1
2
3
NOVEMBER 2, 9, 16, 22, 30 HOSTING OPEN MIC KAVA CULTURE MARCO ISLAND NOVEMBER 3 & 15 BOARDROOM TAVERN MARCO ISLAND NOVEMBER 4 ART IN THE GLADES MUSIC FESTIVAL ROD N GUN CLUB EVERGLADES CITY NOVEMBER 5 & 19 SNOOK INN MARCO ISLAND NOVEMBER 10, 17, 24 SAND BAR MARCO ISLAND NOVEMBER 12 GALUPPI’S SFBS IBC REGIONAL POMPANO BEACH NOVEMBER 18 WHISKEY PARK NAPLES
4
CHARLIE As a young girl, Charlie Pace loved watching bands perform on TV. In the small, swampy town of Everglades City, she would
dream and write and sing of other worlds. Pace may have started with a jump rope for a microphone and some books for a stage, and after getting the lead in an elementary school musical performance at age eight, she had determined her path. The following year Pace hit the stage for the first time at the annual Everglades Seafood Festival performing the National Anthem and two country covers. A decade later, you can still find her performing at that festival in her home town every February.
When Pace started accessing the internet as a tween, she quickly discovered rock bands like Nirvana and Paramore, and the gritty sound of the blues. She found powerful inspiration in sources ranging from Aretha Franklin and Paramore’s Hayley Williams to the Talking Heads and Fiona Apple. And while many young artists of today are strongly influenced by teen pop and TV stars, Pace was affected in a truly surprising turn by two adult pop icons. After watching the 2010 movie Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, Pace came to a powerful realization: she would be not just a singer, but an entertainer.
E PACE Pace released her first single, “Blue Eyes,” at the age of 14, and her story
“Juicebox” the following year. Then just two months after receiving her high school diploma, Pace joined Floyd Nation, a nationally-touring Pink Floyd cover band, as a backup vocalist. She then began working on her full-length recording debut Hear Me Out. Recorded with her biggest mentors – Ray Nesbit, Darrell Nutt and David C. Johnson – it was nominated for Josie music awards for her vocal performance and her songwriting at the Grande Ole Opry. Part 1, a six-song EP, was released on October 28, 2021 (her 18th birthday), and Pace describes its lead single “Buzz Cut Season,” as “about being brave enough to start the journey.” Part II was released in June 2023.
Pace describes Hear Me Out’s three sections as chapters in a book. Combined,
each grouping of songs represents an emotional journey she describes as “going from blue to orange,” with blue representing darkness and orange representing healing and growth. Pace’s music philosophy is simple: be as genuine as possible. She doesn’t limit her topics, style or genre (including death metal!). “I do what the soul needs the most from me,” she says, “and that could be anything if I let it just be.”
Currently working on new soul-baring solo music with blues musician Reggie King
Sears, Pace is also releasing her first punk record with her band CAAM. Both projects call attention to issues such as social change, equality and justice. Her passion for songwriting has led her to take college music classes and learn how to play multiple instruments. And while she especially enjoys playing her hometown stage at the Everglades Seafood Festival, 2023 marked Pace’s out-of-state debut, at Georgia’s Honey Bee Festival and Delaware’s Lady Bug Festival. With an auspicious onset and a fiery presence, this up-and-comer is one to keep an eye on as she moves forward in the blues world by participating in the South Florida Blues Society Regional International Blues Challenge in Pompano Beach this month. More at charliepacemusic.com.
