WAYNE BAKER
DECEMBER 1
EARL’S HIDEAWAY SEBASTIAN
DECEMBER 7
BEACH BAR FT MYERS BEACH
DECEMBER 8
ARTS GARAGE
DELRAY BEACH
DECEMBER 14
LITTLE BAR GOODLAND
DECEMBER 19 THE VILLAGES RESIDENTS AND GUESTS ONLY
DECEMBER 28
MASARYK WINERY MASARYKTOWN
With a signature style that mixes powerful vocals with liquid fire guitar playing, Wayne Baker Brooks honorshis rich blues heritage while effortlessly expanding the boundaries of the genre. Born and raised the youngest of nine kids in a blues-loving Chicago family, amongst the world’s most legendary and prolific blues masters, Brooks’ blues roots may run deeper and wider than the Great Lakes themselves.
One illustration: Brooks’ father, blues master Lonnie Brooks had success in the 1950s with rock and roll hits including ”The Crawl” and “Family Rules. While on tour with Sam Cooke, Lonnie told Cooke how much he loved the blues, and especially Chicago blues. Cooke told Lonnie to move there and in 1959 Lonnie moved to Chicago and stayed with Cooke for close to a year before meeting and marrying Brooks’ mother.
The Windy City laid the foundation for Brooks’ innovative style. Growing up, he was a regular at Chess Studios, Checkerboard Lounge, and other area blues landmarks where he witnessed performances by the likes of Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, Luther Allison, Muddy Waters… and his dad. But the mainstream radio playing throughout his urban neighborhood featured now-iconic names like James Brown, George Clinton, Prince and Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, the rockers were listening to Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones.
BAKER BROOKS
In 1997 he formed the Wayne Baker Brooks Band, then began touring with his father’sband as a stage manager, guitar tech, road manager, accountant, and so on in 1998. When his brother and bandmate Lonnie broke his wrist, Brooks started playing guitar in the band… and toured with them for 29 years.
He co-wrote the 1999 book Blues for Dummies (now available in close to 40 languages) with his father and Cub Koda. His cameo appearance in 1998’s Blues Brothers 2000 preceded other cameo appearances in 2002’s and its 2004 sequel.
recorded with The Black Crowes, Shemekia Copeland, Jonny Lang, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal and many more. He was the 2023 Chicago Music Award winner for Best Blues Entertainer, and he also won the Jus’ Blues Foundation’s 2023 Little Milton Campbell Blues Award for Outstanding Soulful Singer and Guitarist. He has been inducted into both the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame and the Canadian Blues Hall of Fame.
“I’m here to make other people feel Barbershop
After launching his record label Blues Island in 2003 (and performing at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Chicago that year), Brooks self-released his acclaimed 2004debut release Mystery, blues, blue-rock, soul, funk and more. The release earned awards and praise from critics and fans, and soon Brooks was touring the world and appearing on national TV and radio programs. In 2005 the Brooks family, collectively known as “The First Family of Chicago Blues,” received a lifetime achievement award from the Poconos Blues Festival.
One personal career highlight was a performance for First Lady Hilary Rodham Clinton at Chess Studios with Bo Diddley and Koko Taylor. Another was performing (with brother Ronnie Baker Brooks) and serving as Musical Director for a Chicago performance honoring Buddy Guy at a 2012 Kennedy Center Honors Send Off Celebration.
While the 2012 EP Tricks Up My Sleeves is his latest studio recording, Brooks stays very busy. To date he has performed in 750+ cities in 40+ countries. Aside from Guy, Diddley and Taylor, Brooks has performed or
melding
negative is going on in their world, for those two hours, I can make you forget those bad times or whatever you want to forget. That’s what I’m here for. We need that! The whole purpose is to give you some relief and let you shake your ass for a few hours, let you forget what’s going on in the world, and wayne .
