The Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Society has been sponsoring well-attended Dixieland Jazz concerts for a number of years. Featured bands include the most popular Dixieland Jazz groups from across the country as well as a very polished local group; The Dixie Chaps.
Past concerts have been held at a variety of locations including Banquet Masters, The Bilmar Beach Resort and The Treasure Island Yacht and Tennis Club. The Society has recently been seeking a new venue and has selected the banquet facilities at the Silas Dent’s Steakhouse, 5501 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach, to hold all of its future events.
Starting off the 2015-2016 season, concerts will be held on Thursday July 9, Thursday August 13, Thursday September 10 and Tuesday, October 13. The featured band for these initial four performances will be The Dixie Chaps with Bobby Tess on cornet, Eddie Graham on drums, Chris (Crash) Clifton on trombone, Howard Smith on sousaphone and bass, Dean Fernald on keyboard, Chuck Schlaich on vibraphone and yours truly on clarinet. Additional groups and dates will be announced when arrangements have been completed.
Concerts run from 7PM to 9:30PM with open seating. For Dixie Chaps concerts, the door charge is $10. A limited menu of food will be available. We would appreciate it if you could devote some space in Paradise News to letting the people know of this exciting activity.
The Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Society is a not-for-profit organization and, in addition to sponsoring the year-round concerts, they award jazz scholarships to young people seeking a musical career. Also, they send two 12 to 18 year old musicians to jazz summer camp in Sacramento, CA each year.
Please see the Society website at www.SDJS.org.