LEESA RICHARDS
Join Leesa Richards & Friends for an evening of AfriKin: Art, Jazz & Champagne. It is an all-women art exhibition, jazz performances, and champagne toasts to celebrate the resilience, strength, and courage of womanhood. The annual event honors Women’s History Month.
The night promises a soul-stirring performance paying homage to legendary women pioneers of jazz — from Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and Nina Simone to contemporary trailblazers like Esperanza Spalding. The evening blends classic elegance with modern innovation, reflecting the enduring power of women in jazz history.
Inside the center immerse yourself in a curated exhibition showcasing stunning works by visionary women artists whose voices, stories, and creativity inspire global connection. Enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne and African tapas as we gather in solidarity and celebration.
Tickets: $44.52 GA | $60.00 VIP | $87.21 Day Of Show (fees included)
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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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MAKAYA MCCRAVEN
Internationally acclaimed drummer, producer, and sonic collagist Makaya McCraven and his band come to Miami for one night’s performance. His “Off The Record” Tour, named after his newly compiled release of four EPs, is the perfect overview of this composer’s scope and dynamic range.
These four distinct yet interconnected EPs – Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop – all released on music platforms October 31st – mark McCraven’s first recorded offerings since 2022’s In These Times. They return to the signature “organic beat music” approach he first debuted on his 2015 album, and further developed across subsequent releases.
Tickets: $37.44 ~ $42.95
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VERONICA SWIFT QUARTET
Veronica Swift is one of the most dazzling jazz singers to emerge in her generation with a virtuosic brilliance and ingenuity. More than just a jazz singer, Swift explores opera, classical, bossa nova, blues, rock, funk, and vaudeville music.
Swift describes this personal artistic statement on her new album as “transgenre.” “I grew up immersed in the culture of jazz music, blessed to have had some of the greats as mentors, and I felt a deep familial duty to uphold that” she says, reflecting on her parents, jazz singer and educator, Stephanie Nakasian, and bebop pianist, Hod O’Brien.
Tickets: $40.00 ~ $65.00
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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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