BEN BEAL

Ben first fell in love with jazz in his early teens. His first piano teacher filled his ears with George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, and many more. Other passions such as foreign languages and history revealed themselves around this time, but it took just two days as a history major at the University of Massachusetts to realize that music needed to be his focus and life’s work.

Since moving to South Florida four years ago, he has become one of the area’s most in demand jazz pianists and vocalists for both public and private events and concerts. He has performed at many of South Florida’s historic venues including the Adrienne Arsht Center, North Beach Bandshell, Ball and Chain, and Le Chat Noir.  Recent performance highlights include the Groundup Festival on Miami Beach with acclaimed pianist Shelly Berg, 2 extended tours with Miami funk outfit Soulpax, the Oceanside Jazz Festival in San Diego, California, and the Jazz Educator’s Network Conference.

Cover: Free

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MONTY ALEXANDER

Jamaica To Jazz

Monty Alexander comes to the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Miami for one night only. Known for his unique blend of jazz, reggae, and Caribbean influences, Alexander’s performance promises an unforgettable experience filled with vibrant melodies and rhythms that captivate audiences. His virtuosity on the piano and dynamic storytelling through music are sure to make this event a highlight in Miami’s cultural calendar.

He is one of the pioneers of early Jamaican popular music.  As a teenager, he played in the island’s first recording studios (in the late 1950s).  He took part in the first sessions that gave rise to ska music, which gave rise to reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Jamaican music and jazz matter greatly to Alexander and are an integral part of his musical expression.  After his family settled in the United States, he connected with jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, West Montgomery, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and more.

Tickets: $35.00 ~ $65.00 GA | VIP: $80.00

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CYRUS CHESTNUT

A masterful jazz pianist and Baltimore native, Cyrus Chestnut balances his lithe technical skill with a robust, soulful style that speaks to his deep gospel roots and love of swinging hard bop. Raised in the church, he learned how to infuse his swinging, classically trained style with a warm gospel sound, a style that first marked his work as a sideman, backing legendary vocalists Jon Hendricks and Betty Carter, as well as with instrumentalists like Donald Harrison and Wynton Marsalis. Expect a unique and unforgettable show as he takes the stage at Keystone Korner Baltimore.

Cyrus Chestnut ~ piano
Tim Green ~ saxophone
Obasi Akoto ~ bass
Eric Kennedy ~ drums

Tickets: $35.00 ~ $45.00 +fee
Streaming: $15.00 +fee

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ALLEN PAUL

WDNA is proud to announce February’s Jazz Encounters featuring pianist, band leader, composer, and recording artist Allen Paul performing in WDNA’s intimate Jazz Gallery. Known for genre-crossing arrangements, and a spirit of connecting audiences with the moment, he brings a feeling of joy and wonder into every performance. Allen will be joined by Brandon Lee Lewis on drums, and Mikailo Kasha on bass.

Allen’s captivating, high-energy performances blend elements of jazz, pop, gospel and world music into a harmonious and unpredictable whole that captivates and delights. Having performed in some of South Florida’s most prestigious venues, he works as a solo artist, accompanist, collaborator, and musical director, and has been evolving for over 25 years as a musician since his beginnings as a classical pianist at the University of Miami. He has performed alongside artists such as Chantae Cann, Anthony David, Raheem DeVaughn, Mike Phillips, and countless others in the jazz, R&B and gospel/Christian genres.

Tickets: $47.03

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Sérgio Santos Mendes was born in Niteroi, Rio de Janiero, Brazil on February 11, 1941. S a child he attended the local conservancy with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as the jazz-inflected derivative of samba known as bossa nova emerged.

Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio, recorded Dance Moderna in 1961, toured Europe and the U.S., recorded with Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann, played Carnegie Hall and then moved to the States in 1964, cutting two albums for Capitol and Atlantic Records.

Sergio would join the Musicians Union, Create Brasil 65, change the name later to Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, opt not to record Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va” which would become a hit for Carlos Santana, release “Mas Que Nada” that would take them platinum. He would record “Look Around” and their fourth album “Fool On A Hill”.

His breakout success was with the performance of Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love” at the 1968 Academy Awards telecast, ultimately becoming the biggest Brazilian star in the world at the time. He would go on to record for Elektra, Bell, A&M and Concord record labels, collaborate with Stevie Wonder, reunite with Lani Hall on the Bond “Never Say Never Again” soundtrack, record with will.i.am and The Black Eyed Peas, Jill Scott, India Arie and others on his Timeless project, win several Grammys over the course of his fifty-five releases and be twice nominated for an Academy Award for the Look of Love and his contributions to the 2011 film “Rio”.

Bandleader, pianist, composer, arranger and songwriter Sergio Mendes died on September 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. He was 83.

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