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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
2026-2027 CONCERT SEASON
Admission: $30 for members - $35 for guests - students are free.
Bring your own snacks & drinks if you'd like, as these are not available for purchase.
Click on each concert for complete details - all performances are subject to change.
BATTLE OF THE HORNS featuring DAN WILBORN on tenor sax, DEXTER WILBORN on alto sax, RYAN WASZMER on guitar, THOMAS MILOVAC on bass & ASHTON BAILEY-GOULD on drums.
Dan plays alto, tenor, soprano sax and the flute. He has performed at many venues and high profile shows, and with bands such as the Puzzlers, Equator, The Rainmakerz, and the Space Coast Big Band. He performed concerts for WGRV radio station and live on WFIT radio station. Dan has also performed at a Democratic Presidential rally for then VP Joe Biden, the Melbourne Arts Festival, the Suwanee Music Festival, and the Foosaner Art Museum in Melbourne, FL. Dan lives in Melbourne Beach, FL.
General admission is paid at the door. $30 for members of the Jazz Society and the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free. Bring snacks and drinks if you'd like (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river provided.
General admission is paid at the door. $30 for members of the Jazz Society and the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free. Bring snacks and drinks if you'd like (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river provided.
RICHARD DREXLER TRIO featuring CHARLIE SILVA on bass and MARTY MORELL on drums…
(Click on this description to see the full details).
Multi-instrumentalist Richard Drexler is a composer, arranger, and producer whose career spans decades of stylistic range and global performance.
A native of Illinois, he has been based in Florida since 1985, building an international reputation through extensive touring and collaborations with some of jazz’s most respected artists.
Since 2001, Drexler has been a regular touring member of the Jeff Berlin Trio, and has also appeared with ensembles such as the Woody Herman Orchestra and trombonist John Allred.
Over the years, he has accompanied legendary vocalists including Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Diahann Carroll, Frankie Laine, Bob Dorough, and Mose Allison, among many others.
In addition to performing, he serves as an adjunct faculty member in the jazz department at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and maintains a private teaching studio.
Highly active in the recording world, Drexler has performed on or produced more than 100 albums, covering genres as diverse as salsa, avant-garde, country, and even thrash metal with Saigon Kick. He has also collaborated extensively with guitarist, composer, and producer Richie Zellon on releases for the Songosaurus label, known for its fusion of jazz with South American rhythms.
Drexler’s own recording career began with his 1978 debut album Flaming Spirit, featuring notable musicians Dave Liebman, Tom Harrell, Steve LaSpina, and Clay Hulet. As a composer and arranger, his work spans chamber music, symphonic pieces, concertos, and dozens of recorded jazz compositions.
A defining thread in his music is the integration of classical traditions with jazz and Latin influences.
General Admission paid at the door: $30 for Jazz Society and Veterans Memorial Center members, $35 for guests, students are FREE. Bring your own snacks and drinks (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river are provided.
Multi-instrumentalist Richard Drexler is a composer, arranger, and producer whose career spans decades of stylistic range and global performance.
A native of Illinois, he has been based in Florida since 1985, building an international reputation through extensive touring and collaborations with some of jazz’s most respected artists.
Since 2001, Drexler has been a regular touring member of the Jeff Berlin Trio, and has also appeared with ensembles such as the Woody Herman Orchestra and trombonist John Allred.
Over the years, he has accompanied legendary vocalists including Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Diahann Carroll, Frankie Laine, Bob Dorough, and Mose Allison, among many others.
In addition to performing, he serves as an adjunct faculty member in the jazz department at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and maintains a private teaching studio.
Highly active in the recording world, Drexler has performed on or produced more than 100 albums, covering genres as diverse as salsa, avant-garde, country, and even thrash metal with Saigon Kick. He has also collaborated extensively with guitarist, composer, and producer Richie Zellon on releases for the Songosaurus label, known for its fusion of jazz with South American rhythms.
Drexler’s own recording career began with his 1978 debut album Flaming Spirit, featuring notable musicians Dave Liebman, Tom Harrell, Steve LaSpina, and Clay Hulet. As a composer and arranger, his work spans chamber music, symphonic pieces, concertos, and dozens of recorded jazz compositions.
A defining thread in his music is the integration of classical traditions with jazz and Latin influences.
General Admission paid at the door: $30 for Jazz Society and Veterans Memorial Center members, $35 for guests, students are FREE. Bring your own snacks and drinks (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river are provided.
