Twitter Follow Me

“The only resource you'll ever need for live jazz in West Central Florida.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Jamey Aebersold in Sarasota

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 3:36 PM

On Friday and Saturday, January 4th and 5th, Jamey Aebersold will be performing with the Michael Royal Trio at the East Village Cabaret is Sarasota. Come hear a Master of Jazz Saxophone, making music for over 40 years.

Jamey is a internationally-known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation, and has developed a series of Play-A-Long book and cd sets for the development of improvisational skills. The Aebersold play-a-longs allow a musician the opportunity to practice and improvise with well-known jazz personalities at home as well as in the classroom.


In 1989, the International Association of Jazz Educators inducted Jamey into their Hall of Fame at the San Diego convention. With this award, Jamey joins other jazz luminaries such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and others. There will be two sets per night at 7:30 and 9:30pm. Admission is $20.00 per show.

Where: East Village Cabaret
6265 Lake Osprey Dr
Lakewood Ranch, FL USA 34240
When:January 4th & 5th
Phone: 941 373 3933
Cost: $20 per set

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Venue Profile #2 - The Red Rose Room

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 10:21 AM

Although The Red Rose Room has hosted live jazz for over three years, for the last year and a half, it has been the home of The Freetime Trio. The group plays every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 6-9 p.m. and performs various styles of jazz. Their repertoire includes various jazz standards, show tunes, and crooner tunes, as well as some original compositions by the members of the band.

The trio is headed up by Jody Marsh on piano, joined by his son Ryan Marsh on the drums. The group has had many bass players through the years, but currently Alejandro Arenas, who seems to be popping up everywhere in Tampa, occupies the bass chair.

The Red Rose Room itself has been described as one of the most elegant and romantic places to dine in Plant City. The vibe of the restaurant is intimate, romantic and professional. The live jazz compliments the room and is not overpowering thus creating a wonderfully relaxing place to hear creative straight-ahead jazz.

Click HERE to check out Ryan's site and hear sample's of The Freetime Trio's music. All of the posted recordings were recorded live at The Red Rose Room.

Located within the Ramada Plantation House Inn.

The Red Rose Room
2011 N Wheeler St
Plant City, FL 33563
Phone: (813) 752-3141

The Tampa Room

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 8:38 AM


The Tampa Room, Tampa's newest jazz venue, will be having its grand opening this Friday, October 12 & Saturday, October 13 from 8pm to 12am featuring Denise Moore and Then Some.

Denise Moore -Vocals
Dan O'Hara - Piano
Dwayne White - Trumpet
Joe Aromola - Bass
Don Capone - Drums

No cover!

The Tampa Room
at Safety Harbor Resort.
105 North Bayshore Drive,
Safety Harbor 34695

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

"AN EVENING OF REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE"

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 8:53 PM


Presents

"AN EVENING OF REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE"
with the
The Richard Jackson Quintet

Richard Jackson - Vocals
Kevin Wilder - Piano
Patrick Bettison - Bass
Jeremy Carter - Saxophone
Pat Close - Drums

Thursday October 4, 2007 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM

A Side Door Jazz Concert
The Palladium Theatre
at St. Petersburg College
253 5th Ave N., St. Petersburg, FL

Admission Prices:
Regular - $20.00
Members of Jazz Associations - $15.00
Members of  Palladium - $15.00
Students and Faculty of St. Pete College $15.00

(This concert is co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, Florida)
Tickets are now on sale at The Palladium Box office
727-822-3590
http://www.mypalladium.org
For more information call 813-615-1914

Richard has performed around the world as well as with artists such as
Theo Valentin, Richey Kicklighter, Gumbi Ortiz and Al Dimeola

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Live Jazz at Catch Twenty Three

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 8:02 PM

Catch Twenty Three in Westchase will be starting up live jazz every week featuring The Michael Ross Duo and The The Mars Trio. Music will begin at 7 pm and go until 10 pm. The Mars Trio will kick off Friday, September 28; the two groups will alternate weeks thereafter.


Catch Twenty Three infuses its creativity with flavorful Latin and Caribbean influences served up in a casual, upscale setting. From incredible fresh seafood to tender aged steak, Catch Twenty-Three offers the best fine dining with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere second to none in the Tampa - Westchase area.


Catch Twenty Three is located in the West Park Village just south of Linebaugh Ave W. between Sheldon Road and Countryway Blvd at 10103 Montague Street, Tampa, Florida 33626.

See Tampa Jazz Scene Google calendar for the weekly schedule.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Mars Trio Performing at USF

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 9:12 PM

The Mars Trio will be performing a free concert in the Rectial Hall (FAH101) at the University of South Florida Tampa Campus on Monday ,September 17 beginning at 7:00pm.

The group consists of composer and saxophonist Richard Van Voorst., bassist, Alejandro Arenas, and drummer Steve Davis.The concert will feature various styles each with a little twist from composers like Chick Corea, Sam Rivers, Wayne Shorter and more.

The Concert will be held in Room FAH 101. Click here for a map of the USF Tampa Campus.

A little bit about The Mars Trio:
The Mars Trio has found itself in high demand and thus has solidified itself as a working band in the greater Tampa Bay area. The group has also developed into a passionate artistic endeavor for the members.

The group performs many different styles of music from Be Bop, Hard Bop, and Modern Jazz, to playing show tunes, and even the occasional Pop or Classical tune with a Jazz twist. The group plays clubs, weddings, private parties, cocktail parties, formal concerts, festivals, etc. and possess the innate ability to tailor the music to meet the needs of any occasion.

The Mars' Trio is also a proponent of new music and welcomes
original compositions and arrangements from any composers
desiring to have their music performed.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Last Night at Grill 29

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 6:40 AM

The following was sent to us by Dwayne White:

Thanks to all of you who have supported us on Wednesday nights at Grille 29. The restaurant is going through a transition in ownership/management. This Wednesday will be our final Wednesday playing at Grille 29 until the new team decides what direction to go in. We hope they keep jazz in their plans.

Please invite everyone you know to come out and join us on this Wednesday night, August 15. Let's show the new management team how much they would miss, if they decide to go away from the Wednesday Night Jazz Jam with Denise Moore and Then Some.


Grille 29 is in the Channelside Entertainment Complex between the St. Pete Times Forum and the Florida Aquarium. Please pass the word and we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday at 8 pm. Thank you for your support.


We have truly appreciated Grille 29's commitment thus far to the art form and hope that you do as well. Please take the time to let the new management at Grille 29 know that you would appreciate live jazz to continue. Their number, as listed on their website, is (813)-221-2929. Please remember to respect Denise and the goodwill she has cultivated at Grille 29 in the way you contact the restaurant if you choose to do so.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

The Music of Wayne Shorter ft. Trumpeter Dwayne White

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 7:39 AM


This Monday night at the Ringside Cafe Trumpeter Dwayne White and company will pay tribute to one of the masters of art form, Wayne Shorter. The evening starts at 8:30 p.m. Musicians are always welcomed to come and play for the Monday night jam session. Each evening at the Ringside features a different local jazz musician with the second part of the evening opening up into a jam session

When: Monday, August 13, 2007

Where: The Ringside Cafe
2742 Fourth St.
St. Petersburg FL, 33704
Phone: (727) 894-8465

Cost: Free


"The master writer to me, in that group, was Wayne Shorter. He still is a master. Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn't get changed."
Herbie Hancock




Friday, August 10, 2007

Battle of the B3s!