FROM A PHOTO BY MIKE HOFFMAN
Jeff Rupert
Jazz saxophonist and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida, Jeff Rupert has been playing since age ten. He joined the Sam Rivers Band in 1996, recorded four albums with the band, and performed at Lincoln Center for Ed Bradley’s Jazz from Lincoln Center, Vision Festival, and Columbia University. At the University of Central Florida, Rupert is the musical director of The Flying Horse Big Band, which began as the UCF Jazz Ensemble 1. He founded Flying Horse Records to promote the work of students and faculty, and has produced several records featuring his students in the UCF Jazz Ensemble 1. Their recording Jazz Town reached No. 43 on the JazzWeek chart. The Blues Is Alright, the 2013 album, reached No. 35. He founded the band Jeff Rupert + Dirty Martini with which he recorded 2004’s Your Love for Me, and led The Jazz Professors, a sextet which had albums on the JazzWeek chart in 2012 and 2013. Rupert has been a featured soloist at numerous jazz festivals throughout the world, including the Montreaux Jazz Festival and Chicago Blues Festival, and has worked with the likes of Benny Carter, Maynard Ferguson, Diane Schuur, and Mel Tormé. Rupert founded and produced the UCF Orlando Jazz Festival in 2008, and it’s still going strong. His latest release is 2024’s It Gets Better with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. This performance is the Tampa Jazz Club’s last concert event of 2024. Find him on Facebook
DECEMBER 29
FLORIDA
DECEMBER 30
PLAZA
DECEMBER 31
Samantha Fish
CAPITOL THEATRE CLEARWATER -
As an artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Samantha Fish has earned numerous accolades for her unique self-expression, which she channels through explosive riffs, visceral rhythms, and spine-tingling vocals. This past summer, Fish joined Slash on his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour, then participated in the Experience Hendrix Tour. Fish’s latest effort over more than two decades of regular releases, 2023’s Death Wish Blues is a collabo ration with renegade rocker Jesse Dayton. Nominated for a 2024 Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy, it stayed atop the Billboard Blues Chart for three consecutive weeks and received multiple OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards. Fish’s previous release, 2021’s Faster marked a new chapter in her musical journey, showcasing her admiration for North Mississippi blues legends like R.L. Burnside and innovative mavericks like Prince. Her self-produced 2009 debut Live Bait led to a meeting with Mike Zito, who produced her 2011 CD Runaway, helping her win the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist. Since then, she’s earned a lengthy list of awards and accolades. Known first and foremost for her fretwork, Fish’s secret weapon is her astute and nuanced storytelling and ultra-vivid detail from carefully honing her craft. “Because I tour so much, most of my albums have been written in hotels between shows,” she says. “This was the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to just sit in one place and pour everything that was happening around me into songs.” More at samanthafish.com
Steve Luciano
DECEMBER 8
PILAR’S LOFT
WINTER GARDEN
You may have seen guitarist Steve Luciano as a staff musician at Walt Disney World for more than 15 years, a member of the Larry Elgart Orchestra, a founding member of contemporary jazz group GrooveLogic (with whom he recorded two CDs), or playing for various performing arts centers in Florida. Now this jazz guitar instructor at Southeastern University has released Under the Covers: ten tunes that hold a special place in his heart, performed in a quartet setting. Some he’s played for more than fifty years, others are more recent picks, but his criteria were solid: beauty, groove, melody and harmony. Inspired by a performance by guitarist Ed Cherry, Luciano kicks off the CD with Duke Pearson’s “The Chant,” which works a strong single note attack, learned from former teacher Sal Salvador. It also stars on Wayne Shorter’s “Hammer Head” and Pat Martino’s “On the Stairs.” On these three, saxophonist Dan Jordan shares front line duties as an accompanist and soloist. On other tunes – “Like Someone in Love,” “Everything I’ve Got” and “Love You Madly” – pianist Mike Avila, bassist Charlie Siva and drummer Walt Hubbard get their turn to shine. The musicians on the album have been friends for more than thirty years, and the chemistry is plainly evident. Over the years, Luciano has performed with numerous jazz icons, including Charles Erland, Peabo Bryson, and Brian McKnight. Additionally, he
