Jamillah Bell’s creative journey has put her in the middle of many dualities. Old timers praised her performance in banjo bands in Southern music halls with Confederate flags. The Montgomery Symphony Orchestra centered her electric guitar in a performance of “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin. Acapella groups found grounding in her bass lines. Jamillah’s art complicates these apparent binaries: vibe to it, sure, then dig a little deeper. Under the surface, her music and poetry reward listeners with the joy and pain of historical rootedness.

Jamillah’s roots in Montgomery trace back to the 1850s; she is no stranger to history. She considers herself, above all, a folk musician. But while you can never count out the sudden appearance of an acoustic guitar or americana chords, she really means she makes “music for ‘folks.’” At turns understated and profound, Bell channels her influences – ranging from gospel, Japanese metal, string music, and the poetry of e. e. cummings – into an ineffable blend of the sacred and the downhome, as fitting in the all night jazz club as it is the next morning’s sermon on no sleep. Come as you are, and be ready to amen.