5
S P O T L I G H T J A Z Z
Just One Sun Coming from diverse musical paths, the members of Just One Sun are all about NOVEMBER 17 playing music they love with some of their favorite people. Their music is exposBLUE TAVERN ing listeners to numerous styles of music from the U.S. and around the world, TALLAHASSEE filtered through their distinct musical sensibilities. Along with American flavors of jazz, roots, pop and rock, are woven strong influences of Greek and Brazilian folk, Indian classical, and music from the Caribbean diaspora for an extraordinarily rich blend of musical languages. Vocalist and arranger Sasha Tuck has performed with such jazz luminaries as Buster Cooper, John Lamb and Kenny Drew Jr., recently made her international debut at CỘI Saigon in Vietnam. She was an Adjunct Professor in the Music Industry/Recording Arts Program at St. Petersburg College from 2010-2019. Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Chris “Seep” Seepersaud is the owner of Seepersaud Studios, a music school in Tallahassee. He has played with George Porter Jr., Aston Barrett (The Wailers), gospel songwriter Deon Kipping, and many others. As Associate Professor of Music at Florida A&M University since 2014, Brian Hall has toured the East Coast as a performer and educator for 25+ years, and played with Nat Adderley Jr., Longineu Parsons, and others. Paddy League performs on guitar, drums, percussion, violin and accordion in the U.S. and Europe, sings in five languages, and appears on numerous recordings. He also teaches Musicology at Florida State University. More at justonesun.band.
6
7
S P O T L I G H T B L U E S
Jonathon “Boogie” Long After leaving school at age 14, and with his parents’ consent, Jonathon “Boogie” Long went on tour playing the bass guitar in the backing ensemble for Henry Turner Jr. for two years. He followed that by touring variously with Chris Duarte, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Tyree Neal on the Chitlin’ Circuit; on the college circuit with 2Hipnotic; and then a stint backing Luther Kent. In 2011, Long was named Guitar Center’s King of the Blues, in the competition for the top unsigned blues guitarist in America. Part of the prize package was a studio session, resulting in the issue of Long’s debut EP, The Pete Anderson Sessions, named for its producer. In 2013, Long’s self-released his debut, Jonathon “Boogie” Long & the Blues Revolution, and filmed the instructional three-DVD set Boogie Blues Magic. After supporting B.B. King on a four-week tour, Long co-starred in the 2014 independent film We Are Kings, about an elderly couple’s juke joint in the Mississippi Delta. Recordings from three of Long’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazzfest) performances have been released on CD. 2016’s Trying to Get There was followed by 2018’s Jonathon Long, produced by Samantha Fish and released on her label, Wild Heart Records. It reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart. In 2019, Long was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and 2021’s Parables of a Southern Man also reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart. More at boogielong.com.
NOVEMBER 10 CRAFT BEERS & BLUES FESTIVAL CASSELBERRY
8
9
S P O T L I G H T J A Z Z
Dave Stryker Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group or alongside Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff and many others, you know why he was recently voted – for the 15th time – as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2022 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls. Stryker’s last five CDs have all gone to No. 1 on the JazzWeek Radio chart: His most recent, 2023’s Prime features his longtime working trio with Jared Gold and McClenty Hunter, fresh off a tour opening for Steely Dan. Last year’s As We Are features a string quartet and received high honors in the Downbeat Readers Poll and Jazz Times magazine. 2019’s Eight Track III stayed atop the chart for six straight weeks, and 2015’s Messin’ with Mister T – a celebration of Turrentine with ten star tenor sax players – stayed in the Top 50 for 20 weeks. After establishing himself on the NYC music scene, Stryker joined organist Jack McDuff’s group for two years 1984-85. Off the road, they worked a steady gig at Dude’s Lounge in Harlem. It was there that Stryker met Turrentine, who would occasionally sit in. After leaving McDuff, Stryker played with Turrentine’s quintet from 1986 to 1995. He is featured on two Turrentine CDs, and Turrentine recorded Stryker’s song “Sidesteppin’.” Stryker has recorded and published more than 150 original compositions, has appeared on more than 75 CDs as a sideman, and works regularly as a producer. His book, Dave Stryker’s Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method Vol III contains Vol I and Vol II along with new material. More at dave stryker.com.