DECEMBER 8, 9, 10
BROWARD CENTER
FT LAUDERDALE
DECEMBER 15
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
FT LAUDERDALE
DECEMBER 22
KASEYA CENTER
MIAMI
DECEMBER 28
ARSHT CENTER
MIAMI
Jose Leonardo Leon
An expert in the fields of crossover musical performance, global arts entrepreneurship, cross-generational and cross-cultural engagement/advancement, and higher education pedagogy, Dr. Jose Leonardo Leon is a highly sought-after classical and commercial trombonist. He is also an award-winning record producer, social arts entrepreneur, keynote presenter, and digital creative arts consultant. This polymath is a Global Music Awards winner for Best Instrumental Album and Compositions for his album Journey, and for the contemporary classical album, Embarkation: The Resiliency of Humanity Amid Covid-19. He has a 2015 Latin Grammy as the bass trombonist for the Mamblue Instrumental Album. In 2023, Dr. Leon was granted the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences’ Anthem Award for Education, Art, and Culture (Strategy) for co-producing Getting to the Grammys and Beyond: An Insight to Student-Professor Collaborative Albums/Music Videos for a promoting Ecological Activism and Social Impact. As one of most active and proficient trombonists possessing equal mastery on both bass and tenor trombones, Dr. Leon has worked with the Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, Miami Symphony Orchestra, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra (Spain), Orquesta Filarmonica UNAM (Mexico City), Jalisco Philharmonic (Mexico), and the New World Symphony (Miami). Dr. Leon has also enjoyed touring and/or performing with such stars as Andrea Bocelli, The Manhattan Transfer, Idina Menzel and Arturo Sandoval. Currently, Dr. Leon is the bass trombonist with the Symphony of the Americas, the Assistant Professor of Music Entrepreneurship, Trombone Studio, and Founder of the Arts Performance and Entrepreneurship Initiative for the College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University. More at joseleonardoleon.com.
Charlie Pace
THURSDAYS
KAVA CULTURE
MARCO ISLAND establish auspi
In the small, swampy town of Everglades City, young Charlie Pace would dream and write and sing of other worlds. At age nine, she hit the stage for the first time at the annual Everglades Seafood Festival performing the National Anthem and two country covers. Pace released her first single, “Blue Eyes,” at age 14, and it won her the Indie Originals Best New Artist – Singer/ Songwriter in 2020. Then just two months after graduating high school, Pace joined Floyd Nation, a nationally-touring Pink Floyd cover band. Her full-length debut Hear Me Out was nominated for Josie music awards for vocal performance and her songwriting. Part 1, a six-song EP, was released in late 2021 with Part II following two years later. Combined, each grouping of songs represents an emotional journey toward healing and growth. Currently working on new blues music, Pace is channeling the rich storytelling tradition of the genre, drawing on themes of social change, equality, and justice—hallmarks of her songwriting. While Pace’s musical foundation spans country, rock, and punk (she recently released her first punk record with her band CAAM), her exploration of blues reflects an evolving artistry that remains rooted in emotional depth and authentic expression. With her soulful delivery and penchant for addressing powerful themes, she is quickly establishing a place for herself across Florida’s music community. She has also released studio music videos for her songs “D.E.A.D” and “Please You.”