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 3:18 PM

Saturday, August 11, 2007
7:30 pm
The Palladium Theater
St. Petersburg, FL
www.mypalladium.org

The Hammond B3 organ is the instrument of choice for blues musicians and jazz musicians both. The jazz musicians will tell you that it's really a jazz instrument, but you won't find many blues artist who agree with that assessment. At this concert we'll put the best of both groups on stage and let them battle it out. Who's the best? Come and make your own decision.

Jazz Organists: Stan Hunter, Ricky Lyons
Blues Organists: Dean Germain, Michael Johnn
Backup band: Vincent Sims, guitar; “Beautiful” Bobby Blackmon, guitar; Tom Hamilton, bass & Ron Gregg, drums

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Clickforlessons.com

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 8:50 PM

As we at tampajazzscene.com try to define who we are, one step we must take is to define who we are not. We do not want to provide a service being provided effectively by another source. This post is to highlight one of the services we think you should check out.

The most recent issue of the JEJ contained a full-page news article that I thought might be of value to others. Clickforlessons.com has partnered with the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) to offer their lesson referral services for free to IAJE members.

Click For Lessons offers a lesson referral service, connecting teachers and students in Acting, Art, Dance, Health/Fitness, Language, Music, Sports, Tutoring, and Voice (from singing to acting). Obviously, it is the Music category that is of interest to us.

The following is a press release regarding the website's relationship with the IAJE:

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 27, 2007 -- ClickforLessons.com, an online community for music professionals and creative enthusiasts, has forged a partnership with the International Association of Jazz Education (IAJE). IAJE negotiated the partnership to allow its members free access to Click For Lessons' suite of web services. The services help independent musicians and instructors connect with each other and grow their music business.

Steven Cox, www.clickforlessons.com CEO and founder, describes his company's role in the partnership as "Helping IAJE members find new local students, exhibit their musical art, gain coveted business references, and network with a community of over 250,000 like-minded people. By harnessing the power of the internet, we've been able to help instructors increase their income by as much as 67% per year."

Says Greg Carroll, Director of Education at IAJE, "As an artist outreach network, IAJE provides some ability to connect you to students, but Click for Lessons is unique in that they allow you to build profiles and give you the ability to market yourself." IAJE members can access the partnership login from a special portal on the IAJE website at www.iaje.org. An article in IAJE's quarterly publication, the Jazz Education Journal, comes out this month with further details.

"Our goal is to help domestic and international artists get known and make more money doing what they love. We have partnered with the IAJE to increase the value of the music education throughout the world," Cox adds.

Through this special partnership, IAJE and Click for Lessons expect that IAJE members will have the potential to increase business as well as their independence as instructors and working artists. As any musician can tell you, a career in the arts is often a labor of love--and IAJE and Click For Lessons hope to make it easier.

You can see my profile here. If you are not am IAJE member, we strongly urge you to become one here.

Please note, we have received no compensation for this post. This is a service that we use and thought might be of value to our readers.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Bay City at the Dali Museum

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 6:04 AM

S'Real Fridays
at
The Dalí Museum

The Dalí Museum
1000 Third Street South
St. Petersburg, FL

S'Real Fridays at the Dalí Museum are a fusion of Music, Art, Food and Spirits. Join us for tours of the Dalí Museum's exhibition Dalí in Focus intimate jazz in a café setting, unusual & strange silent films, a complimentary nacho cheese fountain, and a cash only beverage bar (beer, wine & soda).

July 27 features the straight ahead jazz of the Bay City Jazz Quartet, which includes Vincent Sims, Kenny Walker, Dwaine White and Ron Gregg, presenting a mix of jazz greats past and present such as Coltrane, Miles, Monk, with a little Stevie Wonder thrown in the mix.

Half-price admission after 5 pm. Free to Museum Members!



Featuring:

Dwayne White, Trumpet Stan Hunter, Keyboard

Kenny Walker, Bass Ron Gregg, Drums

Click Here for more information.



Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Mars Trio Performing at Canvas 2

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 5:27 PM

The Mars' Trio will be performing as part of the Canvas 2 Art Premier. The event begins at 6:00 pm and is an exhibition of local artists in the Tampa area.

Where: The Crossing Church
(Click here for Directions)

When: 6:00pm to 1:00am
(The Mars Trio performs at 8:30)

Canvas 2 Purpose:
Canvas exists to simply promote a community of inspiration. Our idea, out dream, was born to provide a spring board for local up and coming artists, in such a way that would benefit both their craft and their career. Our desire is not to bleed the artists of thei funds, it is not to exploit them for sponsorship revenue, but to let them know that there are peple who care, and that we are here to help.

Canvas is the brainchild of Mike Desario(left) and Bobby Triplett, both of which make up the leadership team for Revolution, a twenty something church here in the Brandon/Tampa area. Coupled with the leadership and direction of Melissa White, local artist and marketing genius, their desire was to hold an event that could reach out to the art community of Tampa. An event that could foster both excellence and creativity and could impact a city through the expression of inspiration.

Come out and support the artist and the musicians at this great event that supports inspiration in various genres, mediums, and art forms.

Coffee and dessert's are being served throughout the evening.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Jazztorian presents HOT SUMMER JAZZ BY THE BAY

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 10:00 AM

Grille 29 (channelside)
615 Channelside Dr.

Sunday July 29, 2007
3pm to 6pm


This is a fantastic fundraising event featuring Tampa’s finest jazz musicians/vocalists:


Rose Bilal & friends

Denise Moore & Then Some

The Don Capone Trio

Arbra Tawwab as mistress of ceremony/poet



A little bit about Jazztorian:

This fundraising event will aid us in our continuing effort to present highly educational fun-filled jazz programs at schools, nursing centers, shelters, and to the under served of our community. Funds raised will be used to pay professional jazz musicians/vocalist to educate and inform participants of our programs about the rich heritage of jazz music, and how it helped to form our culture.


Jazztorian, Inc., was founded in 2004. Our mission is to preserve classical jazz as a rare and valuable American treasure. Our programs are designed to promote pride in America’s history, and encourage our youth to study this American art form.


Admission $20 non-members
$15 members

Hors d’oeuvres & cash bar
Funds raised will benefit Jazztorian’s school programs

Tickets/Info: 813-221-3088

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Tampa at the Aebersold Camps

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 4:52 PM

USF Jazz Studies director Jack Wilkins played the dinner set at the Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops tonight. Accompanying him was USF alum, Corey Christiansen, on guitar.
I am liveblogging the workshops (for which I am a staff member) at my blog.

