Music

Ron Robinson show one of two Friday for Dazz & Brie

Dazz & Brie — Dazzmin Murry (kneeling) and Kabrelyn Boyce — and their band The Emotionalz celebrate the release of their new album with an Arkansas Sounds Series show at Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.
Dazz & Brie — Dazzmin Murry (kneeling) and Kabrelyn Boyce — and their band The Emotionalz celebrate the release of their new album with an Arkansas Sounds Series show at Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.

Friday night is shaping up to be a busy one for rock 'n' soul duo Dazz & Brie.

The pair -- Dazzmin "Dazz" Murry and Kabrelyn "Brie" Boyce -- along with their four-piece band The Emotionalz are celebrating the release of their new album, Can't Chase Girls and Your Money Too, with a show at Central Arkansas Library System's Ron Robinson Theater on Friday. The concert, which will feature two sets from Dazz & Brie, is part of the Arkansas Sounds Concert Series.

Dazz & Brie and The Emotionalz

7 p.m. Friday, Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave., Little Rock

Admission: $10

(501) 320-5728

arkansassounds.org

And as soon as they wrap up there at around 9 p.m., the dynamic duo will rush from the downtown River Market District over to the White Water Tavern to take part in Summer Soulstice 6: Afrobeat Dance Party.

"We'll probably just bum a ride over to White Water," the 28-year-old Boyce says, laughing, when asked if they'll have a limo whisk them to the second gig. "After we tear down all of our stuff, we'll carpool over."

They were actually going to ask Soulstice curator and Velvet Kente member Joshua Asante to join them at Ron Robinson, but he beat them to the punch.

"He said, 'What are you guys doing on the 18th' and we said that we were just about to ask him what he was doing on the 18th," says Murry, 26. "It's going to be a fun night."

Murry and Boyce have been friends since meeting while they were students at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, though they didn't start making music together until after college. They released their debut, Can't Afford California, last year and have gigged pretty steadily since winning the Arkansas Times Musicians' Showcase in March.

"They've been on my radar for a while," says John Miller, Arkansas Sounds music coordinator. "I heard their first album and I thought it was great. They won the Musicians' Showcase and all of a sudden they seem to be everywhere. And now they've got a second album that I can't wait to hear."

Recorded at Capitol View Studios in Little Rock and at Murry's home in North Little Rock and written and produced by Murry and Boyce, Can't Chase Girls and Your Money Too carries on with the soulful, rock-leaning grooves of the debut, but also brings a funky flavor as well.

"We had more time to plan and work this one out," Murry says. "For Can't Afford California, we had songs we intended to place with other artists, but we thought 'Let's just put out something and see what happens.' On this album, there was a sound we wanted to go for, so it was more intentional."

"But we still remained true to our rock," Boyce, a native of Atlanta, Texas, adds. "You're going to get heavy guitar, heavy bass and big drums, but we also have a little funk added to the sound."

Backed by their band The Emotionalz -- Darius Blanton, drums, keyboards; Gavin Le'Nard, guitar; Kamille Hawkins, bass; and backing vocalist Hope Dixon, the latter of whom will also perform at White Water -- Friday's show will be split into two sets, with the first one leaning toward the debut album and the second featuring songs off the new record. Copies of Can't Chase Girls and Your Money Too will be available at the show.

"We've never played Ron Robinson and we're excited," Murry says. "We would love to sell it out."

The gig will also be recorded for a live album, and the two singers promise some surprises as well, though they are keeping them off the record.

"It might lose its effectiveness if we told people about it now," Boyce says.

Weekend on 08/17/2017

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