Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Xylophonist Heather Thorn and Vivacity can be heard performing for stage shows, swing dances and jazz festivals across Florida and beyond. The band has a unique neo-vaudeville sound with strong roots in New Orleans music. High-energy and versatile, Vivacity will have you swinging in your seats!

In 2019 and 2022, the band headlined the International I Love Jazz Festival in Brazil, performing for over 5,000 jazz lovers. Vivacity was featured with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for their Holiday Pops concert in 2021. They have also given notable performances at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, Timucua Arts Foundation, Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, the Suncoast Jazz Festival, and for many concert series around Florida. Members of Vivacity have performed with a variety of famous groups including the Count Basie Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Mickey Mouse Club.

www.vivacitymusic.com

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Chris Cortez is the founder of Blue Bamboo Music and Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. He is a composer, guitarist, vocalist, arranger, producer, engineer, videographer, educator, community leader, arts advocate, and recording artist. He has produced over 50 CDs and hundreds of music videos.

Chris’ guitar style is uniquely his own, and his vocabulary is instantly recognizable to fans of his previous work. Growth and evolution are obvious, but Cortez still sounds like Cortez. There is a compositional feeling in his solos, and a relentless sense of meter and precision. Themes unfold with an emotional arc that takes you on a journey, and his songs provide the perfect backdrop for that kind of development. There is a landscape to explore with plenty surprises, but everything makes sense and seems filled with intention.

Chris’ solo shows are also filled with lively and entertaining stories from his show business past.

https://youtu.be/5VBv_N4p2Ik

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Cigano Swing is a Central Florida based gypsy jazz trio, specializing in both traditional and modern takes on Jazz Manouche. They bring high energy performances, delivering hot club standards from the gypsy jazz idiom as well as compositions from present-day acts. Timeless melodies, infectious rhythms, and dueling guitars abound, Cigano Swing brings an exciting and innovative experience to all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UErXAJii_ks&list=PLub_W5nXpNNbmOel-Fytmmrh_Y3CNbcPo&index=6

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

The Orlando Jazz Orchestra was the first group to play at Blue Bamboo and they celebrate with us every year. The Orlando Jazz Orchestra has put together a show that celebrates other anniversaries as well, like composer or arranger birthdates, the year a song was composed, or maybe when a song was a hit record. Th eprogram will include music from the 1920's through the 1990's. They will perform compositions by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, The Beatles, and tunes recorded by greats such as Ray Anthony, Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson. They will also celebrate the arrangements of Sammy Nestico, Matty Matlock, Shorty Rogers, Nelson Riddle, Patrick Williams, Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Holman, Bill Chase and others.

Musical director, Greg Parnell, is the former road manager and drummer for the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He has also performed with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Les Brown’s Band of Renown, Nelson Riddle Orchestra as well as many other bands. Greg takes what he has learned from performing with these groups and applies it to produce these musical tributes in an authentic and respectful manner. The orchestra is made up of the best jazz musicians in Central Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP-4IYlSWOQ

Admission is free. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Please contact Melody Cortez for reservations:

Email: melodycortez@live.com Phone: 407-636-9951

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Guitarist and recording artist Don Soledad has been a mainstay in the US and Florida talent pool since his move from the San Francisco Bay Area. His dedication to the art of flamenco guitar started under the tutelage of flamenco guitar maestros living in the US, as well as in Andalucia, Spain. Performance highlights include; opening for Jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell, stints at the Versace Mansion in South Beach, and performing for Gloria Estefan’s private parties as well as being the house band for 5 years at the Estefan’s resort Costa d’Este in Vero Beach.

https://youtu.be/EOa9TDdRCkg

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Jeff Rupert is a Yamaha performing artist, record producer, recording artist, freelance tenor saxophonist, full-time professor, Director of Jazz Studies at UCF. He leads the Flying Horse Big Band, and maintains a busy recording and performing schedule with his quartet, and as an in-demand sideman and band leader with a variety of notables. A gifted composer and arranger, Rupert is well heeled in jazz traditions from his many experiences over the years playing with greats like Benny Golson, Maynard Ferguson, and Kevin Mahogany, to name a few.

A regular at Blue Bamboo since near the very beginning, Jeff and his group (Richard Drexler on piano, special guest Doug Mathews on bass, and Marty Morrell on drums) represent everything we stand for... excellence, beauty, and class.