If you look closely, you'll see Jamey in the frame.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Grille 29 Jam Wednesday Nights 8-11pm

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 3:58 PM

I had the pleasure of attending the Grille 29 Jam Session in Channelside two weeks ago (my sincere apologies for my tardiness in posting). What I heard there was reassuring breath of fresh air when it comes to jam sessions. The jam session stresses what Jazz Vocalist and session leader Denise Moore calls “Pure Jazz.” Be-Bop and Hard Bop roots are always present in the musicians and jam session etiquette is expected and exists all the time. “There are no ‘Sax Wars’ and there’s always top notch etiquette. There’s a whole lotta snap,” said pianist Dan O’ Hara.



I was able to sit down to talk with the lovely Denise Moore who heads up the house band, “Denise Moore and Then Some. When asked how she would describe the session she replied, “It’s innovative and totally open…We’ve been given a creative license. It’s a beautiful room, the food is great with a contemporary wine list and a knowledgeable staff that loves Jazz.” Denise discussed how using her own band as the core of the session and then expanding from there by letting other people sit in helps to keep the session ego-less and comfortable for everybody. This is not to say that the players aren’t as good. Quite the opposite The players are killin’! (Props to Jeremy Carter on “Stella,” that was smokin’ and Denise “Silver Eyes” set the night). They’re just not out to kill the other players. Denise said it best, “It’s a comfortable place to hang out, like my living room, only with an Eel named Diablo.”


Talking to the general manager Mark Cobalt, he told me that “Grille 29 wants to bring out and support the talent in the area, whether its local guys or the University musicians. We have the atmosphere.” And Grille 29 does. This feels like a jazz club. The group is elevated in the corner of the lounge area allowing the music to be accented and highlighted as the feature of the evening. This gives the musicians and the listeners the opportunity to experience real club atmosphere minus the smoke.

Overall the jam session is ego-less, hip, free and pulls from a vast amount of different styles and players. “There’s something for everyone, jazz lovers and non-jazz lovers.” said Dwayne White, a local jazz trumpet player. We highly recommend this session to all jazz musicians whether you know one tune or fifty, have been playing for 50 years or 1 year. The people are great and the stress is on the importance of developing a jazz community. It’s a great way to meet people, socialize and make connections, as a lot of the people attending work regularly in the area, play and enjoy a great evening in a very hip part of town.

Jazz Brasil

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 12:07 PM

Jazz Brasil
with the Haroldo Mauro Trio & O Som Do Jazz
July 27 & 28
The Historic Asolo Theatre
& SPC Music Center at 8 PM

"A mesmerizing listening experience, from beginning to end." - Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz

Straight from Rio de Janeiro, Haroldo Mauro, Jr. is back for a concert of his acclaimed release Bossa na Pressao, Tampa Bay's own Brazilian sextet, O Som Do Jazz opens the concert with a variety of bossa nova, MPB and jazz.

July 27 at 8 PM - The Historic Asolo Theatre is located at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art at 5401 Bay Shore Road in Sarasota. Admission is $20-$30. Call (941) 360-7399 or order online.

July 28 at 8 PM - The St. Petersburg College Music Center is located at 6605 5th Ave. North in St. Petersburg. Admission is $15 general, $12 for students and 65 and older, only available at the door. Call (727) 341-4363 for more information.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Excuses from Tampa Jazz

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 6:40 AM

100_1994We at Tampa Jazz Scene dot com apologize for our silence this summer. Please trust us that there are several articles in the works. In the meantime, I will be liveblogging the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops at my blog and syndicating them here.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Hot Jazz at the Gorilla Theatre

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 8:37 PM

LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 033Sunday night, it wasn't just the jazz that was hot at the Gorilla Theatre. LaRue Nickelson and his handpicked quintet kept bringing the music despite inadequate air conditioning, as the small venue on North Hubert Avenue played host to around fifty jazz fans excited to hear some of Tampa's greatest.

Nickelson was joined by some of the finest jazz musicians anywhere for an excellent evening of originals with a lone standard in the penultimate spot. USF jazz department colleagues Mark Neuenschwander (b) and Steve Davis (d) joined Jeremy Powell (ts,cl) and electric bass phenom Patrick Bettison on keys and chromatic harmonica.

That the musicians were genuinely enjoying themselves was apparent, especially when Bettison's ebullient reaction to the twists and turns of a Powell solo got the rhythm section grinning ear to ear. Nickelson's compositions (to my ear) were a modern take on jazz-meets-americana (think Bill Frisell), ranging from loping, rootsy grooves to up-tempo broken swing. The guitar duties were all covered by Nickelson's semi-hollow G&L tele, with nary a hollowbody in sight.

Aside from the overwhelming heat (which prompted Nickelson to ask the audience, "hot enough in here?" The house offered free bottled water at intermission), the night was well worth attending (even from Lakeland). The bass and piano were lost in the mix the first set, but were plenty present for the second. It is disappointing to know that the Tampa Jazz Club does not consistently sell out the tiny hall (approximately 60 seats) every show. They would be well served by initiating an e-newsletter (Jazz Club board member Bob Seymour does send out information via email, which reached me via Dwayne White) and having, at the very least, a MySpace.

Enjoy the pictures and come out to the next show.
LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 053LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 017

Setlist (I will clean this up once I get corrections from LaRue):

  • Thing's I've Lost
  • (unknown)
  • Wifealot
  • Hey, Mr. Porter
  • Back at the Cathouse
  • Ed's Tune
  • Oh, Joyous One
  • Globular Dominatrix
  • Ravine
  • Flight of the Kiwi Bird
  • (unknown)
  • Darn That Dream
  • Dark Water
Audio clips to come.

LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 056


Monday, May 28, 2007

LaRue Nickelson Quintet|3 June 2007

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 2:35 PM

Guitarist LaRUE NICKELSON’S QUINTET
presented by
Tampa Jazz Club
on
Sunday, June 3, at 6:00pm
at
The Gorilla Theatre, 4419 N. Hubert Avenue, Tampa
(813) 879-2914
www.gorillatheatre.com
cost
$15 / Jazz Club members $12 / Students $5
personnell
LaRue Nickelson|guitar
Jeremy Powell|saxophone
Patrick Bettison|piano_harmonica
Mark Neuenschwander|bass
Steve Davis|drums
about
Nickelson is jazz guitar instructor at USF, and a member of the Jazz Surge and the Michael Ross Quartet. This concert will spotlight his original material, with a hand-picked band of some of the area’s finest players.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

myspace mentions

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 9:52 AM

There's no denying it; myspace is taking over the world. While some of the links supplied here are provided elsewhere, this space is devoted solely to Tampa Jazz myspace pages. Add all of these as friends and let us know if there are other myspace pages you think we should add.

Performers


Bands

Venues

Resources

Monday, May 21, 2007

Tom Stewart Jazz Trio - Friday, May 25, 2007

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 9:09 AM


The Tom Stewart Trio will be performing at PJ's Coffee and Wine Bar, 411 South Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765, this Friday, May 25, 2007, from 8-10 pm. Click here for location.

Mark Neuenschwander will be playing bass. Sava Boyadjiev will be on drums. As always, the music will be all-original. Admission is free.



