Weekend spotlight: Jazzmen Brecker and Valdés; the DLs

Trumpet player Randy Brecker has a storied history of performances alongside many of the jazz greats and, with his brother Michael (on saxophone) as the Brecker Brothers. He’s a fusion (and Brazilian jazz) pioneer who’s had a lengthy and massively successful career as a composer and solo recording artist.

Randy Brecker is at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center Friday with Tampa’s own big band leader Chuck Owen, and his 19-piece Jazz Surge. The band is onstage Friday and Saturday, with guest musicians each night. Brecker won’t be there Saturday, but drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and vibraphonist Warren Wolf will, sitting in with the Jazz Surge and guest vocalists.

Tickets for both shows can be found at this link.

A little background: Anyone with a halfway decent collections of 1970s and ‘80s rock and pop records is familiar with Randy Brecker’s dulcet tone, although they might not know it. For years, he was an insanely busy session musician. That’s him taking the lonesome film noir solo on “Meeting Across the River” from Bruce Springsteen’s iconic Born to Run album.

On the same record, Randy and Michael Brecker were half of the beefy horn section on “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.”

He’s on Steely Dan’s Gaucho, Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly and Kamakiriad, Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled debut, Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything, Todd and A Wizard a True Star, Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms, Rickie Lee Jones’ Pirates, Paul Simon’s Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints, Elton John’s Blue Moves, Lou Reed’s Berlin and New Sensations, James Taylor’s That’s Why I’m Here, Aretha Franklin’s Aretha and on four Chaka Khan albums.AND on dozens of jazz recordings by the likes of George Benson, Grover Washington Jr., Ben Sidran, Stanley Turrentine, the GRP All-Stars, Jack McDuff, Alphonse Mouzon, Bob James, Billy Cobham, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Yusef Lateef and Mingus Dynasty.

Chucho

The Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet performs Saturday at the Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall. Cuba-born pianist Valdés, 85, fronts a group of outstanding Latin jazz musicians at this 7:30 p.m. show. He is probably best known as one of the founders of Irakere, the first Afro-Cuban jazz band a achieve massive popularity in the United States. Find tickets here.

Together at last: Don Lemon (left) and DL Hughley. Screen grab.

DL and DL

This is the weekend’s most interesting event. Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater, journalist Don Lemon and comedian DL Hughley – brilliant minds both – will be onstage together. It’s current affairs commentary and comedy, about the state of our nation and all that phrase encompasses. And the cross-country tour’s name says it all: Anything Goes.

“We are at a point where our community needs to laugh, but we also desperately need to think,” Hughley told FoxyNC. “Don brings the facts, and I bring the funny. When you put us together on one stage, anything goes. We aren’t holding back, and we are talking about the things that actually matter to our people.”

Saturday’s showtime is 7 p.m.; find tickets at this link.

And more concerts

Here’s a quick reminder that the Fleetwood Mac of country music, aka Little Big Town, will be onstage tonight (7:30) at the Mahaffey Theater. Here’s the Catalyst interview with group member Phillip Sweet.

Speaking of country music, Tim McGraw’s latest mega-tour brings him to Tampa’s Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre Friday. Get them tickets right here.

Winger plays Ferg’s Pavilion Friday, with Steelheart and Pitbull Toddler in the opening slots. With singer and songwriter Kip Winger at the helm, then as now, Winger has a solid catalogue of pop metal songs that, while they weren’t big chart hits, received a lot of airplay, including “Madalaine,” “Seventeen,” “Headed for a Heartbreak,” “Can’t Get Enuff” and “Hungry.” The band’s first two albums went platinum.

Along with its titular frontman, Winger 2026 includes mostly original members, including guitarist Reb Beach, drummer Rod Morganstern and keyboard/guitar guy John Roth.

Tickets for Friday’s 7 p.m. show are here.

Tonight at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre: Hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, on the “Final Chamber” tour. Tickets.

Rise Against plays the BayCare Sound Friday, with support from Alkaline Trio and Teen Mortgage. Not to be confused with L.A.’s Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against is a Chicago punk band whose albums Siren Song of the Counter Culture, the Sufferer and the Witness, Appeal to Reason, Endgame and The Black Market achieved gold and/or platinum-selling status.

The concert starts at 7, and tickets are available at this link.

Saturday brings the always-welcome return of comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. He’s standing up at 8 p.m. at Benchmark International Arena; find tichets at this link.