Jeff has recorded over 100 albums, and has recorded and toured with jazz singers Diane Schuur, Mel Tormé, Kevin Mahogany, Veronica Swift, T-Bone, and Ernestine Anderson. He is a featured soloist on Benny Carter’s Grammy winning album Harlem Renaissance. Jeff Rupert’s 11 recordings as a leader have all charted on Jazz Week, and Let’s Sail Away (his CD with Veronica Swift that preceded the young phenom's worldwide success) reached #1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po2_ypZchi4

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Chris Cortez and Bobby Koelble are a swinging guitar duo unlike any other. Their virtuosic and off-the-cuff arrangements are like listening to two guitars having a musical conversation. Each program of jazz, pop standards, and Cortez originals is inventive, and a treat to the ears.

https://youtu.be/_FrSa4XKQ5g

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts presents a monthly series of concerts at the Winter Park Library! Please note that this show is being held at the Winter Park Library, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo. Check out the other events in this series - https://bluebambooartcenter.com/bamboo-goes-to-the-library

Chris Cortez is the founder of Blue Bamboo Music and Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. He is a composer, guitarist, vocalist, arranger, producer, engineer, videographer, educator, community leader, arts advocate, and recording artist. He has produced over 50 CDs and hundreds of music videos.

Chris’ guitar style is uniquely his own, and his vocabulary is instantly recognizable to fans of his previous work. Growth and evolution are obvious, but Cortez still sounds like Cortez. There is a compositional feeling in his solos, and a relentless sense of meter and precision. Themes unfold with an emotional arc that takes you on a journey, and his songs provide the perfect backdrop for that kind of development. There is a landscape to explore with plenty surprises, but everything makes sense and seems filled with intention.

Chris’ solo shows are also filled with lively and entertaining stories from his show business past.

https://youtu.be/5VBv_N4p2Ik

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

This afternoon's concert features Terry Myers on reeds, Pat Gullotta on trombone, Bob Thornton on piano, Charlie Silva on bass and Eddie Metz on drums.

Terry Myers has had a storied career in Central Florida, including being a band leader at Walt Disney World's Epcot, the band leader at Rosie O'Grady's Good Time Jazz Emporium, and as an original member of Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band. Terry is a former director of the famed Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and has appeared at many jazz festivals across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

"Terry Myers is undoubtedly one of the best all-around reed players in the country today. His versatility and expertise on the clarinet and saxophone are a treat to the ears." - Buddy Morrow, former leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPzZX1DUB0

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Guitarist and recording artist Don Soledad has been a mainstay in the US and Florida talent pool since his move from the San Francisco Bay Area. His dedication to the art of flamenco guitar started under the tutelage of flamenco guitar maestros living in the US, as well as in Andalucia, Spain. Performance highlights include; opening for Jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell, stints at the Versace Mansion in South Beach, and performing for Gloria Estefan’s private parties as well as being the house band for 5 years at the Estefan’s resort Costa d’Este in Vero Beach.

https://youtu.be/EOa9TDdRCkg

Part of our Summer Concert Series, this show is in partnership with the City of Casselberry in their beautiful new gallery the Casselberry Arts Center.

Saxophonist/vocalist Greg Diaz and his quintet perform original music, as well original treatments of old and new jazz standards. Greg has toured with Ben E King, as well as performing with Phil Woods, Ira Sullivan, Victor Lewis, Roy Hargrove, Jon Secada, and many others.

Featuring Greg Diaz - sax and vocals; Bob Thornton - piano; LaRue Nickelson - guitar; Doug Mathews - bass; and Paul Parker - drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaGVU9t2mNU

Please note this show is being held in the Black Box Theater at Orlando Family Stage.

Ella & The Bossa Beat is an international father-daughter duo between the 23-year old 'new rising star of the Bossa Nova generation' singer/pianist Ella Borges, and Grammy-nominated drummer Magrus Borges. They present a modern Bossa Nova/Brazilian Jazz style of music, combined with a soulful jazz influence.

Ella & the Bossa Beat 's special guest today is Steve Tirpak on trombone.

