One of Knoxville’s [1] finest musical institutions is Jubilee Community Arts, which promotes traditional Appalachian music and other folk traditions. Jubilee offers a full slate of concerts and other special events at the Laurel Theater (1538 Laurel Ave., 865/522-5851, www.jubileearts.org [2]), a 19th-century church in the Fort Sanders [3] neighborhood that has been converted into a performance hall.
The space is intimate, with excellent acoustics and a homey atmosphere. The concert schedule is heavy on regional bluegrass, folk, Americana, and country performers. It also includes Celtic, zydeco, and world music artists. Concerts are scheduled most weeks. The Jubilee Festival in March is a three-day weekend event with a smorgasbord of performances.
When the Laurel Theater is not being used for a concert, various community groups use the space for meetings and other purposes. Several community dance groups have weekly sessions here, as does the Knoxville Writer’s Guild.
In addition to its live performance schedule, Jubilee Community Arts works with local radio stations to produce programming for the airwaves, including the long-running Live at Laurel program, which features recordings of Laurel Theater concerts and is broadcast on WDVX (89.9 FM and 102.9 FM) at noon and 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/tennessee/knoxville
[2] http://www.jubileearts.org
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/tennessee/knoxville/sights/university-tennessee/fort-sanders