sturges Ridge of Fairfield, WPKN and Fairfield Lifestyle. The performance is also made possible through the generous support of Norman and Celeste LaCroix. Tickets are now on sale on quickcenter.com for $35, or $25 for Quick Members. A $50 ticket includes a meet and greet with the performers post-concert. For more information, contact the Quick Center Box Office at 203-254-4010, Monday through Friday, from 12 to 5 p.m. 

Posted On: October 30, 2023

Volume: 55 Number: 35

Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.