JON OXFORD TRIO featuring Jon Oxford on guitar, MARCO BOJORQUEZ on bass & GREG PARNELL on drums…
(click on this description to see the full details).
Jon Oxford brings over two decades of diverse musical experience to his roles as an educator and performer. He holds a Master of Music in Jazz Performance & Composition from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance and Composition from the University of Central Florida, complemented by an Associate in Arts from Eastern Florida State College and an Associate of Applied Science in Recording Arts from Full Sail University.
He is currently serving as the Director of Instrumental Activity at Eastern Florida State College overseeing multiple ensembles, including the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Community Orchestra. Previously, Jon taught as an Instructor of Jazz at Stetson University, where he was transformational to the Jazz Ensemble, as well as developed and taught courses in Jazz History, Jazz Theory, and Advanced Conducting.
Jon’s teaching experience is complemented by a rich background in performance. As a freelance guitarist, he has performed with a wide array of ensembles and artists, from jazz legends like Sam Rivers’ Rejuvenation.
Jon Oxford is also a published author, with works including "The Organized Guitarist" and "Rhythmic Elements of the Jazz Language". He is an active member of professional organizations such as the Jazz Education Network, National Association for Music Education and its subgroups, the Florida Bandmaster’s Association, and The Florida College Music Education Association, and the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, Jon remains dedicated to advancing music scholarship, education, and performance.
General admission is paid at the door. $30 for members of the Jazz Society & the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free. Bring a snack & drinks if you'd like (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs & a beautiful view of the river provided.
Jon Oxford brings over two decades of diverse musical experience to his roles as an educator and performer. He holds a Master of Music in Jazz Performance & Composition from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance and Composition from the University of Central Florida, complemented by an Associate in Arts from Eastern Florida State College and an Associate of Applied Science in Recording Arts from Full Sail University.
He is currently serving as the Director of Instrumental Activity at Eastern Florida State College overseeing multiple ensembles, including the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Community Orchestra. Previously, Jon taught as an Instructor of Jazz at Stetson University, where he was transformational to the Jazz Ensemble, as well as developed and taught courses in Jazz History, Jazz Theory, and Advanced Conducting.
Jon’s teaching experience is complemented by a rich background in performance. As a freelance guitarist, he has performed with a wide array of ensembles and artists, from jazz legends like Sam Rivers’ Rejuvenation.
Jon Oxford is also a published author, with works including "The Organized Guitarist" and "Rhythmic Elements of the Jazz Language". He is an active member of professional organizations such as the Jazz Education Network, National Association for Music Education and its subgroups, the Florida Bandmaster’s Association, and The Florida College Music Education Association, and the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, Jon remains dedicated to advancing music scholarship, education, and performance.
General admission is paid at the door. $30 for members of the Jazz Society & the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free. Bring a snack & drinks if you'd like (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs & a beautiful view of the river provided.
We're celebrating the holidays with the joyful voice of MADDY WINER and a complementary glass of wine!
(click on this description to see full details).
Maddy was born in New York City and at the age of three, she performed at the Winter Garden Theatre and performance became her lifelong passion.
She has performed with Loonis McGlohon, host of NPR’s “American Popular Song” throughout the US including the Lincoln Center in New York City in addition to singing on two of his albums.
Maddy toured as a headliner in the stage show “North Carolina Is My Home,” written by and starring Loonis McGlohon and Charles Kuralt. NPR created and aired a TV special from that show and featured Maddy.
She has headlined concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, the Saint Louis Symphony, Saint Lawrence Centre For The Arts in Toronto and more.
She has opened for Dave Brubeck, Lou Rawls, David Sanborn, Joe Sample and The Crusaders, George Shearing, Al Jarreau, Ellis Marsalis, John Pizzarelli, Diane Schuur and others.
Maddy’s CD releases are “HEART TO HEART” featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Vince Lewis, John Brown and Todd Wright; and “CROSSROADS” with Heritage Guitar jazz legend Vince Lewis, Rick Simerly, Todd Wright, Bill Covington, Tom Hildreth and River Guerguerian. Maddy is a favorite pick on Pandora and iTunes. You can listen, download & order her cd's from the link below.
General admission is paid at the door: $30 for members of the Jazz Society and the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free.
Enjoy a COMPLIMENTARY GLASS OF WINE, bring snacks and drinks if you'd like, adult beverages are allowed (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river provided.
Maddy was born in New York City and at the age of three, she performed at the Winter Garden Theatre and performance became her lifelong passion.