With an auspicious onset and a fiery presence, Charlie Pace continues to create from her heart to share her story. More at charlie pacemusic.com
Nate Najar & Daniela Soledade
Despite an industry tendency to pigeonhole even its most innovative and adventurous artists, Nate Najar stands out with his all-encompassing embrace of the possibilities of jazz and his distinctive approach of playing acoustic classical guitar with right hand classical technique. This St. Petersburg, FL native began playing guitar at age eight and names Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Byrd as primary influences. Starting with his 2009 solo debut Until Now, Najar’s recordings have earned him accolades from critics and peers alike. His 2010 collaboration with vocalist Melba Moore “Groove Me” reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Jazz chart. Najar’s latest and 14th overall recording as a leader is 2022’s Jazz Samba Pra Sempre, which pays homage to the original 1962 recording. More at natenajar.com. Daniela Soledade is a rising star among legends in the Brazilian music scene. Highly acclaimed for her poignantly expressive vocal style and hyper-intimate aesthetic, Soledade draws from a mix of authentic bossa nova, samba, MPB, and American pop. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Soledade released her debut A Moment of You, produced by Najar, in 2019. The connection was instant. The two teamed up for a concert series Love & Bossa Nova continued via livestream during the pandemic – that they still perform regularly both in the U.S. and abroad. Soledade also provides vocals for the annual Nate Najar’s Jazz Holiday shows, featuring a rotating cast of stellar area musicians. Both separately and together, Najar and Soledade continue to spearhead bossa nova’s next generation. More at danielasoledade.com
Yates McKendree
APRIL 4, 2025
SPRINGING THE BLUES FESTIVAL
JACKSONVILLE BEACH
MORE DATES TBA
Born in Nashville and raised in a recording studio, Yates McKendree grew up hearing and playing with top musicians. Self taught from the age of three, music came to him naturally, so while he’s still in his early twenties, his experience as a professional musician goes back more than a decade. That early experience includes playing regularly in some of Nashville’s most notable venues (Bluebird Café, Ryman Auditorium), along with North American and European tours and multiple appearances on national television. During Yates’s high school years,he played on and engineered many recording projects; most notably for Delbert McClinton and John Hiatt, who told Rolling Stone magazine, “Yates was our secret ingredient.” In January 2020, McKendree earned a Grammy award for his roles as an engineer and a musician on McClinton’s Tall Dark & Handsome. His 2022 debut Buchanan Lane features 13 tunes, among them four original compositions, two of which McKendree co-wrote with 2022 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and multi-Grammy winner Gary Nicholson. Produced with his father Kevin McKendree, and named for the street he lives on in Franklin, TN, the album hit No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s charts, was nominated for numerous BMA Awards from the Blues Foundation, and was on the Grammy ballot for Traditional
with Brian Setzer’s Rocka-
DECEMBER 6
The Sauce Boss
DECEMBER 22
EARL’S HIDEAWAY
SEBASTIAN
The Sauce Boss is a dynamic entertainer, mixing bluesy slide guitar and soulful vocals into a high-energy show. His very own hot sauce goes into a big pot of gumbo (literally!) while he spices up the show with his flavorful blues. Bill Wharton’s latest CD, 2024’s The Sauce a set of one-man band and solo tunes, before shifting to a high energy trio format with Extra Sauce: guitarist Neal Goree and drummer Brett Crook. Damon Fowler guests on a few tunes. There are a few ballads mixed in. Variety is, after all, the spice of life. His 2019 memoir, and Times of Blind Boy Billy features tales from his colorful life, from his Orlando area childhood to his passion for growing the best marijuana to his decision to become a hot sauce impresario. There are also 18 mouthwatering family recipes, many of which list his Liquid Summer Hot Sauce. And the music: lyrics to 20 of Wharton’s original compositions and a link to listen to the songs listed the book. Two of the songs are included on Blind Boy Billy a seven-track companion CD, which also includes Jimmy Buffett’s “I Will Play For Gumbo,” inspired by Wharton’s live show at Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant in New Orleans. Catch the North Central Florida Blues Society International Blues Challenge regional winner before he heads to Memphis next month to compete. More at sauceboss.com
begins with The Life in ,
Bobby Watson
DECEMBER 11 BROWARD CENTER
With a career spanning more than four decades, saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer Bobby Watson trained formally at the University of Miami and then, from 19771981, earned his “doctorate” as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his four-plus years with the legendary drummer, Watson contributed to 14 Jazz Messengers recordings — more than anyone else in the group’s storied 35-year history. Early on, Watson also worked with notable jazz icons such as Max Roach, Louis Hayes, and Sam Rivers, and performed with legendary vocalists including Joe Williams, Betty Carter, and Dianne Reeves. Next came his highly acclaimed acoustic quintet Horizon, which released several now-classic titles. At the same time, Watson also issued several solo albums including 1986’s Love Remains. The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave it their highest rating. Year of the Rabbit, a musical tribute to Johnny Hodges, followed in 1989; Then Tailor Made, the Watson-led Grammy-nominated all-star big band in 1993. He also released multiple titles by the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet and composed music for the 1993 movie A Bronx Tale. Continuing his prolific streak Watson continues to release solo albums regularly, with his latest being 2022’s Back Home in Kansas City. He was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame, and the Black National Caucus has officially recognized his work in the Congressional Record. Watson’s 20-year position as Director of Jazz Studies at University of Missouri-Kansas City may have ended in 2020, but for Professor Emeritus Watson, the work still continues.
