By Nanette Wiser
IRISH EYES With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, check out Facebook for these popular bands playing Irish tunes in popular pubs such as Finley’s, Courigan’s, MacDinton’s, O’Keefe’s, Flanagan’s, Tampa’s Four Green Fields and other Irish restos (in this month’s Dining Guide). We like Gypsy Wind’s style, with folk music and a musical journey from the Kentucky bluegrass of Bill Monroe to the gypsy swing of Django Reinhardt. The Celtic Conundrum band plays from Bradenton to Spring Hill and performs at 3 Daughter’s Brewing on 2/12 1-5pm.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN SeaBlues is now Blues On The Block 2/4-2/5 in downtown Clearwater mixing live muisic, market vendors and good food with outdoor seating. Free or paid VIP seating, enjoy Anders Osborne, Ghost Town Blues, Ally Venable, Southern Hospitality, Selwyn Birchwood, RJ Howson and more. Carl Fusterman’s following is legendary, and after many years at Chill’s you can find him across Corey Ave. at Elizabeth’s Grapes Wine Café most Saturday nights (where Fiona Frensch usually holds court on Fridays) and downtown at Encante on Wednesday evenings. Need someone to entertain at your next party? Check out Laura “Yvonne” Bonard’s mobile service; contact her at lifeofthepartyllc@icloud.com.
REBECCA PENNEYS Rebecca Penneys’ Piano Festival 2022 June 28-July 18 is their 10th anniversary season, and anticipates live performances from selected student musicians, conducted at the Barness Hall in the School of Music at USF Tampa–is the choice festival for outstanding pianists from around the world. A local and international treasure. I recently enjoyed her Legacy CD playing Chopin (one of her earliest inspirations whose music she says “lifted me into another world as the infinite beauty of the piano strings to life”). After watching her perform I understand why the New York Daily News said: “Pennys moves like a dancer, has the strength of an Olympic gymnast and plays the piano like a tamed whirlwind.” www.rebeccapenneys.com/bio
ALL THAT JAZZ The 13th Annual St. Pete Jazz Festival is back 2/23-2/27 at DTSP’s Palladium Theater, thanks to David Manson, director of the non-profit EMIT, after taking a COVID hiatus last year. EMIT has presented adventurous music and educational activities in St. Petersburg since 1995 with more than 500 events involving new music, jazz, world music, interactive electronics, improvisation, and interdisciplinary art forms that incorporate sound. www.mypalladium.org
Since they resumed live concerts in July 2021, EMIT has produced the Latin Jazz Fest and the Duane Eubanks “Things of that Particular Nature” 2021 Southeast Tour, Subtropics Festival in Miami, Jazz on the Lawn and concerts with the Helios Jazz Orchestra. EMIT is also presenter of the Recording Arts Program with Boys & Girls Club students at the Royal Theater in Midtown and supporter of the 18-member Helios Jazz Orchestra.
2/23 & 2/23 – Brazilian music group O Som Do Jazz with Andrea Moraes Manson and special guests Rafael Pereira & Jose Valentino Ruiz plays a diverse range of Brazilian music including samba and Bossa Nova.
2/24 – Best of Blue Note with the James Suggs/Austin Vickrey Sextet revisits great grooving Bebop standards from the Blue Note record label from Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan and others.
2/25 – RADIOjazzHEAD, a unique project directed by Pete Carney “jazzifying” the music of Radiohead and other 90s superbands with a 12-piece ensemble.
2/26 – Singer and rising jazz star Emma Hedrick and the Helios Jazz Orchestra play big band jazz favorites.
2/27 – Chris Dingman Trio features mystic music from New York vibraphonist/composer Chris Dingman with stellar Miami bassist Carlo DeRosa and L.A. drummer Rodolfo Zuniga.
Dingman Trio 
Emma Hedrick