She has performed with Loonis McGlohon, host of NPR’s “American Popular Song” throughout the US including the Lincoln Center in New York City in addition to singing on two of his albums.
Maddy toured as a headliner in the stage show “North Carolina Is My Home,” written by and starring Loonis McGlohon and Charles Kuralt. NPR created and aired a TV special from that show and featured Maddy.
She has headlined concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, the Saint Louis Symphony, Saint Lawrence Centre For The Arts in Toronto and more.
She has opened for Dave Brubeck, Lou Rawls, David Sanborn, Joe Sample and The Crusaders, George Shearing, Al Jarreau, Ellis Marsalis, John Pizzarelli, Diane Schuur and others.
Maddy’s CD releases are “HEART TO HEART” featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Vince Lewis, John Brown and Todd Wright; and “CROSSROADS” with Heritage Guitar jazz legend Vince Lewis, Rick Simerly, Todd Wright, Bill Covington, Tom Hildreth and River Guerguerian. Maddy is a favorite pick on Pandora and iTunes. You can listen, download & order her cd's from the link below.
General admission is paid at the door: $30 for members of the Jazz Society and the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free.
Enjoy a COMPLIMENTARY GLASS OF WINE, bring snacks and drinks if you'd like, adult beverages are allowed (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river provided.
JAMES HALL featuring Vocalist DIGNA OJITO...
James Hall is a vibraphonist and pianist based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He began his career as a pianist in downtown Pleasanton, California, performing with the Pleasanton Jazz Society concert series.
Over the course of nearly thirty concerts, he shared the stage with a range of prominent West Coast musicians, including Matt Finders, Andrew Speight, Anton Schwartz, Roger Glenn, Michael Marcus, and Erik Jekabson.
In 2018, he expanded his artistic voice by taking up the vibraphone as a secondary instrument.
After relocating to Florida in 2019, Hall quickly became an active presence in the Central Florida jazz scene, performing on both piano and vibraphone. His collaborations span a diverse group of respected artists, including Antonio Escapa, Jeff Rupert, Scott Dickinson, Saul Dautch, Joel Frahm, Jeremy Fratti, Richard Drexler, the Orlando Jazz Orchestra, Tom Dietz, and Bobby Koelble, with a focus on straight-ahead jazz and Latin styles.
In addition to performing, Hall is a prolific composer, with dozens of original works inspired by his coastal hometown, the aesthetics of film noir, and environmental themes.
In 2023, he released his trio album Hall Aboard, further establishing his voice as both a performer and composer.
Digna Ojito is a mezzo-soprano jazz and Latin jazz vocalist whose sound blends classical refinement with the warmth of Latin tradition. Classically trained and currently a vocal performance student at Rollins College, she has performed with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Sir John Rutter, and on an international tour of Italy's historic basilicas. Digna was raised on boleros, salsa, and Latin jazz through her Mexican and Cuban heritage.
General admission is paid at the door: $30 for members of the Jazz Society and the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free. Bring snacks and drinks if you'd like, adult beverages are allowed (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river provided.
Over the course of nearly thirty concerts, he shared the stage with a range of prominent West Coast musicians, including Matt Finders, Andrew Speight, Anton Schwartz, Roger Glenn, Michael Marcus, and Erik Jekabson.
In 2018, he expanded his artistic voice by taking up the vibraphone as a secondary instrument.
After relocating to Florida in 2019, Hall quickly became an active presence in the Central Florida jazz scene, performing on both piano and vibraphone. His collaborations span a diverse group of respected artists, including Antonio Escapa, Jeff Rupert, Scott Dickinson, Saul Dautch, Joel Frahm, Jeremy Fratti, Richard Drexler, the Orlando Jazz Orchestra, Tom Dietz, and Bobby Koelble, with a focus on straight-ahead jazz and Latin styles.
In addition to performing, Hall is a prolific composer, with dozens of original works inspired by his coastal hometown, the aesthetics of film noir, and environmental themes.
In 2023, he released his trio album Hall Aboard, further establishing his voice as both a performer and composer.
Digna Ojito is a mezzo-soprano jazz and Latin jazz vocalist whose sound blends classical refinement with the warmth of Latin tradition. Classically trained and currently a vocal performance student at Rollins College, she has performed with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Sir John Rutter, and on an international tour of Italy's historic basilicas. Digna was raised on boleros, salsa, and Latin jazz through her Mexican and Cuban heritage.