Visit www.stewartjazz.com for more information. Or go to http://www.pjscoffee.com/ to visit PJ's website.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Venue Profile #1 - City Fish Seafood Grill and Chophouse

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 10:56 PM

Venue Profile #1

City Fish Seafood Grill and Chophouse


















Welcome to City Fish Seafood and Chop House in beautiful downtown Oldsmar. Fueled by their mutual passion for quality food, veteran restaurateurs The Fragale Family have set out to create a dining experience you are sure to remember.

Click here for the menu and location.

Jazz:
City Fish offers great food and a great atmosphere for any evening. The house band, called The Mars' Trio, plays every Thursday and Saturday nights from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. and features saxophonist Richard Van Voorst, bassist Alejandro Arenas, and drummer Mark Feinman. The group performs many different styles of jazz from Be Bop, Hard Bop, and Modern Jazz, to playing show tunes, and even the occasional Pop or Classical tune with a jazz twist. You might hear music from Cole Porter and Rogers and Hammerstein, to Miles Davis, or even Joni Mitchell and the Police as well as many original compositions.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Call for Reccomendations

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 6:48 AM


In addition to jazz event listings in West Central Florida, we at www.tampajazzscene.com will be spotlighting CDs and concerts through reviews as well as local jazz artists. If you know a jazz artist in the Tampa Bay area you think we should profile, please email us and let us know.

We want to hear from you!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Meet an Author

Published by Rich Van Voorst at 9:00 AM

Hi my name is Rich Van Voorst and I'm a grad student at the University of South Florida as well. I just finished a Masters in Jazz Composition and I'm currently going back for a third year to complete a Masters in Saxophone Performance. As Matt said, the point of this blog is to hip people to all the goings on in the straight ahead jazz scene in the greater Tampa area. We will focus on straight ahead jazz and stay away from the smooth jazz scene for the most part. Not to say that there is anything wrong with smooth jazz, but this blog serves to offer a solution to the many comments that we hear like "I can't really find any other jazz except smooth jazz." We hope you all enjoy it and we look forward to seeing you at upcoming shows.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Mayfaire in Lakeland

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 12:47 PM

mwt 04.04.07 012matthewwengerdtrio and Bendelow Road will be playing at Lakeland's Mayfaire by the Lake this weekend. Mayfaire is an excellent outdoor arts festival on Lake Morton in Lakeland, FL. mwt and Bendelow Road are the only jazz groups performing, but there will be other excellent performers and dozens of artists' booths. Stop by and say hello if you can make it!




matthewwengerdtrio
Saturday, May 12, 2007
1:00pm - Mayfaire by the lake
mwengerd|b
rvvoorst|ts
rmarsh|d

Bendelow Road
Sunday, May 13, 2007
12:00pm - Mayfaire by the Lake
dlunsford|ts,as
kguira|tb
nbagwell|p
mwengerd|b
rmarsh|d

Monday, May 7, 2007

Creating a Scene

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 4:29 PM

As a student/employee involved in jazz at the University of South Florida, I am constantly getting asked where our patrons can see jazz other than University-related concerts. The truth is, there aren't myriad options in the Tampa Bay area. We at www.tampajazzscene.com will do everything in our power to chronicle as many straight-ahead jazz hits in the area as we can (disclosure: we will include our own gigs and you may see a lot of them - we have the most intimate knowledge of our own calendars), but we need you to do your part.

Conscientious jazz consumers will always go out of their way to thank the venues hosting live jazz. If you see a hit in a hotel, bar, or club and enjoyed it, take a moment to write or call management and thank them. If a venue discontinues live jazz, politely remind them how much you enjoyed it and (if it's true) that live jazz is a factor in determining where you go out for the night.

Additionally, let locations who aren't hosting live jazz know that you would enjoy it if they would begin to. Many proprietors are willing to give anything a try to get customers in the door and keep them there.

As musicians, listeners, educators, and fans, it is our responsibility to build a jazz scene in the Tampa Bay area. Make sure to say thanks to the musicians, too!

Polk County Steady Hits

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 4:20 PM

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Polk County. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Polk County, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco/Hernando Counties, Pinellas County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

***Temporarily Cancelled***
Who: Bendelow Road
Where: Lakeland Steak and Ale
5125 S. Florida Ave|Lakeland
When: Last Saturday of the Month
Phone: 863.646.1416
Notes: Featuring www.tampajazzscene.com founder, Matthew Wengerd.
***Temporarily Cancelled***


Who: matthewwengerdtrio
Where: Starbucks|North Lakeland
3801 US Hwy 98 N
When: Third Thursdays|6:30-8:30pm
Phone: 863.859.4738
Notes: In front of Target

Pasco/Hernando County Steady Hits

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 4:18 PM

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Pasco and Hernando Counties. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Pasco/Hernando Counties, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

None yet. Comment to let us know who's playing!

Sarasota/Manatee County Steady Hits

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 4:16 PM

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Sarasota/Manatee Counties, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco/Hernando Counties, Pinellas County, Polk County.

None yet. Comment to let us know who's playing!

Hillsborough County Steady Hits

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 4:00 PM

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Hillsborough County. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Pinellas County, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Pasco/Hernando Counties, Pinellas County, Polk County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

Who: The Mars' Trio
Where: Westchase Starbucks
10118 Montague Blvd.|Tampa, FL
When: Every other Friday night
Phone: 813.926.4430
Notes: Featuring www.tampajazzscene.com founder, Rich Van Voorst.

Who: The Mars' Trio
Where: Howard|Moody Starbucks
711 South Howard St|Tampa, FL
When: Every other Wednesday night
Phone: 813.250.9223
Notes: Featuring www.tampajazzscene.com founder, Rich Van Voorst.

Who: The Michael Ross Quartet
Where: 717 South
717 South Howard|Tampa, FL
When: Wednesdays, 7.3-10.3p
Phone: 813.250.1661
Notes:

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Pinellas County Steady Hits

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 3:43 PM

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Pinellas County. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Pinellas County, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco/Hernando Counties, Polk County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

Who: The Buster Cooper Trio and Friends
Where: The Garden
217 Central Ave|St. Petersburg
When: Friday and Saturday Nights, 9p-1a
Phone: 727.896.3800
Notes: USF bassist (and friend) Alejandro Arenas is often seen here.

Who: The Larry Camp Trio
Where: The Garden
217 Central Ave|St. Petersburg
When: Wednesdays, 7.3p-10p
Phone: 727.896.3800
Notes:

Who: Skyway Jazz
Where: Tommy's Blue Room
6101 Gulf Blvd | St Pete Beach
When: Saturday Nights, 8p-11p
Phone: 727.360.1820
Notes:

Friday, May 4, 2007

Meet an Author

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 7:23 AM

BR 03.31.07 037Hello. My name is Matthew. You'll find me writing here from time to time about the Tampa Bay jazz scene. You may not think there's a lot going on here, but there is; you just have to know where to look.

If you've made it this far, you know exactly where to look.

As a point of introduction, I am a graduate student at the University of South Florida. I am studying jazz bass with Mark Neuenschwander and classical bass with Dee Moses. I am a graduate assistant for the Center for Jazz Composition and work part time for WUSF radio. I teach applied bass at Southeastern University. I do the majority of my writing at 104 weeks, my Grad School blog, and have a rarely-updated website here.

