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Young jazz singer draws on her inner bop
Veronica Swift was born with jazz in her blood. It sounds like singing in the genre comes as natural to her as breathing. Swift, the 22-year-old daughter of singer Stephanie Nakasian and the late bebop pianist Hod O'Brien, was first runner-up in 2015's prestigious Thelonious Monk International Vocal Competition. She graduated last month from the University ...
A jazzy way to end the day
Drummer Eddie Metz Jr. brought his mighty International Trio plus tenor saxophonist Harry Allen to Sarasota FL to provide a musical balm to Inauguration Day on Thursday, January 20. “We're glad your here rather than at home cheering or yelling at the TV," Metz said at the outset. “We don't care what side you're on— because ...
Jazz guitar mastery and heartfelt moments
Guitarist Larry Coryell, Russell Malone and Nate Najar teamed up Thursday, January 19 for an evening that showcased their individual styles and common ground as players. The concert, billed as the Great Guitars of Jazz, was held at the Venice (FL) Performing Arts Center. It brought together guitarists from three generations. Coryell, 73, best known for ...
A jazz singer's heartfelt return to familiar territory
Toronto-based singer June Garber delivered a superb- and superbly programmed- performance on Friday, January 13 as part of the South County Club's matinee concert series in Venice FL. It was the first area appearance in nearly two years for Garber, a vocalist whose art crosses the border between jazz and cabaret with ease. The occasional cabaret-style ...
Sarasota Jazz Project returns for a strong big band night
What a difference three years makes. The Sarasota Jazz Project returned to Port Charlotte on Monday, January 9 for Big Band Night in the Charlotte County Jazz Society's concert series. With very few personnel changes, the band was stronger and more in the groove compared to its ho-hum December 2013 performance. It showcased both classic and ...
Spotlighting Naples-area jazz talent
Two Naples FL bandleaders brought their groups to Port Charlotte on Monday, April 11 to close the Charlotte County Jazz Society's 25th Anniversary Season with a double concert. Dave Morgan, a triple threat performer on vibes, vocals and drums, stuck to the first two skills in a strong performance by his quartet, which included Mac Chrupcala ...
A spirited finale to jazz club's fifth season
The South County Jazz Club wrapped up its fifth season on Thursday, March 31, with a splendid concert by the latest edition of drummer Al Hixon's “Underheard Herd." That's a fitting name for his band, which generally includes a player or two who have been under-exposed in the area, or who are so good, you never ...
Reaching out to casual jazz listeners
Guitarist and singer Tony Boffa has an easy-going way of drawing listeners to jazz, whether they realize it- or not. While he was working in the Portland, Maine area as a music educator for many years, he also had his own in-demand band that played weddings and jazz gigs dating to the mid-1970s. Since retiring to ...
Jazz pianist shows what he's made of
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut shared an keen understanding of jazz improvisation at a South County Jazz Club concert in Sarasota FL on Saturday, March 19: He called it “composition at a rapid pace with no erasers." Then for the next 90 minutes or so, he gave a dazzling display of the art form in a solo piano ...
Saxophonist's "A Team" delivers a night filled with musical gems
A touring jazz saxophonist's lot often means solitary travel to a distant city or country- and working with a local or regional rhythm section with whom they may or may not be familiar. The fine swing tenor Harry Allen had none of that uncertainty for his March 14 appearance in the Charlotte County Jazz Society's concert ...