General admission is paid at the door: $30 for members of the Jazz Society and the Veterans Memorial Center. $35 for guests. Students are free. Bring snacks and drinks if you'd like, adult beverages are allowed (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river provided.
VIVACITY MUSIC featuring Xylophonist HEATHER THORN...
(click on this description to get full details).
VIVACITY MUSIC is a Jazz and Swing Band featuring xylophonist HEATHER THORN. They perform throughout Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, The Villages, and Tampa.
Heather is based in Orlando, FL where she performs with her band and also as a freelance percussionist. She holds a degree in Music Performance with a minor in Theatre from Ithaca College.
In 2019 and 2022, she was featured with Vivacity as the headline act for the "I Love Jazz" International Jazz Festival in Brazil. She was also a guest soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 for the Holiday Pops concert.
Heather has been featured as a guest artist with Michael Andrew and Swingerhead, Carol Stein, the John Depaola quartet and as an opening act for the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
As band leader of Vivacity, she frequently performs for swing dances and at renowned Central Florida venues including Timucua Arts White House and the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts; in 2018 she gave a concert at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Heather wrote and performs her musical stage show Nostalgia Radio Hour- featuring an original script with classic tunes from the 1920’s- 1950’s, and characters inspired from the Golden Age of Radio.
She also leads a jazz quartet at the Sea World Christmas Celebration and subs with the Walt Disney World Orchestra.
She has performed for the Suncoast Jazz Festival and New Smyrna Beach Jazz Festival as well as several arts festivals and community events all over Central Florida.
She regularly features jazz luminaries such as Adrian Cunningham, Ed Metz, and Charlie Bertini as guests with the band.
Heather has a private teaching studio of 25 students and is a clinician in several schools along with co-directing the Trinity Prep School percussion program. Additionally, she has given master classes and/or performed at Virginia Tech and the universities of South, Central and North Florida.
Heather has a passionate interest in the history of xylophone and is working with Bill Cahn on a project to digitize and preserve nearly 1500 recordings of xylophone and percussion music from 1898-1929. She has attended the Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar and was on faculty for the Bob Becker Ragtime Institute in 2014. Her teachers have included Gordon Stout and Bob Becker.
GENERAL ADMISSION is paid at the door: $30 for Jazz Society and Veterans Memorial Center members, $35 for guests, students are FREE. Bring your own snacks and drinks, adult beverages allowed (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river are provided.
VIVACITY MUSIC is a Jazz and Swing Band featuring xylophonist HEATHER THORN. They perform throughout Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, The Villages, and Tampa.
Heather is based in Orlando, FL where she performs with her band and also as a freelance percussionist. She holds a degree in Music Performance with a minor in Theatre from Ithaca College.
In 2019 and 2022, she was featured with Vivacity as the headline act for the "I Love Jazz" International Jazz Festival in Brazil. She was also a guest soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 for the Holiday Pops concert.
Heather has been featured as a guest artist with Michael Andrew and Swingerhead, Carol Stein, the John Depaola quartet and as an opening act for the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
As band leader of Vivacity, she frequently performs for swing dances and at renowned Central Florida venues including Timucua Arts White House and the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts; in 2018 she gave a concert at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Heather wrote and performs her musical stage show Nostalgia Radio Hour- featuring an original script with classic tunes from the 1920’s- 1950’s, and characters inspired from the Golden Age of Radio.
She also leads a jazz quartet at the Sea World Christmas Celebration and subs with the Walt Disney World Orchestra.
She has performed for the Suncoast Jazz Festival and New Smyrna Beach Jazz Festival as well as several arts festivals and community events all over Central Florida.
She regularly features jazz luminaries such as Adrian Cunningham, Ed Metz, and Charlie Bertini as guests with the band.
Heather has a private teaching studio of 25 students and is a clinician in several schools along with co-directing the Trinity Prep School percussion program. Additionally, she has given master classes and/or performed at Virginia Tech and the universities of South, Central and North Florida.
Heather has a passionate interest in the history of xylophone and is working with Bill Cahn on a project to digitize and preserve nearly 1500 recordings of xylophone and percussion music from 1898-1929. She has attended the Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar and was on faculty for the Bob Becker Ragtime Institute in 2014. Her teachers have included Gordon Stout and Bob Becker.
GENERAL ADMISSION is paid at the door: $30 for Jazz Society and Veterans Memorial Center members, $35 for guests, students are FREE. Bring your own snacks and drinks, adult beverages allowed (the venue does not allow us to sell food or drinks). Tables, chairs and a beautiful view of the river are provided.
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