Look for me around the area (I live in Lakeland) and stop by often. Things will be moving quickly around here.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

The Tampa Jazz Blog

Published by Matthew Wengerd at 3:21 AM

Your source for information on jazz in the Tampa Bay area. Started by Rich Van Voorst and Matthew Eli Wengerd in the Spring of 2007.

Jamey Aebersold in Sarasota

On Friday and Saturday, January 4th and 5th, Jamey Aebersold will be performing with the Michael Royal Trio at the East Village Cabaret is Sarasota. Come hear a Master of Jazz Saxophone, making music for over 40 years.

Jamey is a internationally-known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation, and has developed a series of Play-A-Long book and cd sets for the development of improvisational skills. The Aebersold play-a-longs allow a musician the opportunity to practice and improvise with well-known jazz personalities at home as well as in the classroom.


In 1989, the International Association of Jazz Educators inducted Jamey into their Hall of Fame at the San Diego convention. With this award, Jamey joins other jazz luminaries such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and others. There will be two sets per night at 7:30 and 9:30pm. Admission is $20.00 per show.

Where: East Village Cabaret
6265 Lake Osprey Dr
Lakewood Ranch, FL USA 34240
When:January 4th & 5th
Phone: 941 373 3933
Cost: $20 per set

Venue Profile #2 - The Red Rose Room

Although The Red Rose Room has hosted live jazz for over three years, for the last year and a half, it has been the home of The Freetime Trio. The group plays every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 6-9 p.m. and performs various styles of jazz. Their repertoire includes various jazz standards, show tunes, and crooner tunes, as well as some original compositions by the members of the band.

The trio is headed up by Jody Marsh on piano, joined by his son Ryan Marsh on the drums. The group has had many bass players through the years, but currently Alejandro Arenas, who seems to be popping up everywhere in Tampa, occupies the bass chair.

The Red Rose Room itself has been described as one of the most elegant and romantic places to dine in Plant City. The vibe of the restaurant is intimate, romantic and professional. The live jazz compliments the room and is not overpowering thus creating a wonderfully relaxing place to hear creative straight-ahead jazz.

Click HERE to check out Ryan's site and hear sample's of The Freetime Trio's music. All of the posted recordings were recorded live at The Red Rose Room.

Located within the Ramada Plantation House Inn.

The Red Rose Room
2011 N Wheeler St
Plant City, FL 33563
Phone: (813) 752-3141

The Tampa Room


The Tampa Room, Tampa's newest jazz venue, will be having its grand opening this Friday, October 12 & Saturday, October 13 from 8pm to 12am featuring Denise Moore and Then Some.

Denise Moore -Vocals
Dan O'Hara - Piano
Dwayne White - Trumpet
Joe Aromola - Bass
Don Capone - Drums

No cover!

The Tampa Room
at Safety Harbor Resort.
105 North Bayshore Drive,
Safety Harbor 34695

"AN EVENING OF REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE"


Presents

"AN EVENING OF REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE"
with the
The Richard Jackson Quintet

Richard Jackson - Vocals
Kevin Wilder - Piano
Patrick Bettison - Bass
Jeremy Carter - Saxophone
Pat Close - Drums

Thursday October 4, 2007 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM

A Side Door Jazz Concert
The Palladium Theatre
at St. Petersburg College
253 5th Ave N., St. Petersburg, FL

Admission Prices:
Regular - $20.00
Members of Jazz Associations - $15.00
Members of  Palladium - $15.00
Students and Faculty of St. Pete College $15.00

(This concert is co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, Florida)
Tickets are now on sale at The Palladium Box office
727-822-3590
http://www.mypalladium.org
For more information call 813-615-1914

Richard has performed around the world as well as with artists such as
Theo Valentin, Richey Kicklighter, Gumbi Ortiz and Al Dimeola

Live Jazz at Catch Twenty Three

Catch Twenty Three in Westchase will be starting up live jazz every week featuring The Michael Ross Duo and The The Mars Trio. Music will begin at 7 pm and go until 10 pm. The Mars Trio will kick off Friday, September 28; the two groups will alternate weeks thereafter.


Catch Twenty Three infuses its creativity with flavorful Latin and Caribbean influences served up in a casual, upscale setting. From incredible fresh seafood to tender aged steak, Catch Twenty-Three offers the best fine dining with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere second to none in the Tampa - Westchase area.


Catch Twenty Three is located in the West Park Village just south of Linebaugh Ave W. between Sheldon Road and Countryway Blvd at 10103 Montague Street, Tampa, Florida 33626.

See Tampa Jazz Scene Google calendar for the weekly schedule.

The Mars Trio Performing at USF

The Mars Trio will be performing a free concert in the Rectial Hall (FAH101) at the University of South Florida Tampa Campus on Monday ,September 17 beginning at 7:00pm.

The group consists of composer and saxophonist Richard Van Voorst., bassist, Alejandro Arenas, and drummer Steve Davis.The concert will feature various styles each with a little twist from composers like Chick Corea, Sam Rivers, Wayne Shorter and more.

The Concert will be held in Room FAH 101. Click here for a map of the USF Tampa Campus.

A little bit about The Mars Trio:
The Mars Trio has found itself in high demand and thus has solidified itself as a working band in the greater Tampa Bay area. The group has also developed into a passionate artistic endeavor for the members.

The group performs many different styles of music from Be Bop, Hard Bop, and Modern Jazz, to playing show tunes, and even the occasional Pop or Classical tune with a Jazz twist. The group plays clubs, weddings, private parties, cocktail parties, formal concerts, festivals, etc. and possess the innate ability to tailor the music to meet the needs of any occasion.

The Mars' Trio is also a proponent of new music and welcomes
original compositions and arrangements from any composers
desiring to have their music performed.

Last Night at Grill 29

The following was sent to us by Dwayne White:

Thanks to all of you who have supported us on Wednesday nights at Grille 29. The restaurant is going through a transition in ownership/management. This Wednesday will be our final Wednesday playing at Grille 29 until the new team decides what direction to go in. We hope they keep jazz in their plans.

Please invite everyone you know to come out and join us on this Wednesday night, August 15. Let's show the new management team how much they would miss, if they decide to go away from the Wednesday Night Jazz Jam with Denise Moore and Then Some.


Grille 29 is in the Channelside Entertainment Complex between the St. Pete Times Forum and the Florida Aquarium. Please pass the word and we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday at 8 pm. Thank you for your support.


We have truly appreciated Grille 29's commitment thus far to the art form and hope that you do as well. Please take the time to let the new management at Grille 29 know that you would appreciate live jazz to continue. Their number, as listed on their website, is (813)-221-2929. Please remember to respect Denise and the goodwill she has cultivated at Grille 29 in the way you contact the restaurant if you choose to do so.

