By Nanette Wiser
Time to cool off with some live music at the recently opened Redington Beach Wahoo’s some nights and Sunday afternoon, Gulfport’s North End Taphouse, downtown St. Pete’s Ruby Elixir, Flute & Dram and Bayboro Brewing, Adrian’s Steakhouse, Tradewinds The Palms, The Wharf, Seven C, Noisemakers, Ka’Tiki, Jimmy B’s and Lost & Found (where Shevonne plays every other week).
SUMMER JAZZ Of course the Newport Jazz Festival is the crowning queen of the season, but Paradise has its share of legendary performers and concerts. For those of you who haven’t stopped by Gulfport’s Pia’s Trattoria, the very famous Alexis Cole has been sitting in this spring with Alejandro Arenas and others, while on Sunday James Suggs was at Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe. You never know who will pop up where in this town. Simon Lasky continues his jazz residency Friday in the Birchwood downstairs bar, and the Green Light Lounge + Kitchen + Cinema grooves most Saturday nights with jazz interludes. Simon Lasky brings his NY Quintet to The Palladium in July featuring David Smith (trumpet), Lucas Pino (saxophone), Peter Slavov (bass), and Jimmy Macbride (drums), along with featured local vocalist Allison Nash.
BLUE NOTES Now is the time to visit The Palladium before it goes dark in late August for renovations and refresh! On June 18, enjoy an intimate evening of authentic, Delta Blues featuring Eden Brent. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Eden Brent brings genuine Blues straight from its roots. Her performances blend boogie-woogie, blues, jazz, gospel, and soul, creating a powerful and deeply moving live experience. As a protégé of the legendary blues pianist Abie “Boogaloo” Ames, Eden continues the Delta piano tradition with remarkable grit, heartfelt emotion, and unmistakable energy. Her many awards include multiple blues music award winner, Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award recipient, and International Blues Challenge winner. She has performed at prestigious events such as the Kennedy Center Honors, further highlighting her exceptional talent and recognition in the music world. Experience an extraordinary night of music with Eden Brent.
BOOGIE PIANO On July 8 Grammy-nominated and 7-time Blues Award winner Victor Wainwright returns to the Palladium with his band, The Train. Though his career began over a decade ago with genuine rock n’ roll honky-tonk, Wainwright has broadened his artistic scope over the years to include music representing virtually every corner of the blues. His dedication to musical discovery, sheer love for entertaining and insatiable curiosity have led him all around the world. The resulting perspective is a reflection of his passion for creating progressive roots music in an effort to move the art form forward. Wainwright is a raucous, high-octane, dynamic performer and crowd pleaser with soul to spare. Also, for classical piano concerts go to www.rebeccapenneyspianofestival.com.
LYRICAL DANCE projectALCHEMY presents What Remains: dance, visual art, and photography work with Rebekah Lazaridis and Joey Clay at The Palladium 6/27. What Remains is an evening of repertory works reimagined for the stage through collaboration with visual artist Lazaridis and photographer Clay. The program features bloom and residue, a work rooted in nature and cycles of transformation, and ABOVE/below, a tarot-based exploration of archetype, shadow, and integration. Together, these works highlight the relationship between movement, visual art, and image – offering two distinct yet connected experiences shaped through ongoing artistic collaboration. projectALCHEMY is a nonprofit dance+ company based in St. Petersburg. Founded by Alexander Jones ((artistic director) and led in partnership with Marcus Wehby ((executive director)), projectALCHEMY creates transformative dance experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of performance and production.