Hammonds House Museum presents a concert with Okorie “OkCello” Johnson and Khari Cabral Simmons on October 18

Hammonds House Museum presents an intimate evening of original music by Okorie "OkCello" Johnson and Khari Cabral Simmons. The concert will feature genre-crossing music that builds in energy from beginning to end. The audience will experience one rising musical arc across three movements, bringing together live looping, improvisation, orchestral soundscapes, and a full band performance. Make plans to join us on Sunday, October 18 at 5 PM for an exciting evening of music and community. Admission is $25 for Members and $35 for non-members. To secure your seats click HERE.

Here's the schedule for the evening:

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Movement I — OkCello Solo
Okorie opens the evening with his signature live-looping cello performance, building rich, orchestral soundscapes in real time. The solo set introduces the audience to his distinctive approach to transforming the cello into an immersive musical experience.

Movement II — OkCello and Khari Simmons with Band
The performance expands as Okorie and Khari come together with a full ensemble. Their collaboration creates a dynamic sound while building on the musical foundation established in the opening movement.

Movement III — Khari Simmons and JIVA
The evening closes with Khari Simmons and JIVA providing a high-energy finale designed to send the audience out on a high.

The three movements are structured to feel like one continuous, rising experience rather than three separate sets—moving from intimate and solo performances to collaboration, ensemble energy, and a celebratory finale.

Okorie "OkCello" Johnson is an Atlanta-based cellist, composer, looper, improviser, and storyteller who has been featured on the Tamron Hall Show, held a Kennedy Center Office Hours Artist Residency, presented at the Democratic Republic of Congo's 2022 Biennale, and co-composed and performed Liminal: An Atlanta Concerto with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. He has scored an 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 a Suzi Bass Award-winning children's theatre production, Head to Toe, for Alliance Theatres' Theater for the Very Young.

Okorie's four studio albums Liminal, Resolve, Beacon, and his most recent, Funny How Things Work Out (2025), mark the milestones of an artist who never stopped pushing. From concert halls to corporate keynotes, his cello has taken him everywhere. So far in 2026, he has taken his show to the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska — headlining performing arts centers in Rolla, MO, Eugene, OR, Fairbanks and Anchorage, AK to enthusiastic full houses.

In the 90's, Atlanta was a melting pot for soul music, house music DJ's and an underground jazz scene. Khari Cabral Simmons stood at the point where they met, as an upcoming bassist and bandleader. He started playing bass for artists such as Bilal Sunni Ali (Sun Ra), Donnie (The Colored Section), Gaelle (Naked Music) and India Arie. After a few years of recording dance and soul music, Khari started looking to make his own vehicle for upbeat soulful music. It was then that he created JIVA. They would go on to play around Atlanta, performing alongside artists like Roy Ayers and Incognito.

When India Arie got signed to Motown Records she asked Khari to become her touring bassist. He spent years touring the world with her. Together they performed on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Grammys, Saturday Night Live and more. After his success as a Grammy Award winning bassist, Khari was courted by several record labels and JIVA would go on to release 3 singles, an EP and full-length album, "Sun & Moon," with Giant Step. During Covid Khari began writing the next JIVA album. The result was the Khari Cabral & JIVA album, "5." Many Atlanta vocalists are on the album including Cleveland Jones, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Lizz Wright, Artia Lockett and Lindsey Webster.

Hammonds House Museum is a 501(c)3 arts organization whose mission is to celebrate and share the cultural diversity and legacy of artists of African descent. The home is the former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and passionate arts patron. The museum is in a beautiful Victorian home, with a gorgeous John Rhoden Sculpture Garden on the grounds, and is located at 503 Peeples Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30310.

Hammonds House Museum's 2026 exhibitions include artist talks, and civic engagement activities which serve as opportunities for the community to have a deeper experience with the artworks. For information about upcoming events, to join the mailing list, become a member, or plan your visit, go to the website: hammondshousemuseum.org.

Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by Fulton County Board of Commissioners through the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, National Performance Network, Georgia Council for the Arts, The Estate of Dr. Doris Derby, and their newest sponsor The Ruth Foundation for the Arts (Ruth Arts), as well as donors and members.

MEDIA contact: Karen Hatchett, Hatchett PR, kmhatchett@gmail.com