Sponsored in part by State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Follow Ella & the Bossa Beat on social media - https://linktr.ee/ellaandthebossabeat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWyK_2kYIPU

Admission is free. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Please contact Melody Cortez for reservations:

Email: melodycortez@live.com Phone: 407-636-9951

Please note this show is being held in the Black Box Theater at Orlando Family Stage.

Join us for a beautiful, smooth as glass presentation of some of the best small group jazz ever presented. Featuring Dave Mackenzie on woodwinds, Chris Cortez on guitar, Charlie Silva on bass, and Greg Parnell on drums.

You probably know about Paul Desmond, the alto saxophone player from the Dave Brubeck quartet who wrote Take Five, and you may also know about Jim Hall, the unsung guitar hero from that same period. But you might not know that the two toured and recorded together in a quartet setting with a variety of rhythm sections, and produced some of the most engaging, lush, and beautiful jazz music ever made.

Recently the complete recordings of the Paul Desmond and Jim Hall Quartet from 1959-1965 were released in their entirety as a 4 CD collection on the Mosaic label. The shared love of these recordings between Cortez and MacKenzie was the catalyst for this show. They agreed they would honor and respect the spirit of the recordings, with their dark, lush, sonorities and Great American Songbook choices, and the musicians would dive deep into the language of Desmond and Hall to create the atmosphere, but neither were interested in doing impressions. This will be their original take on that classic group.

Sponsored in part by State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

https://youtu.be/WTftwaDNmps

Admission is free. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Please contact Melody Cortez for reservations:

Email: melodycortez@live.com Phone: 407-636-9951

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Today's performance features Joe Fritz on clarinet, Steve Luciano on guitar and Doug Mathews on bass.

Hungarian clarinetist Joe Fritz just arrived in the USA in March 2024. In 2012 he was ranked among the top 30 jazz clarinetists in the world. His discography includes 11 solo albums as a leader and 54 as a sideman.

His trio from Orlando plays 50's and 60's jazz in the style of Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Jimmy Giuffre and other great west coast jazz players.

Joe has a long past of his own in Hungarian jazz. He made his first record almost 20 years ago followed by a dozen more. He chose the clarinet under the influence of Benny Goodman. The clarinet is the richest tone-color among all the instruments, especially in the hand of such an artist who is a fan of the "rehabilitation” of this instrument. Joe is a master of style. All of his solos, short or long, are very carefully composed. He plays pleasant swing music, enjoyable for everybody, of the best-known American standards as well as popular Hungarian melodies or his own compositions.

Joe isn’t only a fine musician but a researcher of clarinet playing and has written about the history of the instrument in articles and record reviews for several music magazines. His foreign tours, long and short stayings abroad, helped the maturation of his style and were beneficent for his career. He spent one and a half years in America, one in Australia, and had jobs in jazz clubs which gave him experience and knowledge in music and language. He also worked with top jazz musicians all around the World, including Gyorgy Vukan, George Grosman, Travis Jenkins, Allan Vache, and Jeff Usher to name a few.

https://www.facebook.com/joefritzjazz/

https://youtu.be/Sebj2zpSM68?si=B0mGdLNhkOVaBPDE

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts presents a monthly series of concerts at the Winter Park Library! Please note that this show is being held at the Winter Park Library, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo. Check out the other events in this series - https://bluebambooartcenter.com/bamboo-goes-to-the-library

International Brazilian music star Daniela Soledade and virtuoso guitarist Nate Najar transport you to tropical Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with an intimate evening of Bossa Nova music.

Rio de Janeiro native Daniela Soledade is a rising star among legends in the Brazilian music scene. An heir to the throne of Bossa Nova, Soledade is highly acclaimed for her poignantly expressive vocal style and hyper-intimate aesthetic. Drawing from an amalgamation of authentic bossa nova, samba, MPB, and American Popular Song, Soledade is the new sound of Bossa Nova.

Nate Najar is one of this decade’s finest modern jazz guitarists. He is a player who uses a distinctive technique to convey his artistic prowess, and the result is music that is swinging, emotional, and inventive. Rick Andersen of the All Music Guide called Nate "one of the most consistently interesting and stylish young guitarists on the jazz scene…".

https://youtu.be/QTpqCGkE19E

https://danielasoledade.com/

https://natenajar.com/

Sponsored in part by State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Chris Cortez is the founder of Blue Bamboo Music and Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. He is a composer, guitarist, vocalist, arranger, producer, engineer, videographer, educator, community leader, arts advocate, and recording artist. He has produced over 50 CDs and hundreds of music videos.

