Gold Coast Jazz Society (GCJS) is pleased to present “Spotlight on Jazz” for their 2024-2025 jazz concert series.
Approaching their 33rd year of jazz concert presentation, GCJS’ season’s series features a sensational variety of debut performances with New Orleans jazz and blues, straight-ahead, Latin jazz, Broadway favorites and more, including some international artists, as well as outstanding local musicians!
Our spectacular series consists of seven concerts beginning in November, and will be presented at the intimate Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. They begin at 7:45pm.
We invite you to participate in a Full Season Subscription ($336) or a Jazz Trio (three concerts of your choice) $159, to really appreciate the joy of our concert series alongside fellow jazz enthusiasts once a month. If you become a member of Gold Coast Jazz, you’ll get a discounted rate on full or jazz trio subscriptions. For subscription information and single ticket sales please visit our website at www.GoldCoastJazz.org to begin your journey with Jazz.
Single tickets are available for each concert at $65 plus applicable fees and are also available by phone at Ticketmaster, 954.462.0222. Student and teacher discounted tickets are available for each show with a valid ID. A discount for groups of ten or more is also available.
The series kicks off on November 13, 2024, with the Fort Lauderdale debut of the acclaimed New Orleans band, Tuba Skinny, with “An Evening of Jazz and Blues.“ This NOLA Jazz Sensation is making waves across the U.S as we write this, and heading to Florida in November!
“If jazz is the bread, then the blues is the butter for Tuba Skinny” says Offbeat Magazine. For more than a decade this group has grown steadily in popularity, releasing twelve albums and touring all over the world. They have attracted a wide variety of fans, young and old, neophytes and niche-enthusiasts with the strength of their musicianship and the scope of their jazz and American roots music catalog. For more about this band, go to TubaSkinny.com
December 11 will feature the Gold Coast Jazz debut performance of the Bobby Watson Quartet with a program titled, “Post Motown Bebop.“ Watson sits among the pantheon of present-day jazz greats.
A multi-GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer, Watson spent twenty-five years on the NYC jazz scene and has received several well-deserved awards and earned his “doctorate” as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his four-plus years with the legendary drummer, the saxophonist contributed to fourteen Jazz Messengers recordings. More about Bobby Watson at BobbyWatson.com.
The Shelly Berg Trio will return on January 8, 2025, with a happiness–themed program featuring selections from the Berg Trio’s latest recording project, Alegría! plus other music in the “happiness” theme. Dafnis Prieto, drummer and Carlitos Del Puerto, bassist are Berg’s collaborators for this program. Trumpeter, Etienne Charles will be the special guest for this show. Jazz Times says Charles is “a daring improviser who delivers with heart wrenching lyricism.”
Shelly Berg is a Steinway piano artist and five-time Grammy-nominated arranger, orchestrator, and producer, with numerous recordings to his credit. Berg is the Dean of the University of Miami’s prestigious Frost School of Music, is artistic advisor for the Jazz Roots series and is artistic director of The Jazz Cruise. “Shelly Berg has always been a musician’s musician. And even for jazz enthusiasts who have considered Berg to be a technically astounding and aggressive pianist with unstoppable energy,” says Don Williamson – JazzReview.com
To learn more about Shelly Berg, go to ShellyBerg.com
Our February 12 concert will feature the return of the internationally– renowned Canadian pianist and vocalist, Michael Kaeshammer. This show is part of his “Turn it Up“ 2024/2025 Tour. An acclaimed Canadian virtuoso pianist and singer, Kaeshammer has earned an international following as a triple threat: a technical master of many different moods, an eloquent singer-songwriter, and a charming and engaging performer. His signature style weaves classical, jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, stride, and pop into a rich and vibrant sonic tapestry. Turn It Up, Kaeshammer’s 15th album, is a dynamic and rollicking collection resistant to a single, catch-all genre. Learn more at Kaeshammer.com.
On March 12, Gold Coast Jazz will present the GCJS debut of jazz artist Warren Wolf with his Quintet. “The paucity of jazz vibraphonists may be due in part to the complexity of mastering an instrument that’s like a hybrid of drums, percussion and piano. Notwithstanding, one of the instrument’s brightest stars is Baltimore native Warren Wolf,” says All About Jazz.
From the age of three years old, Warren has been trained on the vibraphone, marimba, drums, and piano. He is currently the drummer of choice for Alto Saxophonist Tia Fuller, who tours with internationally renowned pop star Beyonce Knowles. Warren is also a member of the Donal Fox Group which includes bassist John Lockwood and drummers Dafnis Prieto and Terri Lyne Carrington. Learn more at WarrenWolf.com.
The Tony DeSare Trio will return to the stage on April 16 for an evening of standards and the Great American Songbook with the “Sinatra & Beyond“ show. DeSare performs with infectious joy, wry playfulness, and robust musicality. Named “Rising Star Male Vocalist” in Downbeat magazine, DeSare has lived up to this distinction by winning critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. He is an accomplished award-winning composer and his sound is romantic, swinging, and sensual. What sets DeSare apart is his ability to write original material that sounds fresh and contemporary, yet pays homage to the Great American Songbook. Learn more about Tony at www.tonydesare.com/.
The closing concert of the jazz series on May 14 will feature the Latin and Brazilian jazz artists, the Luciana Souza Trio featuring Chico Pinheiro and Rogerio Boccato. Souza’s voice “…traces a landscape of emotion that knows no boundaries,” quips Entertainment Weekly.
A Grammy® winning artist, Souza is one of today’s leading singers and interpreters in the jazz world. Her singing has been called “transcendental, “perfect,“ “and of unparalleled beauty.” Her work offers solid roots in jazz, sophisticated world music, and an enlightened approach to new music. She has performed and recorded with greats including Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez, and many others. Her long–standing duo work with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo has earned her accolades across the globe. She will be joined by sidemen Chico Pinheiro on guitar and Rogerio Boccato on percussion. For more information about Luciana, visit LucianaSouza.com.
The Gold Coast Jazz Society is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of jazz music through a mainstage concert series, free community concerts, educational programs, a jazz scholarship program, and musical services provided by the Gold Coast Jazz Society Band. Visit our website to continue your journey in jazz at GoldCoastJazz.org !
Funding for this organization is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council. Concert sponsors include American National Bank, Funding Arts Broward, the Helen Ingham Foundation, the Richard Ingham Concert Fund, and the Mary N. Porter Funds/Community Foundation of Broward.
