Washington Park Wednesdays: The Diaspora Arkestra w/James Anderson & Tarik Moody (5pm)

When Radio Milwaukee DJ Tarik Moody was tapped to book a night for Washington Park’s Wednesday night concert series last year, he didn’t just book a band. He created one—and an ambitious one at that. With the help of saxophonist Jay Anderson and singer B~Free, he created The Diaspora Arkestra, an ensemble of more than a dozen musicians who created a program that, in a little over two hours, tried to capture the scope of the entire history of African American music. It was a little cruel, given all the work that the musicians put into creating that set, that weather cut the band’s debut at Washington Park short last year, but thankfully they’re back this year. Once again, The Diaspora Arkestra’s performance will serve as the kickoff for this year’s Strange Fruit Music Festival, a series of concerts and events sponsored by the Milwaukee label Voodoohoney at venues around the city through Sunday, Sept. 2.