The Music of Wayne Shorter ft. Trumpeter Dwayne White


This Monday night at the Ringside Cafe Trumpeter Dwayne White and company will pay tribute to one of the masters of art form, Wayne Shorter. The evening starts at 8:30 p.m. Musicians are always welcomed to come and play for the Monday night jam session. Each evening at the Ringside features a different local jazz musician with the second part of the evening opening up into a jam session

When: Monday, August 13, 2007

Where: The Ringside Cafe
2742 Fourth St.
St. Petersburg FL, 33704
Phone: (727) 894-8465

Cost: Free


"The master writer to me, in that group, was Wayne Shorter. He still is a master. Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn't get changed."
Herbie Hancock




Battle of the B3s!

Saturday, August 11, 2007
7:30 pm
The Palladium Theater
St. Petersburg, FL
www.mypalladium.org

The Hammond B3 organ is the instrument of choice for blues musicians and jazz musicians both. The jazz musicians will tell you that it's really a jazz instrument, but you won't find many blues artist who agree with that assessment. At this concert we'll put the best of both groups on stage and let them battle it out. Who's the best? Come and make your own decision.

Jazz Organists: Stan Hunter, Ricky Lyons
Blues Organists: Dean Germain, Michael Johnn
Backup band: Vincent Sims, guitar; “Beautiful” Bobby Blackmon, guitar; Tom Hamilton, bass & Ron Gregg, drums

Clickforlessons.com

As we at tampajazzscene.com try to define who we are, one step we must take is to define who we are not. We do not want to provide a service being provided effectively by another source. This post is to highlight one of the services we think you should check out.

The most recent issue of the JEJ contained a full-page news article that I thought might be of value to others. Clickforlessons.com has partnered with the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) to offer their lesson referral services for free to IAJE members.

Click For Lessons offers a lesson referral service, connecting teachers and students in Acting, Art, Dance, Health/Fitness, Language, Music, Sports, Tutoring, and Voice (from singing to acting). Obviously, it is the Music category that is of interest to us.

The following is a press release regarding the website's relationship with the IAJE:

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 27, 2007 -- ClickforLessons.com, an online community for music professionals and creative enthusiasts, has forged a partnership with the International Association of Jazz Education (IAJE). IAJE negotiated the partnership to allow its members free access to Click For Lessons' suite of web services. The services help independent musicians and instructors connect with each other and grow their music business.

Steven Cox, www.clickforlessons.com CEO and founder, describes his company's role in the partnership as "Helping IAJE members find new local students, exhibit their musical art, gain coveted business references, and network with a community of over 250,000 like-minded people. By harnessing the power of the internet, we've been able to help instructors increase their income by as much as 67% per year."

Says Greg Carroll, Director of Education at IAJE, "As an artist outreach network, IAJE provides some ability to connect you to students, but Click for Lessons is unique in that they allow you to build profiles and give you the ability to market yourself." IAJE members can access the partnership login from a special portal on the IAJE website at www.iaje.org. An article in IAJE's quarterly publication, the Jazz Education Journal, comes out this month with further details.

"Our goal is to help domestic and international artists get known and make more money doing what they love. We have partnered with the IAJE to increase the value of the music education throughout the world," Cox adds.

Through this special partnership, IAJE and Click for Lessons expect that IAJE members will have the potential to increase business as well as their independence as instructors and working artists. As any musician can tell you, a career in the arts is often a labor of love--and IAJE and Click For Lessons hope to make it easier.

You can see my profile here. If you are not am IAJE member, we strongly urge you to become one here.

Please note, we have received no compensation for this post. This is a service that we use and thought might be of value to our readers.

Bay City at the Dali Museum

S'Real Fridays
at
The Dalí Museum

The Dalí Museum
1000 Third Street South
St. Petersburg, FL

S'Real Fridays at the Dalí Museum are a fusion of Music, Art, Food and Spirits. Join us for tours of the Dalí Museum's exhibition Dalí in Focus intimate jazz in a café setting, unusual & strange silent films, a complimentary nacho cheese fountain, and a cash only beverage bar (beer, wine & soda).

July 27 features the straight ahead jazz of the Bay City Jazz Quartet, which includes Vincent Sims, Kenny Walker, Dwaine White and Ron Gregg, presenting a mix of jazz greats past and present such as Coltrane, Miles, Monk, with a little Stevie Wonder thrown in the mix.

Half-price admission after 5 pm. Free to Museum Members!



Featuring:

Dwayne White, Trumpet Stan Hunter, Keyboard

Kenny Walker, Bass Ron Gregg, Drums

Click Here for more information.



The Mars Trio Performing at Canvas 2

The Mars' Trio will be performing as part of the Canvas 2 Art Premier. The event begins at 6:00 pm and is an exhibition of local artists in the Tampa area.

Where: The Crossing Church
(Click here for Directions)

When: 6:00pm to 1:00am
(The Mars Trio performs at 8:30)

Canvas 2 Purpose:
Canvas exists to simply promote a community of inspiration. Our idea, out dream, was born to provide a spring board for local up and coming artists, in such a way that would benefit both their craft and their career. Our desire is not to bleed the artists of thei funds, it is not to exploit them for sponsorship revenue, but to let them know that there are peple who care, and that we are here to help.

Canvas is the brainchild of Mike Desario(left) and Bobby Triplett, both of which make up the leadership team for Revolution, a twenty something church here in the Brandon/Tampa area. Coupled with the leadership and direction of Melissa White, local artist and marketing genius, their desire was to hold an event that could reach out to the art community of Tampa. An event that could foster both excellence and creativity and could impact a city through the expression of inspiration.

Come out and support the artist and the musicians at this great event that supports inspiration in various genres, mediums, and art forms.

Coffee and dessert's are being served throughout the evening.

Jazztorian presents HOT SUMMER JAZZ BY THE BAY

Grille 29 (channelside)
615 Channelside Dr.

Sunday July 29, 2007
3pm to 6pm


This is a fantastic fundraising event featuring Tampa’s finest jazz musicians/vocalists:


Rose Bilal & friends

Denise Moore & Then Some

The Don Capone Trio

Arbra Tawwab as mistress of ceremony/poet



A little bit about Jazztorian:

This fundraising event will aid us in our continuing effort to present highly educational fun-filled jazz programs at schools, nursing centers, shelters, and to the under served of our community. Funds raised will be used to pay professional jazz musicians/vocalist to educate and inform participants of our programs about the rich heritage of jazz music, and how it helped to form our culture.


Jazztorian, Inc., was founded in 2004. Our mission is to preserve classical jazz as a rare and valuable American treasure. Our programs are designed to promote pride in America’s history, and encourage our youth to study this American art form.


Admission $20 non-members
$15 members

Hors d’oeuvres & cash bar
Funds raised will benefit Jazztorian’s school programs

Tickets/Info: 813-221-3088

Tampa at the Aebersold Camps

USF Jazz Studies director Jack Wilkins played the dinner set at the Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops tonight. Accompanying him was USF alum, Corey Christiansen, on guitar.
I am liveblogging the workshops (for which I am a staff member) at my blog.

If you look closely, you'll see Jamey in the frame.