FROM A PHOTO BY CHRIS DRUKKER
NOVEMBER 16 NEW TAMPA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TAMPA
10
11
S P O T L I G H T B L U E S
Laura Chavez In 2008, Candye Kane was looking for a lead guitarist, and her friend Sue Foley instantly endorsed Laura Chavez, who then played on Kane’s Blues Caravan: Guitars & Feathers alongside NOVEMBER 17 Deborah Coleman and HOUSE OF MUSIC Dani Wilde. Chavez went TALLAHASSEE on to play and co-produce with Kane on 2009’s Superhero, then debuted as musical director for Kane’s band on 2011’s Sister Vagabond, followed by 2013’s Come Out Swingin’ before Kane’s 2016 death from cancer. In 2017, Chavez played on Vanessa Collier’s Meeting My Shadow, on Casey Hensley’s debut Live (nominated for two Blues Blast Music Awards), and joined Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter on Right Place, Right Time, which won a Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Album. That same year, Guitar Player featured Chavez as one of “50 Sensational Female Guitarists. Touring with Nikki Hill and Collier, recording for Collier’s 2018 CD Honey Up, collaborating with Big Daddy Wilson on 2019’s Deep in My Soul, participating in the Blues Caravan tour, and festival dates kept her calendar full. In 2020, Chavez played on and produced Casey Hensley’s Good as Gone, and played on and wrote a few tracks for Whitney Shay’s Stand Up. Chavez has also had a hand in albums with the Lucky Losers, The Mannish Boys, Jade Bennett, Ina Forsman, Lindsay Beaver and Katarina Pejak. This year, Chavez became the first female artist in the 44-year history of the Blues Music Awards to win top honors as a guitarist. More at Wikipedia. com. WITH VANESSA COLLIER NOVEMBER 16 CAFE ELEVEN ST AUGUSTINE BEACH
12
13
S P O T L I G H T J A Z Z
Rebirth Brass Band
NOVEMBER 3 INTUITION ALE WORKS JACKSONVILLE
Formed in 1983 by tuba player Phil Frazier, his brother, bass drummer Keith Frazier, and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, Rebirth Brass Band has undergone numerous personnel NOVEMBER 4 changes over the years. Emerging from Treme’s Lower Ninth Ward, the band are PINECREST (with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and New Birth Brass Band), both keepers of the GARDENS flame and pioneers in expanding that legacy. Melding their tradition with PINECREST second-line, funk, jazz, soul, and hip-hop, their discography is just as long and varied, but began with their debut, Here to Stay. Four of their albums have landed on the U.S. jazz and blues charts, and four singles have landed in the Top 40 on sales charts. Their 2012 CD Rebirth of New Orleans won the group their first Grammy, for Best Regional Roots Music Album. In addition to their own recordings, they have guested on albums by Trombone Shorty, Robbie Robertson, John Fogerty, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the group appearanced several times in HBO’s Treme series. But it’s never been all about the recordings. Phil Frazier has said that he takes pride in the diversity of the crowds the band regularly attracts at shows in New Orleans and across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Their most recent release, Live at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2019 was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category. More at rebirthbrass band.com.
14
15
S P O T L I G H T B L U E S THE BLUES IS ALRIGHT TOUR NOVEMBER 3 UCF ADDITION FINANCIAL ARENA ORLANDO
Theodis Ealey
Mississippi native Theodis Ealey played his first gig at age 14. The trio of three brothers debuted with Ealey on bass, but he soon switched to guitar and began performing with other area groups. After living in Hawaii for six years during his U.S. Air Force tour, Ealey tried Oakland, CA before making Atlanta, GA his home, yet Ealey carries the Mississippi juke joint spirit with him, playing guitar with such notables as Little Milton, Johnny Clyde Copeland and the Blues Brothers. Ealey then showed the music industry the voice behind the guitar. Starting in 1991, Ealey released four successful albums over the next six years. Ealey’s growing success led him to create IFGAM Records (I Feel Good About Myself), which released his fifth project, 2002’s It’s A Real Good Thang. His 2004 title track “Stand Up In It” was the No. 1 single on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Sales Chart for five consecutive weeks. In 2006, Ealey released I’m The Man You Need, and his latest release is 2013’s You and I, Together. Ealey won the Jus’ Blues Best Blues & Soul Man Song of the Year 2007 for “Francine” and the Jus’ Blues Lowell Folsom Legends Award for years 2006 and 2008. His electrifying stage performances also opened doors to Hollywood. Ealey appeared in the TV movie A Kiss To Die For, the Emmy-winning HBO special Miss Evers’ Boys, and the movies The Fighting Temptations and Daddy’s Little Girls, plus commercials for Rooms To Go and The Cartoon Network. More at theodisealey.com.
