branford-marsalis_web.jpgFriday, April 3
An Evening with Branford Marsalis:
World-renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis will perform at the Gusman Center, 174 E. Flagler St. in Miami, as part of the closing celebration of Miami Dade College’s Cultura de Lobo tonight. The show starts at 8 p.m. General ticket prices are $52, $32 and $27. Students and senior citizens can get tickets for $18. For more information, please call 305-237-3010.  

Thurston AAA Invitational Baseball Tournament: Describe the style, release date and price of the newest Jordans. Now, do the same for a baseball sneaker. Don’t be surprised if you can't. Basketball has become the new favorite American pastime. But state Rep. Perry Thurston believes baseball is too important to let go the way of the dinosaurs. This weekend will kick off the first Thurston AAA Invitational Baseball Tournament, for boys ages 9-12, at the Joseph C. Carter Park, 1450 W. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. A kick-off rally is being held tonight at the park and is scheduled to last from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Also, on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, the tournament has games scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information, please call 954-762-3746.
 
Medicine for Melancholy: If the hit urban romance movie, Love Jones, were updated for today’s hip, 20-something African-American couples, the result would be Medicine for Melancholy. The indie drama follows a minority couple in rapidly gentrifying San Francisco as they attempt to build a relationship while dealing with race, class and privilege issues. Catch a showing at the University of Miami’s Bill Cosford’s Cinema, 1111 Memorial Dr. in Coral Gables, tonight at 7:30 p.m., or Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The film will also air on Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets are $8. For more information, please call 305-284-4861. For those who are not able to come to Coral Gables to sneak a peek, the film will also show at the Miami Beach Cinematheque, 512 Espanola Way in Miami Beach, also on Friday, at 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; and on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets here will run $10. For more information, please call 305-673-4567 or log onto http://com.miami.edu/cosford/.
 

Saturday, April 4
Mocha Soul Series:
April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate the spoken word, the Mocha Soul Series will be returning to the Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 N.W. 22nd Ave. in Miami, for one night only! This year features musical guest Kindred the Family Soul as well as spoken word artists Queen Sheba, Butterfly Vaughns and CEO Duke. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25 the day of the event, or $20 if purchased before the event. For more information, please call 305-636-2350.
 
Monday, April 6
Killer Show Mondays:
Have there been days when you can’t decide if you want to groove to some reggae, nod your head to the thumping bass of Hip-Hop, or snap your fingers to the sultry wisdom of spoken word poetry? Who says you have to choose one over the other, anyway? Mondays at Jazid, 1342 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, your dreams come true with Latin reggae played upstairs, and urban Hip-Hop downstairs, followed by an open mic session later in the evening. For more information, please call 305-673-9372, or log onto jazid.net.
 

April 16
Lavell Crawford:
Because in the comedy game, there is room for more than one funny chubby brother in a suit, come out and hear Lavell Crawford’s performance at the Miami Improv, 3390 Mary St. No. 182 in Coconut Grove. Crawford will perform from April 16 to 19. For show times and additional ticket prices, please call 305-441-8200.
 
Sunday, April 19
Gospel Sundays:
Have there ever been some Sundays where you have enjoyed the music and celebratory spirit of church so much you just didn't want it to end? The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami, understands. Together with the collaboration of WMBM and Julilate, Inc, comes another Free Gospel Sunday at the Arsht Center. Come out and enjoy an afternoon of praise music featuring the talents of Helen Baylor, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and the Free Gospel Sundays Mass Choir. The show starts at 4 p.m. For more information, please call 305-949-6722.

Kaila.Heard@Gmail.com

Photo: Branford Marsalis