Grille 29 Jam Wednesday Nights 8-11pm

I had the pleasure of attending the Grille 29 Jam Session in Channelside two weeks ago (my sincere apologies for my tardiness in posting). What I heard there was reassuring breath of fresh air when it comes to jam sessions. The jam session stresses what Jazz Vocalist and session leader Denise Moore calls “Pure Jazz.” Be-Bop and Hard Bop roots are always present in the musicians and jam session etiquette is expected and exists all the time. “There are no ‘Sax Wars’ and there’s always top notch etiquette. There’s a whole lotta snap,” said pianist Dan O’ Hara.



I was able to sit down to talk with the lovely Denise Moore who heads up the house band, “Denise Moore and Then Some. When asked how she would describe the session she replied, “It’s innovative and totally open…We’ve been given a creative license. It’s a beautiful room, the food is great with a contemporary wine list and a knowledgeable staff that loves Jazz.” Denise discussed how using her own band as the core of the session and then expanding from there by letting other people sit in helps to keep the session ego-less and comfortable for everybody. This is not to say that the players aren’t as good. Quite the opposite The players are killin’! (Props to Jeremy Carter on “Stella,” that was smokin’ and Denise “Silver Eyes” set the night). They’re just not out to kill the other players. Denise said it best, “It’s a comfortable place to hang out, like my living room, only with an Eel named Diablo.”


Talking to the general manager Mark Cobalt, he told me that “Grille 29 wants to bring out and support the talent in the area, whether its local guys or the University musicians. We have the atmosphere.” And Grille 29 does. This feels like a jazz club. The group is elevated in the corner of the lounge area allowing the music to be accented and highlighted as the feature of the evening. This gives the musicians and the listeners the opportunity to experience real club atmosphere minus the smoke.

Overall the jam session is ego-less, hip, free and pulls from a vast amount of different styles and players. “There’s something for everyone, jazz lovers and non-jazz lovers.” said Dwayne White, a local jazz trumpet player. We highly recommend this session to all jazz musicians whether you know one tune or fifty, have been playing for 50 years or 1 year. The people are great and the stress is on the importance of developing a jazz community. It’s a great way to meet people, socialize and make connections, as a lot of the people attending work regularly in the area, play and enjoy a great evening in a very hip part of town.

Jazz Brasil

Jazz Brasil
with the Haroldo Mauro Trio & O Som Do Jazz
July 27 & 28
The Historic Asolo Theatre
& SPC Music Center at 8 PM

"A mesmerizing listening experience, from beginning to end." - Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz

Straight from Rio de Janeiro, Haroldo Mauro, Jr. is back for a concert of his acclaimed release Bossa na Pressao, Tampa Bay's own Brazilian sextet, O Som Do Jazz opens the concert with a variety of bossa nova, MPB and jazz.

July 27 at 8 PM - The Historic Asolo Theatre is located at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art at 5401 Bay Shore Road in Sarasota. Admission is $20-$30. Call (941) 360-7399 or order online.

July 28 at 8 PM - The St. Petersburg College Music Center is located at 6605 5th Ave. North in St. Petersburg. Admission is $15 general, $12 for students and 65 and older, only available at the door. Call (727) 341-4363 for more information.

Excuses from Tampa Jazz

100_1994We at Tampa Jazz Scene dot com apologize for our silence this summer. Please trust us that there are several articles in the works. In the meantime, I will be liveblogging the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops at my blog and syndicating them here.

Hot Jazz at the Gorilla Theatre

LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 033Sunday night, it wasn't just the jazz that was hot at the Gorilla Theatre. LaRue Nickelson and his handpicked quintet kept bringing the music despite inadequate air conditioning, as the small venue on North Hubert Avenue played host to around fifty jazz fans excited to hear some of Tampa's greatest.

Nickelson was joined by some of the finest jazz musicians anywhere for an excellent evening of originals with a lone standard in the penultimate spot. USF jazz department colleagues Mark Neuenschwander (b) and Steve Davis (d) joined Jeremy Powell (ts,cl) and electric bass phenom Patrick Bettison on keys and chromatic harmonica.

That the musicians were genuinely enjoying themselves was apparent, especially when Bettison's ebullient reaction to the twists and turns of a Powell solo got the rhythm section grinning ear to ear. Nickelson's compositions (to my ear) were a modern take on jazz-meets-americana (think Bill Frisell), ranging from loping, rootsy grooves to up-tempo broken swing. The guitar duties were all covered by Nickelson's semi-hollow G&L tele, with nary a hollowbody in sight.

Aside from the overwhelming heat (which prompted Nickelson to ask the audience, "hot enough in here?" The house offered free bottled water at intermission), the night was well worth attending (even from Lakeland). The bass and piano were lost in the mix the first set, but were plenty present for the second. It is disappointing to know that the Tampa Jazz Club does not consistently sell out the tiny hall (approximately 60 seats) every show. They would be well served by initiating an e-newsletter (Jazz Club board member Bob Seymour does send out information via email, which reached me via Dwayne White) and having, at the very least, a MySpace.

Enjoy the pictures and come out to the next show.
LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 053LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 017

Setlist (I will clean this up once I get corrections from LaRue):

  • Thing's I've Lost
  • (unknown)
  • Wifealot
  • Hey, Mr. Porter
  • Back at the Cathouse
  • Ed's Tune
  • Oh, Joyous One
  • Globular Dominatrix
  • Ravine
  • Flight of the Kiwi Bird
  • (unknown)
  • Darn That Dream
  • Dark Water
Audio clips to come.

LaRue Nickelson Quintet 06.03.07 056


LaRue Nickelson Quintet|3 June 2007

Guitarist LaRUE NICKELSON’S QUINTET
presented by
Tampa Jazz Club
on
Sunday, June 3, at 6:00pm
at
The Gorilla Theatre, 4419 N. Hubert Avenue, Tampa
(813) 879-2914
www.gorillatheatre.com
cost
$15 / Jazz Club members $12 / Students $5
personnell
LaRue Nickelson|guitar
Jeremy Powell|saxophone
Patrick Bettison|piano_harmonica
Mark Neuenschwander|bass
Steve Davis|drums
about
Nickelson is jazz guitar instructor at USF, and a member of the Jazz Surge and the Michael Ross Quartet. This concert will spotlight his original material, with a hand-picked band of some of the area’s finest players.

myspace mentions

There's no denying it; myspace is taking over the world. While some of the links supplied here are provided elsewhere, this space is devoted solely to Tampa Jazz myspace pages. Add all of these as friends and let us know if there are other myspace pages you think we should add.

Performers


Bands

Venues

Resources

Tom Stewart Jazz Trio - Friday, May 25, 2007


The Tom Stewart Trio will be performing at PJ's Coffee and Wine Bar, 411 South Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765, this Friday, May 25, 2007, from 8-10 pm. Click here for location.

Mark Neuenschwander will be playing bass. Sava Boyadjiev will be on drums. As always, the music will be all-original. Admission is free.



Visit www.stewartjazz.com for more information. Or go to http://www.pjscoffee.com/ to visit PJ's website.

Venue Profile #1 - City Fish Seafood Grill and Chophouse

Venue Profile #1

City Fish Seafood Grill and Chophouse


















Welcome to City Fish Seafood and Chop House in beautiful downtown Oldsmar. Fueled by their mutual passion for quality food, veteran restaurateurs The Fragale Family have set out to create a dining experience you are sure to remember.

