RANKY TANKY
Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30pm | Ron Robinson Theater
Library Square, 100 River Market Ave, Little Rock
This Grammy Award-winning quintet based in Charleston, SC, performs timeless music born from the Gullah culture of the southeastern Sea Islands. “Gullah” comes from West African language and means “a people blessed by God.” “Ranky Tanky” translates loosely as “Work It,” or “Get Funky!” Their debut album was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and the TODAY show. It also soared to the #1 position on the Billboard, Amazon, and iTunes Jazz Charts.
In 2020, Ranky Tanky received a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Album featuring the lead vocals of Quiana Parler as well as the music of Quentin Baxter (Drums and Percussion), Kevin Hamilton (Bass), Clay Ross (Guitar and Vocals), and Charlton Singleton (Trumpet and Vocals), all of whom previously played together in the Charleston jazz quartet, The Gradual Lean, in the late 1990s.
Praise for Ranky Tanky
Grammy Award Winner: 2020 Best Regional Roots Music Album
“One of the greatest gifts of the year” / Afropop Worldwide
“Soulful honey to the ears” / NPR All Things Considered
“Lively and relevant” / Downbeat Jazz, Blues & Beyond
“Enough to provoke swinging hips and nodding heads” / Paste Magazine
“Gifted musicians” / Songlines Magazine
All performers, dates and ticket prices subject to change.