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.
Latest Jazz Updates
Meet Dylan McHann. He is an accomplished saxophonist and composer based in Miami, Florida and plays tribute to some of the greats like Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. He’s performed in prestigious clubs like Dizzy’s Coca Cola and at festivals like the Monterey Jazz Festival. I spoke with Dylan over zoom about his upcoming show at Studio 620 on Saturday April 5. The show honors two jazz giants—Horace Silver and Cedar Walton.
GIVEAWAY ALERT! Calling all jazz lovers! Jazz at WUSF is giving one lucky winner a GIANT gift basket of Jazz CDs to help celebrate the Jazz Appreciation Month and the 2 Year Anniversary of Jazz on Arts Axis Florida. We've pulled from the giant selection of CDs from the WUSF media library.
Critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter & artist Julie Black writes expansive music rooted in early blues & jazz. A kindred spirit of free and fiery souls, she’s a songwriter whose personal story is deep, complex, and inspiring. Her soulful voice, intuitive approach, and fiery emotional intensity conjure up live performances that are passionate and profound. Deeply-rooted influences like Solomon Burke and Etta James flavor her sound, as do elements of blues, jazz, soul, swing, and rock. Filled with emotional truth, clarity, and vision, Julie Black offers a musical experience that is one-of-a-kind.
Recent Studio Performances
Critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter & artist Julie Black writes expansive music rooted in early blues & jazz. A kindred spirit of free and fiery souls, she’s a songwriter whose personal story is deep, complex, and inspiring. Her soulful voice, intuitive approach, and fiery emotional intensity conjure up live performances that are passionate and profound. Deeply-rooted influences like Solomon Burke and Etta James flavor her sound, as do elements of blues, jazz, soul, swing, and rock. Filled with emotional truth, clarity, and vision, Julie Black offers a musical experience that is one-of-a-kind.
Rafael "Ruffus" Silva is a Boston based Jazz piano player with nearly two decades of experiences. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and majored in Performance. He plays about 15+ instruments and is proficient in Jazz piano, saxophone, flute, and bass. He specializes in Jazz music from the early to mid 20th century and performs with a repertoire of over 900+ songs.
Ryan Devlin is a 27-year-old saxophonist and music educator from Orlando, FL Ryan started his musical journey with his father Scott Devlin who was the leader of the Walt Disney World Sax Quartet.
Meet Dylan McHann. He is an accomplished saxophonist and composer based in Miami, Florida and plays tribute to some of the greats like Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. He’s performed in prestigious clubs like Dizzy’s Coca Cola and at festivals like the Monterey Jazz Festival. I spoke with Dylan over zoom about his upcoming show at Studio 620 on Saturday April 5. The show honors two jazz giants—Horace Silver and Cedar Walton.
MPM is an instrumental trio based out of Tampa Bay, Florida specializing in jazz performance. Led by Alex Malkovich on guitar and saxophone, Cooper Madden on bass, and Ayrias Pedigo on drums, this ensemble performs classic bebop tunes in a modern way. This concert was recorded at In Between Days, an intimate sake bungalow house in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Sandujazz is an ensemble devoted to the sounds of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American idiosyncrasies. Since 2019, the group has released its first trilogy of albums blending Jazz Fusion and Salsa styles with psychedelic influences. They are now a prominent part of the jazz scene in Tampa led by the new generations.
Jazz Album Reviews
“Smokin’ Guitar Cat” is a beautiful single from vocalist Julie Black, which features Julie’s classic raspy, mellifluous bluesy voice. Dave Eichenberger's acoustic guitar and synth structure compliment Julie’s vocals, which makes you feel like you’re roaming the rainy streets of Ybor City. The song’s Cuban noir influences showcase lyrics like “soon everybody’s dancing to this smokin’ guitar cat on the rainy streets of Tampa where they roll the cigars at.”
GRAMMY award winning artist Samara Joy crafts a stunning soundscape of vivid hues and complex harmonies with her aptly-titled second studio album, Portrait. Each track is seamlessly woven together through some of the most impressive composing and arranging I’ve heard from any recent jazz release. Each track serves as a carefully brushed stroke on a massive canvas. With brilliant vocal control and an impressively dynamic range, Joy has no problem covering this canvas from top to bottom.
Gabriel Guerrero, a Colombian-born and NYC-based pianist, composer and educator has given us eleven charming and silky-smooth tracks to enjoy on his new record Equilibrio - while at times verging on the inoffensive and anodyne, Guerrero and his band QUΔΠTUM provide enough energy to keep listeners engaged with their particular brand of high end jazz.
Spoken Word Poetry Performances
New Performances coming in 2025
Nicole has always had a love for writing and especially poetry, one she has only expanded on through high school and college. Inspired by lyricists, other poets, and the natural world, she commonly writes about internal and external struggles and how language shapes our understanding of ourselves. For more of her work, check local literary magazines and community poetry events in the St. Pete area, where she appears regularly.
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.
Poetry Written and Performed By Grentry Burkes. Artwork Referenced: “swansong” by Caroline Colby and "Juicebox of Desire” by Andrew King.
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