“A Soulful Christmas” with Urban Strings Columbus and Grammy nominated Bobby Floyd and his trio is a unique holiday sound featuring Christmas classics, holiday favorites and gospel,with special guests, Akawaaba Drum trio: BabaaRitah Clark, Dana Cooper, and Freida Ayodele.
 
The album is an intergenerational gift co-produced by Urban Strings Columbus alumni, jazz bassist, Halle Craig and Bobby Floyd, with the help of Mark Abrams at Vaughan Music Studios. Urban Strings Columbus is a youth string orchestra of African American and minority youth ages 12 to 17 years old. Our students attend Greater Columbus city, charter, suburban, parochial, and private schools. They perform various genres of music including classical, sacred, contemporary, R&B, hip hop, and spirituals.
 
Musicians performing on this album:
 
1st Violin - Tia Ward and Gary Cooper
 
2nd Violin - Antoine Lee and Rickey Smith
 
Viola - Alexis Cunningham, Marcus Cooper and Heather Roberts
 
Cello - Asa Simpson –Cole and Assistant Director Mitchell Franklin
 
Director and Bassist - Halle Craig.
 
Cover: Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson( American 1940-2015) “Christmas in Poindexter Village”, watercolor and thread on paper, Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio :Estate of the artist.
 
It is from the exhibit “Raggin’On” which opened Nov, 2020 and will close October 2021, at The Columbus Museum of Art.