Chris’ guitar style is uniquely his own, and his vocabulary is instantly recognizable to fans of his previous work. Growth and evolution are obvious, but Cortez still sounds like Cortez. There is a compositional feeling in his solos, and a relentless sense of meter and precision. Themes unfold with an emotional arc that takes you on a journey, and his songs provide the perfect backdrop for that kind of development. There is a landscape to explore with plenty surprises, but everything makes sense and seems filled with intention.

Chris’ solo shows are also filled with lively and entertaining stories from his show business past.

https://youtu.be/5VBv_N4p2Ik

Sponsored in part by State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Admission is free. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Please contact Melody Cortez for reservations:

Email: melodycortez@live.com Phone: 407-636-9951

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Featuring Chris Cortez on guitar, Walt Hubbard on drums, Doug Mathews on bass, Ed Krout on keyboards, and other special guests. The band will open the night with a concert set, which is then followed by a jazz jam session. Musicians, bring your instruments and your favorite jazz standard and sit in!

A guitar amp, bass amp, drums, and keyboard are available for use.

To learn more about Chris Cortez and friends, and view photos and videos, visit - https://bluebambooartcenter.com/chris-cortez

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Join us for Greg Parnell Group's "Max Roach Centennial Celebration" featuring Greg Parnell on drums, Marco Bojorquez on bass, Jon Oxford on guitar and Joe Breidenstine on trumpet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDfkw4_3PIQ

Sponsored in part by State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Note: There are 2 seatings for this concert: 11:00am - 1:00pm and 2:00pm - 4:00pm.

Admission is free. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Please contact Melody Cortez for reservations: Email: melodycortez@live.com Phone: 407-636-9951. When making your reservation, be sure to tell Melody if you're attending the 11:00am seating or the 2:00pm seating.

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Enjoy light refreshments and toe-tapping tunes during your visit to Winter Park's Community Parlor. Check out the other events in Music at the Casa - https://bluebambooartcenter.com/music-at-the-casa

Guitarist and recording artist Don Soledad has been a mainstay in the US and Florida talent pool since his move from the San Francisco Bay Area. His dedication to the art of flamenco guitar started under the tutelage of flamenco guitar maestros living in the US, as well as in Andalucia, Spain. Performance highlights include; opening for Jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell, stints at the Versace Mansion in South Beach, and performing for Gloria Estefan’s private parties as well as being the house band for 5 years at the Estefan’s resort Costa d’Este in Vero Beach.

https://youtu.be/EOa9TDdRCkg

Joining Don for the 2:00pm seating are Susy Arrieta - dance; Tanner Johnson - violin, and Justin Steger - percussion.

Note: There are 2 seatings for this concert: 11:00am - 1:00pm and 2:00pm - 4:00pm.

Admission is free. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Please contact Melody Cortez for reservations: Email: melodycortez@live.com Phone: 407-636-9951. When making your reservation, be sure to tell Melody if you're attending the 11:00am seating or the 2:00pm seating.

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts partners with the historic venue Casa Feliz to present a series of concerts "Music at the Casa"! Please note this show is being held at Casa Feliz, in conjunction with Blue Bamboo.

Enjoy light refreshments and toe-tapping tunes during your visit to Winter Park's Community Parlor. Check out the other events in Music at the Casa - https://bluebambooartcenter.com/music-at-the-casa

Guitarist and recording artist Don Soledad has been a mainstay in the US and Florida talent pool since his move from the San Francisco Bay Area. His dedication to the art of flamenco guitar started under the tutelage of flamenco guitar maestros living in the US, as well as in Andalucia, Spain. Performance highlights include; opening for Jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell, stints at the Versace Mansion in South Beach, and performing for Gloria Estefan’s private parties as well as being the house band for 5 years at the Estefan’s resort Costa d’Este in Vero Beach.

https://youtu.be/EOa9TDdRCkg

Joining Don for the 11:00am seating are Susy Arrieta - dance; Jose Rodriguez - violin, and Josip Zambrano - percussion.