More at bobby watson.com.
DECEMBER 6
Dr. Jules’ Cool Blues
Along with providing original interpretations of established blues standards and striving to keep that sound alive, Dr. Jules’ Cool Blues also incorporates elements of jazz and big band swing. Consisting of Dr. Jules Gliesche (guitar, vocals), Little David Thornton (harp) and Marie Williams (piano, vocals), the trio creates an original sound firmly rooted in the rhythms and traditions of the blues while keeping your toes tapping. Gliesche spent almost 30 years in academia as a graduate student and faculty member, with 20 of those years spent as a Historical Linguist at the University of Florida. Starting early on clarinet, saxophone and bassoon, Gliesche soon discovered that playing guitar (albeit upside-down and backwards) provided substantially more social cachet. To date he has produced several CDs worth of original material – with a new project to be completed soon – and hosts a YouTube channel full of music videos of originals and covers. Williams began performing in her home town in Pennsylvania at age 12, singing and playing piano, guitar and woodwinds. After performing with concert bands and choirs, several years as a church music director and soloist, Williams explored multiple genres before finding her calling with Dr. Jules. For Thornton, it started even earlier, performing “Hoochie Coochie Man”at his first grade school show and tell. After moving from to Florida in 2017, he discovered the North Central Florida Blues Society in Gainesville’s open mic night, and has been performing with Dr. Jules ever since. More at drjules.net
Miguel Zenón
DECEMBER 14
W/JOHNBERN
THOMAS QUINTET
TIMUCUA ARTS
FOUNDATION
ORLANDO
Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, Grammy winner and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released 17 recordings as a leader, including his latest, 2024’s Golden City. He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Danilo Perez, and The Mingus Big Band. In 2008 he received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution. In 2024 he received a Doris Duke Artist Award from the Doris Duke Foundation. Among his other awards include Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). The organization named him Composer of the Year in 2023. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is a faculty member in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT, as well as the current Visiting Scholar for the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department at Berklee College of Music. More at miguel zenon.com
Danielle Nicole
DECEMBER 6
THE ALLEY SANFORD
DECEMBER 7
LAKEWOOD RANCH
BLUES FESTIVAL
LAKEWOOD RANCH
DECEMBER 8
ART & MUSIC CENTER
SAFETY HARBOR
DECEMBER 10
TIPSY TIKI
FORT PIERCE
DEC 11
CRAZY UNCLE MIKES
BOCA RATON
Hailing from Kansas City, MO, Danielle Nicole has spent her life making music and pleasing fans around the world. Her latest, The Love You Bleed is a 12-track exploration of love, loss and perseverance. The tight-knit quartet on the songs features Nicole on bass guitar and vocals, Brandon Miller on strings, Damon Parker on keyboards, Go-Go Ray on drums, and Stevie Blacke on violin and cello. Initially influenced by her parents, Nicole recalls seeing her father playing blues guitar and her mother singing with the group Little Eva. With her two brothers she became a member of Trampled Under Foot, then embarked on her solo career with 2015’s Wolf Den, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart. 2018’s Grammy-nominated Cry No More followed, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and boasting Spotify streams in excess of 10 million. Nicole has been inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of seven Blues Music Awards. And no less than Koko Taylor has said of Nicole, “That girl gets down to the nitty gritty.” The Love You Bleed gives Nicole a solid place that music has always provided in dealing with love and loss. “I find when I’m the truest to myself, that’s when the magic happens,” she explains. “Not trying to find perfection in it so much, but engulfing myself in every moment and being there with the audience is when fun things can happen inside and out.”
More at daniellenicole music.com.
