Join us for our second “Virtual Concert” live streamed from Unity Minneapolis on Friday, May 15th at 5:00 PM CST. This musical event will not only benefit the Twin Cities’ and Unity communities by reaching out to our many friends and family at this time of social distancing and sheltering in place – your online donations during the event will also benefit the artists, as well as the many ministries of Unity Minneapolis. On hand to deliver the musical festivities will be Joyann Parker and Lori Dokken.
Joyann Parker has been called “the best Twin Cities female singer you’ve never heard.” (Jon Bream/StarTribune). Joyann is a classically trained pianist but after her ears came into contact with the soul sounds of the Stax label and later also added blues, she decided to invest in a career as a soul singer. Bill Wilson of Reflections in Blue says – “Joyann Parker is the real deal … a powerful vocalist, an accomplished musician on both guitar and piano, and the writer of songs that hold up over time. This is blues and deep southern soul of the highest order. Joyann Parker is a 21st century blues woman.”
Joyann has become a frequent guest artist for Unity Minneapolis’ Sunday morning services and it is there that congregants have become fans of her earthy, authentic and often gospel-tinged stylings. She and Lori have struck up a musical partnership over the past year and together they serve up staples of the contemporary music catalog with a new drive to dig deeper into the style, genre and lyric of whatever selection they are performing.
Lori Dokken – Over the past four decades, Lori has performed at every major venue in the Twin Cities from The Dakota to The Guthrie to The Ordway. A sought-after accompanist, she is also a successful concert producer, educator, vocal coach, arranger, and vocalist. Currently the Music Director at Unity Minneapolis, she has also been the MD for everything from ensembles at McNally Smith College of Music to acts at the Bryant Lake Bowl and recently was the Music Director for Disenchanted during its successful run at The Illusion Theater in November 2014. She has produced headline shows for cruise ships as well as local cabaret acts and has opened for legends like Eartha Kitt, Carole King and Tony Bennett. Lori has sung backups for Kenny Loggins and shared the stage with Beatrice Arthur. Her diverse production credits include sold out shows at The Hopkin’s Center for the Arts, The Dakota Jazz Club, The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre and many local concert venues. She partnered with The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts to produce “Painting Joni” – a concert featuring the music of Joni Mitchell for which she was also the Musical Director, Arranger and one of the featured performers. She was the Entertainment Producer for five years for an HIV/AIDS fund raiser called “Healing of the Hearts” which netted over $500,000 in proceeds for The Aliveness Project and also founded and produced a charity golf tournament for ten years that raised close to $250,000 for One Heartland.