Joseph Will Oldham, better known as Americana-slash-punk singer/songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy, checks into Bayboro Brewing Sunday. Find tickets here for the 7 p.m. show.

On theater stages

The drama “As We Like It” continues at LAB Theater Project. Photo provided.

Jane Austen in 89 Minutes, in its first weekend at Stageworks Theatre, is just what the title says: The complete works of Britain’s favorite 19^th century romance novelist condensed into a rib-tickling hour and a half. Yes, it’s a comedy. Showtimes and tickets are here.

At freeFall Theatre, Jay Berkow’s What a Glorious Feeling! is the musical – and dance-heavy – story of how the classic film Singin’ in the Rain got made; showtimes and tickets are here. Cast members John T. Wolfe (Gene Kelly) and Laura Guley (Debbie Reynolds) guest on Friday’s episode of our Arts Alive! podcast.

Nocturne, a one-person drama with Weston Allen Kemp, is performed Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Off-Central. In Adam Rapp’s play, he’s a writer dealing with a terrible tragedy in his past. Showtimes and tickets are here.

At American Stage, Laura Frye has the title role in the rock musical A Night With Janis Joplin, through Oct. 11. Showtimes and tickets.

Oded Gross’ engrossing drama As We Like It is onstage this weekend and next at LAB Theater Project in Ybor City. It’s the tale of a Polish family hiding from the Nazis in a deep, dark forest, and … well, a lot happens. Showtimes and tickets are here.

Coming soon

Sept. 29 ProjectALCHEMY Momentum Choreographers Showcase: Moving Surreal at the Dali Museum

Sept. 30 Vitamin String Quartet/Girl Named Tom at Straz Center Ferguson Hall

Oct. 1-11 The Wash at The Studio@620

Oct. 2 Atsuko Okatsuka (comedy) at Straz Center Ferguson Hall

Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 The Florida Orchestra/Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture at the Mahaffey Theater

Oct. 2 America at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct. 3 Treaty Oak Revival at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct. 3 Caamp at Mahaffey Theter

Oct. 3 Janis Ian (audience Q&A only) at Catherine Hickman Theatre, Gulfport

Oct. 4 Ziggy Marley, Gov’t Mule at the BayCare Sound

Oct. 4 Stewart Tussing Band at New Tampa Performing Arts Center

Oct. 4 Celtic Thunder at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct. 6-11 Broadway Series: Buena Vista Social Club at Straz Center Morsani Hall

Oct. 8 Logic & G-Eazy at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct. 8 Dermot Kennedy at the Yuengling Center

Oct. 8 Boz Scaggs at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct. 8 Classic Albums Live The Dark Side of the Moon at the Capitol Theatre

Oct. 9 Bryson Tiller at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct. 9 Karol G at Raymond James Stadium

Oct. 9 Nurse John (comedy) (two shows) at the Mahaffey Theater

Oct. 9 The Florida Orchestra Music of the Beatles at Straz Center Morsani Hall

Oct. 9 Ty Myers, Lanie Gardner & Benny G at the BayCare Sound

Oct. 9 Postmodern Jukebox at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct. 10 The Florida Orchestra Music of the Beatles at the Mahaffey Theater

Oct. 10 Aziz Ansari (comedy) at Straz Center/Ferguson Hall

Oct. 10 Jimmy Falla at the Capitol Theatre

Oct. 10 The Avett Brothers at the BayCare Sound

Oct. 10 Tom Jones at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct. 10 The Artimus Pyle Band at Central Park Performing Arts Center

Oct. 10 Five Finger Death Punch at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct. 11 38 Special, The Marshall Tucker Band and Don Felder at the BayCare Sound

Oct. 13 Black Violin with Braxton Cook at Straz Center Morsani Hall

Oct. 13 Tedeschi Trucks Band at the BayCare Sound

Oct. 13 Tampa Bay Symphony String Quartet at Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church

Oct. 14-Nov. 8 Jobsite Theater’s Misery at Straz Center Jaeb Theatre

Oct. 14 Weezer at Benchmark International Arena

Oct. 14 Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Capitol Theatre

Oct. 15 The Vampire Circus at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct. 15 The Florida Orchestra: Inside Scheherazade at the Mahaffey Theater

Oct. 16 Dan + Shay at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct. 16 Oz Noy Trio at Central Park Performing Arts Center

Your Weekend Spotlight appears every Thursday in the Catalyst’s CREATE section. 

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