Carnival of Soul

St. Petersburg Jazz Festival: Five Evenings of Great Jazz

There are jazz festivals, and then there are jazz festivals. You know exactly what I mean. Some are festivals filled with pop, R&B, Americana, rock, and, yes, a few token jazz artists. And then there are events such as the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival, which for five nights beginning Wednesday, February 26, through Sunday, March 1, is full of nothing BUT jazz.

All five nights take place at The Palladium in St. Petersburg, four in the intimate Side Door room and one in the beautiful main theater. This event, the 12th, is curated by David Manson and presented by EMIT with numerous sponsors including St. Petersburg College and the City of St. Petersburg. EMIT (a nonprofit arts organization) produces adventurous music and educational activities in the Tampa Bay area. For the past seventeen years, over 300 events involving new music, jazz, world music, interactive electronics, improvisation and interdisciplinary art forms that incorporate sound have been featured in the EMIT series.

Wednesday, February 26: O SOM DO JAZZ

The outstanding Brazilian group O Som Do Jazz welcome you to the first night, bringing you Brazil in its many flavors: samba, bossa nova, MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), balanço, and baião. David Manson, trombone, put this band together some years ago, and the group just released their excellent third album Go! last year. Andrea Moraes Manson from Rio de Janeiro is the featured vocalist.

José Valentino Ruiz, a Latin Grammy winner, is a multi-instrumentalist best known for his remarkable work on flute. The evening’s special guest is Rafael Pereira, an excellent percussionist with a deep resume. Rounding out the band are Brazilian pianist Adolfo Mendonça and the La Lucha rhythm section of Alejandro Arenas, bass, and Mark Feinman, drums.

Thursday, February 27: THE CONGLOMERATE

At Orange Blossom Jamboree last year, we were knocked out by a band from Orlando we’d not heard about (yet).

The second jaw-dropper was taking place on the Citrus Stage with The Conglomerate. The feeling was very much like the first time hearing Ghost-Note, except that TheCon PS, as they abbreviate for the interwebs, features three (3) THREE keyboard players playing at least ten keyboards, especially synths. This was funk to the power of funk.

Their debut album Merger came out in September. This band performs with joy and passion spread equally over great original compositions and time-tested standards. The Conglomerate have one foot squarely in k’70s funk fusion and the other planted in the future. And keep a close eye on drummer James Adkins. Just sayin’…

Friday, February 28: LEON FOSTER THOMAS QUARTET with TAL COHEN

The Caribbean invaded jazz with the sound of steel pans, and jazz is the better for it. Leon Foster Thomas and his quartet are leading exponents of this amalgam of sounds, successfully marrying the island vibe to mainstream jazz. Thomas and band have played all over the world and on the biggest jazz stages. The band’s most recent album is Metamorphosis. Prepare to be dazzled!

Tal Cohen brings a piano style that owes as much to classical music and Jewish folk music as it does to jazz. He too has played around the world, performing with great musical heavyweights and also performing his own improvisational music. His latest album Gentle Giants has brought great critical acclaim.

Saturday, February 29: ALEXIS COLE with THE HELIOS JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Listening to the gorgeous voice of Alexis Cole lets your mind drift back to that glorious time for singers in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, when the band worked to give the vocalist its proper due. Her rich, warm tones delight whether back by a small combo or a big band. Her classic sound recalls all the stars of those times, and favorably so. She has played the best clubs and venues and festivals while recording nine albums of her own and working with the best in the industry.

For this show Cole will be back by a superb big band, the Helios Jazz Orchestra, a mainstay on Florida’s West Coast. The 17-piece band is directed by David Manson and is ensemble-in-residence at St. Petersburg College. This will be a fine collaboration, and it will be in the big theater.

Sunday, March 1: JASON CHAROS & THE BOOKER LITTLE PROJECT

Jason Charos brings his Booker Little Project from the University of Miami. This band is tackling the musical output of trumpeter Booker Little, a true titan who died at 23, caused by uremia. During Little’s all-too-short life, he was recorded on 20 albums, including four under his name, several with Eric Dolphy, and some with Max Roach. His bebop style, owing much to Clifford Brown, was just emerging when he died. Charos and his sextet are breathing new life into Little’s compositions. Here is video evidence:

Enjoy our St. Petersburg Jazz Festival playlist below!