jazz

The final performance of the inaugural Sanibel Summer Jazz Concert series, July 31, features vocalist Dana Paul, bassist David Pastorius, pianist Stu Shelton, and percussionist Tony Vigilante. The concert series is presented by the Sanibel Jazz Society, LLC, founded by Amy Sbarra to promote the art of jazz and support student musicians.

Stevie Wonder wrote his first Motown hit at 13. Today, his catalog spans six decades. His repertoire covers a wide range of genres, but he has not really been associated with jazz – until now. On July 30, the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective will perform the music of Stevie Wonder - all jazzed up.

The Gulf Coast Jazz Collective has been celebrating famous jazz musicians this season. In June, it’s Thomas “Fats” Waller.

Haven’t been to the Baker Museum yet? Now’s your chance. The Baker Museum is offering free admission on Sundays beginning May 17 and continuing through Sept. 6 along with Art After Hours on the last Wednesday of each month. Summer at the Baker also includes jazz in the Daniels Pavilion.

Reginald O’Neal’s best-known body of work is his Jazz Figurines Series. Paintings and a sculpture from that series are on view in Hayes Hall at Artis-Naples. “The fact that it has a musical connection made it feel really appropriate for our unique institutional context here,” said Baker Museum Chief Curator Courtney McNeil. The series originated from a random stop at a souvenir shop on a visit to New Orleans in 2022.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Wynton Marsalis asks the question that confronts us as a nation: “Do we want to find a better way?” He answered that in the eight songs that comprise his 2022 album “The Democracy! Suite.” The Gulf Coast Jazz Collective – Paul Gavin, Zak Bartholomew and Brandon Robertson – will perform it on April 18.

The FGCU Jazz Combo will perform original student compositions inspired by multidisciplinary Miami artist Onajide Shabaka on Feb. 3. His exhibition, “Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream,” is on view in the Wasmer Gallery in the Arts Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University.

We listen back to our April show featuring Emmy-nominated jazz trumpeter, vocalist and composer Benny Benack III performing live in studio with the Florida Gulf Coast University Jazz Combo.

The Gulf Coast Jazz Collective opens its season with “A tribute to Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.” Music Director Andrew Kurtz says the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective plays the best professionally curated jazz in Southwest Florida. On November 13, the Collective will be playing all of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s classic hits.

The Gulf Coast Symphony continues to grow and offer year-round programming even as other regional symphony orchestras have closed. Gulf Coast Symphony Founder and Music Director Andrew Kurtz explains how the organization works to diversify its performance offerings and attract new audiences.