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Closeup on the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival
Notable performers include Dafnis Prieto, Hot Club SRQ, Martin Bejerano and Alexis Cole.
After 35 years with the St. Pete College Dept. of Music, David R. Manson will retire this summer to devote all of his time and talent to composing and arranging, and leading the city’s only big band, the Helios Jazz Orchestra.
David R. Manson. File photo.
A trombonist by trade, Manson has been in academia since 1984 (he taught music at Indiana State University before signing on the dotted line with SPC). Through his organization EMIT, he has been involved in producing, presenting (and performing) various forms of music, some of it experimental, in St. Pete for several decades.
He also plays original Brazilian music in his band O Som do Jazz. And he created and curates the annual St. Petersburg Jazz Festival.
“It’s been one and a half, two jobs for the past 30 years at least,” Manson reflects. “So I’m looking forward to a little slowing down of the pace.”
The jazz festival’s 17th iteration happens April 8-11 on the Warehouse Arts District’s ArtsXchange outdoor stage. Whereas previous editions have included concerts at different locations around the city, Manson’s EMIT has partnered with Warehouse Arts District Association president Markus Gottschlich to do it all, first concert to last, on the retractable aluminum stage erected on the ArtsXchange campus in 2023.
Manson was all for establishing a home base for his festival. “It gives it an identity,” he says. “It’s a wonderful little stage, and they’re very hospitable. And Markus has experience hosting jazz festivals before. So we’re on the same wavelength, and that helps a lot.”
The St. Petersburg Jazz Festival has always been about the quality of the music. For 17 years, Manson has insisted on that, as opposed to laying out the big bucks for so-called “name” acts on their way down the other side of success.
“One thing we try not to do is play it safe,” he says. “We try to bring in interesting acts, interesting musicians, and not second-guess what people will hopefully like.
“A lot of it’s personal. I want to assist regional artists as much as possible. And we have great talent here, so why hire people coming in from San Francisco when we have people that are as good, here in Florida?”
Schedule (all performances at 7:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, April 8
Alexis Cole and Helios Jazz Orchestra
New York-based vocalist Alexis Cole makes her third appearance in front of the 18-member Helios Jazz Orchestra. Cole, who’ll conduct a free vocal workshop April 7 at St. Petersburg College, headed the Jazz Vocal program at SUNY Purchase College, where one of her students was Samara Joy (McLendon), who has (so far) won five Grammy Awards. Said L.A. Jazz Scene of Cole: “A very talented singer with a warm voice, a solid sense of swing, and a winning musical personality.”
Fun fact: Cole studied Indian Classical Singing at the Jazz India Vocal Institute in Mumbai.
Vocalist Alexis Cole. Publicity photo.
Thursday, April 9
Johnbern Thomas Quintet, Randy Bordon Trio
7:30 PM at the Warehouse Arts District
Afro-Cuban grooves with modern jazz and funk sensibilities. Cuban-born bassist Boden’s trio also includes Pablo Arencibia: keyboards, and Diego Azcuy: drums and percussion.
Haitian drummer Johnbern Thomas “blends the complex rhythms of his Caribbean heritage with modern hard-bop sensibilities,” according to Manson’s official program notes; he is “celebrated for his explosive energy and melodic approach to the drums, leading a group of virtuosic musicians through original compositions that are as emotionally resonant as they are technically profound.”
Friday, April 10
Markus Gottschlich Trio, Hot Club SRQ
Steeped in the “Jazz Manouche” tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, Hot Club SRQ transports is led by Keven Aland. “He’s a world-class jazz violinist,” Manson tells the Catalyst. “There aren’t too many of them in the world, and he’s one of them. And he just happens to live in Sarasota. So we’re very fortunate; they’re a top-notch group.” The acoustic string ensemble also includes Jon McLaughlin on acoustic guitar and Glenn Stevenson playing double bass.
Keven Aland, left, and Jon McLaughlin of Hot Club SRQ. Website photo.
Saturday, April 11
Martin Bejerano’s #CubanAmerican Trio with Dafnis Prieto, Downtown Trio Plus One
A blend of Latin, Cuban, and fusion-informed post-bop jazz signals a performance from acclaimed South Florida pianist and composer Martin Bejerano. Writes Manson: “A sophisticated, high-energy fusion that challenges the conventional boundaries of the piano trio.”
Grammy-winning drummer Dafnis Prieto (a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow) sits in with closing night headliner The Downtown Trio, including saxophone player David Pate, Doug Mathews (double bass) and John Jenkins (drums) and the “Plus One” of Tampa Bay jazz guitar great LaRue Nickelson.
Find tickets, and additional information, at this link.
Dafnis Prieto. Publicity photo.
