OkCello x Khari Simmons at the House

Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM

Members: $25 | General Admission: $35

Hammonds House Museum presents an intimate evening of original, genre-crossing music featuring Okorie “OkCello” Johnson and Khari Cabral Simmons.

Designed as one continuous, rising musical experience, the concert moves across three interconnected movements, building in energy from beginning to end through live looping, improvisation, orchestral soundscapes, collaboration, and full-band performance.

Set within the intimate environment of Hammonds House Museum, the evening brings together music, creativity, visual art, and community for a special fall experience at the House.

The Evening's Musical Arc

Movement I — OkCello Solo

The evening begins with OkCello and his signature live-looping cello performance. Building layers of sound in real time, Okorie transforms a single cello into rich, immersive, orchestral soundscapes and introduces audiences to his distinctive approach to improvisation, composition, and musical storytelling.

Movement II — OkCello + Khari Simmons with Band

The experience expands as OkCello and Khari Simmons come together with a full ensemble. Their collaboration builds upon the musical foundation established in the opening movement, adding rhythm, groove, improvisation, and the energy of a full band.

Movement III — Khari Simmons + JIVA

The evening culminates with Khari Simmons and JIVA, bringing the musical journey to a vibrant, high-energy finale.

These are not three separate sets. The movements are intentionally structured to create one continuous, rising experience—moving from intimate solo performance to collaboration, ensemble energy, and a celebratory close.

About OkCello

Okorie “OkCello” Johnson is an Atlanta-based cellist, composer, looper, improviser, and storyteller whose innovative approach expands the possibilities of the cello.

His work has been featured on The Tamron Hall Show, at the Kennedy Center, the Democratic Republic of Congo's 2022 Biennale, and with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, where he co-composed and performed Liminal: An Atlanta Concerto.

His work also extends into film and theater. He scored the Emmy Award-winning documentary Imperfect Alibi, composed the original score for American Voices Against Apartheid, which premiered at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg before moving to the Kennedy Center, and scored Alliance Theatre's Suzi Bass Award-winning children's theater production Head to Toe.

His studio albums—Liminal, Resolve, Beacon, and 2025's Funny How Things Work Out—document an evolving practice rooted in experimentation, storytelling, and the expressive possibilities of the cello.

About Khari Cabral Simmons

Khari Cabral Simmons emerged from Atlanta's vibrant 1990s musical landscape, where soul, house music, jazz, and other sounds converged. As a bassist and bandleader, he performed with artists including Bilal Sunni Ali, Donnie, Gaelle, and India.Arie before creating JIVA as a vehicle for his own soulful, groove-driven music.

JIVA became part of Atlanta's evolving music scene, performing alongside artists including Roy Ayers and Incognito.

As a touring bassist with India.Arie, Khari traveled internationally and appeared on programs including The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Today, Good Morning America, Saturday Night Live, and the Grammy Awards.

Following his success as a Grammy Award-winning bassist, Khari continued developing JIVA, releasing singles, an EP, and the album Sun & Moon. His later project, Khari Cabral & JIVA: 5, features an impressive group of vocalists, including Cleveland Jones, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Lizz Wright, Artia Lockett, and Lindsey Webster.

Join Us at the House

Come experience two distinctive musical voices in an intimate museum setting as OkCello, Khari Simmons, JIVA, and fellow musicians take audiences on a journey from a single cello to the energy of a full ensemble.

Sunday, October 18, 2026
5:00–7:00 PM
Hammonds House Museum

Tickets

HHM Members — $25
General Admission — $35

Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase is encouraged.