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
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.
ERG is a new ensemble exploring the intersections of composed and improvised creative music. Four of its five members are SHIM alumni and include David Pate (saxophones & flute), Tom Kersey (cello), David Manson (trombone), TJ Glowacki (double bass), and Jim Stewart (drums). Their collective experiences include the free spirit of SHIM, the experimentalism of BONK, and the groove and grittiness of the Zappa repertoire band Bogus Pomp.
Charlee Loyst is a pianist from St. Pete Beach, FL. Influenced by Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, Charlee 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.
Recent Studio Performances
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.
Rod Alnord is Haitian-born drummer with multiple musical influences including Jazz, Gospel/Worship, and Afro-Caribbean Music. He studied at the University of South Florida under Ric Craig and Bob McCormick. He has since developed his playing style, inspired by the explosive Elvin Jones and modern-day drummer Brian Blade.
ERG is a new ensemble exploring the intersections of composed and improvised creative music. Four of its five members are SHIM alumni and include David Pate (saxophones & flute), Tom Kersey (cello), David Manson (trombone), TJ Glowacki (double bass), and Jim Stewart (drums). Their collective experiences include the free spirit of SHIM, the experimentalism of BONK, and the groove and grittiness of the Zappa repertoire band Bogus Pomp.
Charlee Loyst is a pianist from St. Pete Beach, FL. Influenced by Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, Charlee 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.
Harrison Jazz Ensemble performed in the WUSF Studio. Pianist and songwriter Roger Harrison played several original pieces while musicians from the Al Downing Association: Henry Ashwood, Ron Gregg, and Valentyn Korniienko. You can learn more about Roger at theharrisonjazzensemble.com and rogerharrisonmusic.com
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.
Jazz Album Reviews
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.
With his latest album release ‘The Crew,’ singer Bryan Hughes demonstrates a (personally) much-appreciated earnestness and true love for the Great American Songbook. While still bringing a fresh and modern take to these tunes, Hughes and his crew so passionately remain true to the jazz tradition.
Jazz on Arts Axis Florida is powered by
WUSF >> WUSF News | Classical WSMR | WUSF Jazz | Health News Florida | IntellisMedia | The Zest Podcast
©2024, WUSF and Arts Axis Florida logo are service marks of WUSF. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy
WUSF is a department of the University of South Florida.