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No Tears Project to bring jazz, social justice message to UA - Pulaski Tech

The No Tears Project, a jazz collective blending music with a powerful message of community outreach, will perform at UA - Pulaski Tech’s CHARTS Theater on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and $15 and are on sale now online at uaptc.edu/charts. Students with a valid student ID receive free admission.

Led by vocalist-songwriter Kelley Hurt and pianist-composer Christopher Parker, the group honors civil rights heroes through a repertoire inspired by explorations of social equality. Their performance aims to create recognition as a precursor to reconciliation. The group’s website is notearsproject.com.

The concert coincides with the release of their new album, Humanitics, on Feb. 25, 2025, from Mahakala Music. The album features eight tracks, including five new works by Oliver Lake, a collaboration between Donald Brown and Marc Franklin, and original compositions by Bobby LaVell and Treasure Shields Redmond. Humanitics reflects the human spirit, resilience, and the pursuit of justice, celebrating the universal, and calling for hope and action.

Memphis native vocalist Kelley Hurt comes from a musical family. She was the recipient of the Phillip’s Award for Best New Artist from the Memphis chapter of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Hurt has toured and recorded with a range of groups including Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Joe Walsh, Bruce Willis and the Accelerators, North Mississippi All-Stars, and many others. She has performed in the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

Arkansas native pianist Christopher Parker’s playing associations range from free jazz musicians Kidd Jordan, William Parker, and Douglas Ewart to Brian Blade, Delfeyo Marsalis, Joe Jennings, and Blues musicians Luther and Cody Dickinson, among others. He has appeared on over 20 albums, and performed in the US, South America, and Europe.

The No Tears Project, formed in 2017, evolved from Hurt and Parker’s composition “No Tears Suite,” commissioned by Oxford American magazine to honor the Little Rock Nine. "No Tears Suite" was initially written to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine’s historic enrollment at Little Rock Central High School. Inspired by Melba Pattillo Beals’ memoir, Warriors Don't Cry, the music reflects the resilience of the students and the tension of inequality they faced. The suite emphasizes power and joy, highlighting the progress made and the lasting impact of the Little Rock Nine.

This performance is made possible through grants from the Arkansas Arts Council and the Arkansas Humanities Council. The CHARTS LIVE 2024-25 performing arts series offers a diverse range of concerts and performances.

About CHARTS

The Center for Humanities and Arts (CHARTS) is located at UA – Pulaski Technical College’s Main Campus at 3000 West Scenic Drive in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The facility has plenty of convenient, free parking. Opened in 2016, the 90,000 square-foot facility houses a 456-seat proscenium theater that provides a comfortable listening environment that is perfect for concerts, theater performances, recitals and other events. In addition, CHARTS houses the Windgate Gallery for art exhibits. The CHARTS lobby and the adjacent Performance Studio are popular rental spaces for receptions and events.