Continuing the Legacy of WUSF Jazz
Celebrating Florida Jazz
JAZZ ON ARTS AXIS FLORIDA celebrates Florida's rich jazz history and the large community of musicians and venues that make live performances possible by continuing WUSF Jazz's 56-year legacy: showcasing the best of live, local jazz through providing digital resources and advertising opportunities to jazz musicians, organizations, and venues throughout Florida.
Recent Studio Performances
Charlee Loyst is a pianist from St. Pete Beach, FL. Influenced by Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, Charlee Loyst has developed a sound that combines his classical background with his passion for jazz to craft musical ideas and share his story. He currently studies at Berklee College of Music and is majoring in Performance.
Established in 2022, Sokołowski Trombone Project is a Trombone Band made up of 4 trombonists and 3 rhythm section players. The band’s goals consist of promoting innovative arrangements for the trombone of popular jazz standards, while also aiming to contribute original and modern music in various styles. STP recently won the International Trombone Association’s "Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition" as well, where the group was given a featured performance at the International Trombone Festival in Salt Lake City.
Meet Suzanne Lucas, the extraordinary jazz singer from Brooklyn, NY who captivates audiences with her unparalleled ability to craft each song into a unique masterpiece. In the world of jazz, her spellbinding phrasing and soulful interpretation, weaves stories through her music like no other. Suzanne has been captivating audiences with her unique blend of jazz, blues, and folk since she was a young woman. She recently stopped by the WUSF Performance Studio to perform with her bands the Hot Boyz and Black Box Duo.
Spoken Word Poetry Performances
Ty Scott King is an award-winning, multi-Billboard charting poet and hip hop artist and a best-selling author. Ty has successfully showcased her poetic talent on the National Poetry Slam level and hosted both an internationally aired TV show and her own radio show. Learn more at tyscottking.com.
Dorrian Tyrell Bridges (born April 2nd, 1997) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bridges gained distinction and acclaim for his hybrid style that combined his unique spoken word delivery, pained lyrics, and dark classical production. As an entrepreneur, Dorrian Bridges and his Wife founded The Lindsay School of the Arts, a private performing arts school dedicated to providing high-quality arts education programming at no cost, ensuring complete accessibility to children and families.
Orlando, FL native and nationally renowned spoken word artist "Ja Rhymes" gracing the mic with her original work, word play and powerful delivery. JaRhymes has done BET sponsored events, Michael Colyar morning show, Apachee XLR, as well as being featured in HOT1 Magazine for emerging artist.
Latest News
The Instrument of Hope Discussion and Concert - Gun Violence Discussion in St. Pete, FL - Jazz Music
The Warehouse Arts District Association, in collaboration with the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, EMIT, Arts Axis, 7C Music, and Jazz on Arts Axis Florida hosted an important roundtable discussion on gun violence and a paired concert that featured the Instrument of Hope. The 2-part event took place at 7C Music and the ArtsXchange Outdoor Theater, located at 515 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg, on Friday, November 3, 2023, from 6:30 PM to 9 PM. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch made a special appearance and gave a short speech.
Meet Suzanne Lucas, the extraordinary jazz singer from Brooklyn, NY who captivates audiences with her unparalleled ability to craft each song into a unique masterpiece. In the world of jazz, her spellbinding phrasing and soulful interpretation, weaves stories through her music like no other. Suzanne has been captivating audiences with her unique blend of jazz, blues, and folk since she was a young woman. She recently stopped by the WUSF Performance Studio to perform with her bands the Hot Boyz and Black Box Duo.
Vocal jazz has been on the wane in recent years - as contemporary musicians veer either towards the bleeding edge of avant-garde jazz or the J Dilla-inflected stylings of jazz rap, the moody vocalists and smooth records that once were the standard bearers of popular jazz music fade from view in a genre that seems increasingly unfriendly to the music of Mel Tormé, Dinah Washington and ol' Blue Eyes himself.
Travis Van Bumble and Stephanie Ruscito are The House Cats: a husband and wife, guitar and vocals duo, playing straight ahead-jazz, bebop, and swing. Travis and Stephanie grew up near Clearwater, and have been playing music together for over ten years. Travis’ walking baselines and chord melodies give The House Cats a big, swinging sound, but as soon as they play a ballad you’ll feel the mood shift, and see the two’s chemistry shine. The House Cats pull inspiration from many of the greatest names in American jazz including Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery and Sarah Vaughan. Their repertoire consists of timeless tunes from The Great American song book; the pair hopes to breathe new life into these songs with original and inspired arrangements.
Jeremy Carter is a true study of Jazz music, Nebraska native, and understudy of the Southeast’s best professors and musicians. Jazzy funk riffs, screaming over the sounds of the BSP is truly a spectacle, for the ears and the eyes. If you find yourself stop dancing in a dropped draw fashion, it is probably because of Carter’s riffs, his soul pouring over the speakers like sand. Carter has recorded with numerous national acts and has performed, recorded and produced solo albums and cameo appearances too many too list.
Born and raised in Leawood, Kansas, Angelus Matthew C. Roxas began playing piano at the age of three, and after a couple of years, he studied under Ms. Ying-Yu Emily Yeh. He began competing at a young age, and his passion and determination led him to perform four times at Carnegie Hall in New York, an invitation to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, and a performance at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Studio, in Rome, Italy. He obtained a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance Degree in 2022 at the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory where he studied under Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz. Matthew is currently studying under Dr. Svetozar Ivanov as he pursues a Master of Music in Piano Performance Degree at the University of South Florida with an accompanying assistantship. Matthew teaches as a piano instructor at the USF Community Music Project.
Jazz Album Reviews
Vocal jazz has been on the wane in recent years - as contemporary musicians veer either towards the bleeding edge of avant-garde jazz or the J Dilla-inflected stylings of jazz rap, the moody vocalists and smooth records that once were the standard bearers of popular jazz music fade from view in a genre that seems increasingly unfriendly to the music of Mel Tormé, Dinah Washington and ol' Blue Eyes himself.
If it sounds like drummer John Bishop and pianist Bram Weijters are playing like their hair's on fire, in a way, they are - Bishop, Weijters and bassist Piet Verbist made yearly trips to the Belgium city of Antwerp, using their time in the city to record, jam and play over a hundred shows as a trio that overflows with effortless chemistry. The COVID-19 Pandemic changed that with strict international travel restrictions meaning the three friends couldn’t make their usual trip to the city on the Scheldt.
O Som Do Jazz, despite what the name may imply, is not a purely Brazilian affair. A Brazilian vocalist, backed by American, Colombian and Cuban players each put their own spin on the established genre conventions. Comprised of seasoned musicians such as husband and wife duo David and Andrea Moraes Manson, José Valentino (appearing both on the flute and tenor sax) and Tabajara Belo on guitar, O Som Do Jazz has released one fine collection of songs in Aberto that pays loving tribute to the classic Brazilian sounds of Bossa Nova and música popular brasileira over eight carefully composed tracks.
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