Click here for the menu and location.

Jazz:
City Fish offers great food and a great atmosphere for any evening. The house band, called The Mars' Trio, plays every Thursday and Saturday nights from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. and features saxophonist Richard Van Voorst, bassist Alejandro Arenas, and drummer Mark Feinman. The group performs many different styles of jazz from Be Bop, Hard Bop, and Modern Jazz, to playing show tunes, and even the occasional Pop or Classical tune with a jazz twist. You might hear music from Cole Porter and Rogers and Hammerstein, to Miles Davis, or even Joni Mitchell and the Police as well as many original compositions.

Call for Reccomendations


In addition to jazz event listings in West Central Florida, we at www.tampajazzscene.com will be spotlighting CDs and concerts through reviews as well as local jazz artists. If you know a jazz artist in the Tampa Bay area you think we should profile, please email us and let us know.

We want to hear from you!

Meet an Author

Hi my name is Rich Van Voorst and I'm a grad student at the University of South Florida as well. I just finished a Masters in Jazz Composition and I'm currently going back for a third year to complete a Masters in Saxophone Performance. As Matt said, the point of this blog is to hip people to all the goings on in the straight ahead jazz scene in the greater Tampa area. We will focus on straight ahead jazz and stay away from the smooth jazz scene for the most part. Not to say that there is anything wrong with smooth jazz, but this blog serves to offer a solution to the many comments that we hear like "I can't really find any other jazz except smooth jazz." We hope you all enjoy it and we look forward to seeing you at upcoming shows.

Mayfaire in Lakeland

mwt 04.04.07 012matthewwengerdtrio and Bendelow Road will be playing at Lakeland's Mayfaire by the Lake this weekend. Mayfaire is an excellent outdoor arts festival on Lake Morton in Lakeland, FL. mwt and Bendelow Road are the only jazz groups performing, but there will be other excellent performers and dozens of artists' booths. Stop by and say hello if you can make it!




matthewwengerdtrio
Saturday, May 12, 2007
1:00pm - Mayfaire by the lake
mwengerd|b
rvvoorst|ts
rmarsh|d

Bendelow Road
Sunday, May 13, 2007
12:00pm - Mayfaire by the Lake
dlunsford|ts,as
kguira|tb
nbagwell|p
mwengerd|b
rmarsh|d

Creating a Scene

As a student/employee involved in jazz at the University of South Florida, I am constantly getting asked where our patrons can see jazz other than University-related concerts. The truth is, there aren't myriad options in the Tampa Bay area. We at www.tampajazzscene.com will do everything in our power to chronicle as many straight-ahead jazz hits in the area as we can (disclosure: we will include our own gigs and you may see a lot of them - we have the most intimate knowledge of our own calendars), but we need you to do your part.

Conscientious jazz consumers will always go out of their way to thank the venues hosting live jazz. If you see a hit in a hotel, bar, or club and enjoyed it, take a moment to write or call management and thank them. If a venue discontinues live jazz, politely remind them how much you enjoyed it and (if it's true) that live jazz is a factor in determining where you go out for the night.

Additionally, let locations who aren't hosting live jazz know that you would enjoy it if they would begin to. Many proprietors are willing to give anything a try to get customers in the door and keep them there.

As musicians, listeners, educators, and fans, it is our responsibility to build a jazz scene in the Tampa Bay area. Make sure to say thanks to the musicians, too!

Polk County Steady Hits

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Polk County. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Polk County, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco/Hernando Counties, Pinellas County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

***Temporarily Cancelled***
Who: Bendelow Road
Where: Lakeland Steak and Ale
5125 S. Florida Ave|Lakeland
When: Last Saturday of the Month
Phone: 863.646.1416
Notes: Featuring www.tampajazzscene.com founder, Matthew Wengerd.
***Temporarily Cancelled***


Who: matthewwengerdtrio
Where: Starbucks|North Lakeland
3801 US Hwy 98 N
When: Third Thursdays|6:30-8:30pm
Phone: 863.859.4738
Notes: In front of Target

Pasco/Hernando County Steady Hits

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Pasco and Hernando Counties. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Pasco/Hernando Counties, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

None yet. Comment to let us know who's playing!

Sarasota/Manatee County Steady Hits

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Sarasota/Manatee Counties, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco/Hernando Counties, Pinellas County, Polk County.

None yet. Comment to let us know who's playing!

Hillsborough County Steady Hits

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Hillsborough County. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Pinellas County, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Pasco/Hernando Counties, Pinellas County, Polk County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

Who: The Mars' Trio
Where: Westchase Starbucks
10118 Montague Blvd.|Tampa, FL
When: Every other Friday night
Phone: 813.926.4430
Notes: Featuring www.tampajazzscene.com founder, Rich Van Voorst.

Who: The Mars' Trio
Where: Howard|Moody Starbucks
711 South Howard St|Tampa, FL
When: Every other Wednesday night
Phone: 813.250.9223
Notes: Featuring www.tampajazzscene.com founder, Rich Van Voorst.

Who: The Michael Ross Quartet
Where: 717 South
717 South Howard|Tampa, FL
When: Wednesdays, 7.3-10.3p
Phone: 813.250.1661
Notes:

Pinellas County Steady Hits

This page is a synopsis of steady (nightly, weekly, or monthly) jazz hits in Pinellas County. Our goal is to make this list comprehensive. If you know of a straight-ahead jazz hit in Pinellas County, let us know; we will update this page as we become aware of new events. Always check with the venue before heading out.

Check out steady hits in other counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco/Hernando Counties, Polk County, Sarasota/Manatee Counties.

Who: The Buster Cooper Trio and Friends
Where: The Garden
217 Central Ave|St. Petersburg
When: Friday and Saturday Nights, 9p-1a
Phone: 727.896.3800
Notes: USF bassist (and friend) Alejandro Arenas is often seen here.

Who: The Larry Camp Trio
Where: The Garden
217 Central Ave|St. Petersburg
When: Wednesdays, 7.3p-10p
Phone: 727.896.3800
Notes:

Who: Skyway Jazz
Where: Tommy's Blue Room
6101 Gulf Blvd | St Pete Beach
When: Saturday Nights, 8p-11p
Phone: 727.360.1820
Notes:

Meet an Author

BR 03.31.07 037Hello. My name is Matthew. You'll find me writing here from time to time about the Tampa Bay jazz scene. You may not think there's a lot going on here, but there is; you just have to know where to look.

If you've made it this far, you know exactly where to look.

As a point of introduction, I am a graduate student at the University of South Florida. I am studying jazz bass with Mark Neuenschwander and classical bass with Dee Moses. I am a graduate assistant for the Center for Jazz Composition and work part time for WUSF radio. I teach applied bass at Southeastern University. I do the majority of my writing at 104 weeks, my Grad School blog, and have a rarely-updated website here.

Look for me around the area (I live in Lakeland) and stop by often. Things will be moving quickly around here.

The Tampa Jazz Blog

Your source for information on jazz in the Tampa Bay area. Started by Rich Van Voorst and Matthew Eli Wengerd in the Spring of 2007.