16
17
S P O T L I G H T J A Z Z
Ashley Pezzotti & the
South Florida Jazz Orchestra
New York vocalist and composer Ashley Pezzotti discovered her love for music as her Dominican father would sing her to sleep with classic Spanish songs. Now in her 20s, Pezzotti has already performed with renowned artists including Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Arturo Sandoval, Jon Secada, and country star Keith Urban. In 2019, she participated in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program and performed her original compositions at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Her 2019 critically acclaimed solo debut We’ve Only Just Begun features an array of original compositions inspired by the Great American Songbook. Pezzotti also showcases her superb ability to tell a story through some of the great jazz standards featured on the album. She is also featured on Wynton Marsalis’ 2020 release, The Ever Fonky Lowdown, along with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. More at ashleypezzotti.com. The South Florida Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Chuck Bergeron, is a modern Big Band comprised of some of the best jazz musicians, studio musicians and jazz educators in the southeastern U.S. SFJO members are among the most experienced professionals in the country, having performed and toured with many top jazz and pop artists. These musicians’ careers include tenure with the most renowned big bands and outstanding artists in the jazz and pop worlds. The Orchestra has released four CDs to date, from their self-titled 2008 debut through 2020’s Cheap Thrills: The Music Of Rick Margitza.
FROM A PHOTO BY JCA PHOTOGRAPHY
NOVEMBER 8 GOLD COAST JAZZ SOCIETY BROWARD CENTER FT LAUDERDALE
18
19
S P O T L I G H T B L U E S
Dana Fuchs With her feet planted firmly on either side of the blues-rock divide, Dana Fuchs is one of the fiercest voices around. Her newest project, Borrowed Time, digs deep into her southern rock upbringing, saluting the loud, guitar-driven sounds that sound-tracked her childhood years in rural Wildwood, FL. Fuchs didn’t fit in with the conservative culture of her hometown, and quickly developed a rebellious reputation. Music helped level her out. In 2003, Fuchs and guitarist Jon Diamond released their first album, Lonely for a Lifetime, but Fuchs put the band on hold to concentrate on other projects including the off-Broadway musical Love, Janis (where she portrayed Janis Joplin) and the film Across the Universe (where she sang The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter”). After 2008’s Live in NYC, she toured with Ray Davies and Dickey Betts before releasing her second studio album, 2011’a Love to Beg. 2014’s two-disc Songs From The Road, honestly captures the two-way energy that only occurs when great artists go noseto-nose with their fans. Fuchs’s last album, 2018’s Love Lives On serves as a tribute to Memphis staples like Stax/Volt, Hi Records, and Sun Studios, with groove-driven soul songs featuring personal lyrics about her family’s struggle with addiction and mental illness. Now Borrowed Time gazes outward, replacing the autobiographical spirit of previous records with tracks that follow other characters’ paths. “It was time to get out of myself and deliver songs from another person’s viewpoint” she explains. “We’re all on this planet together, after all, living on borrowed time.” More at dana fuchs. com.
NOVEMBER 10 CRAFT BEERS & BLUES FESTIVAL CASSELBERRY
FROM A PHOTO BY MERRI CYR
20