Weekend arts forecast: Remembering Al Downing

Sunday afternoon, Tampa Bay jazz musicians will come together on the Palladium Theater’s Hough Hall stage (that’s the big one) to celebrate the life and times of the late Al Downing, a longtime musician and music teacher who prized education above all else.

Downing (1916-2000) was the first African American Commissioner of the St. Petersburg Housing Authority, and the first African American to play in the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra.

Downing, a pianist, and saxophonist Ernie Calhoun formed what would become the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association in the early 1980s. The organization continues to produce regular concert events, awards music scholarships and more.

Sunday’s 2 p.m. performance, hosted by drummer Mark Feinman, will feature Dwayne White, trumpet; Andy Foertsch, trombone; Theo Valentin, vocals; Ron Gregg, drums; Richard ‘Stretch’ Bruyn, piano; Erik Hempel, bass; and Vincent Sims, guitar. Members of the Downing family will be in attendance.

For tickets and additional information, click here.

The Palladium will be doing a bit of roof-raising at other times this weekend, too. The Brendan Robertson Quintet plays jazz downstairs tonight in the Side Door Café, while blues guitarist Selwyn Birchwood – the Catalyst spoke with him Tuesday – brings his band to Hough Hall Saturday night.

Palladium Theater website.

Other concerts

Tonight at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, it’s the O’Jays (“Love Train,” “Back Stabbers”). Before the group’s appearance one year ago at the Straz Center, founding member Walter Williams told the Catalyst that the three O’Jays had settling down on their minds.

“I thought I would have retired by now,” he said. “But this thing is addictive. I enjoy doing it. And I certainly enjoy doing it if I’m healthy enough to do it. I’ve always said that I would never be in that group they call the Old Jays.”

Find tickets for tonight’s concert, which is nearly sold out, here.

The weekend’s biggest show, by a country mile, finds Texas legend George Strait headlining Saturday at Raymond James Stadium, with support acts Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. At press time, available tickets were priced at $300 and $400. Here’s the link.

Former Poison lead singer Bret Michaels is at Mid-Florid Credit Union Amphitheater Friday, with Night Ranger, Jefferson Starship Steve Augeri and Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath. Tickets.

And let’s not forget:

Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam, Saturday at Amalie Arena, with Stevie B, Taylor Dane, Shannon, Rob Base and 69 Boyz, and others. Tickets.

Disturbed, the Chicago metal band (The Sickness) Saturday at Mid-Florida with Breaking Benjamin, Theory of a Deadman. Tickets.

Bye-bye “Lizzie” at Jobsite Theater. Photo: Stage Photography of Tampa.

Theater

The smash hit rock musical Lizzie slams to its finale this weekend at Jobsite Theatre, on the Jaeb Theatre stage inside the David A. Straz Performing Arts Center. Tickets.

American Stage’s production of Carmen Rivera’s La Gringa – the company’s first-ever bilingual show – continues through this weekend (it’s onstage through Aug. 13). Tickets.

At thestudio@620, high school theater enthusiast Kennedy Engasser is back with four original one-act plays, on a program together (at 7 p.m. Saturday, and again at 2 p.m. Sunday). The shows are It’s All Under Control, Banjos, Blissful Impotence and One Room. At the Studio website you’ll find plot synopses and ticket info.

Fine Arts

Dali Alive 360, the immersive 360 degree in the Dali Museum’s custom-built geodesic dome, opens today. The first show is at 10:30 a.m. daily. Here’s what the Catalyst wrote about it Wednesday.

And the Gallery at Creative Pinellas celebrates the new exhibition Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales with a 6 p.m. reception Saturday. It’s a show of works in various media by Puerto Rican artists. Read all about it here.

The Weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst. 

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