Continuing the Legacy of WUSF Jazz
Celebrating Florida Jazz
JAZZ ON ARTS AXIS FLORIDA celebrates Florida's rich jazz history and the large community of musicians and venues that make live performances possible by continuing WUSF Jazz's 56-year legacy: showcasing the best of live, local jazz through providing digital resources and advertising opportunities to jazz musicians, organizations, and venues throughout Florida.
Latest Jazz Updates
The Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association celebrated the legacy of jazz educator, musician, and community leader Alvin Joseph Downing during its 2026 Honors Awards program, which also marked what would have been his 110th birthday.
The maestro strikes again! In collaboration with chart-topping gospel icon Ricky Dillard, Ron Carter pays tribute to his late mother, Willie May, through a collection of her favorite hymns and spirituals on his latest release Sweet, Sweet Spirit.
In celebration of the X-Files LEGO set, the unreleased version of I Want to Believe, and the upcoming reboot, we hand crafted several playlists including Mulder's playlist and Scully's playlist.
Recent Studio Performances
For nearly 20 years, Friends of Fil has performed across Tampa Bay, Florida, and beyond, combining straight-ahead jazz, fusion, and original music.
MR. DINOSAUR is an independent, originals-focused Jazz Fusion project, taking pride in providing a wide variety of styles within the vernacular. From Rock, Funk, R&B, Electronic, and more, you can expect a diverse and dynamic repertoire that explores a multitude of musical palettes.
Born and raised in the American Southwest, Eliana Joy is a jack of all trades (master of…some!). After a euphonium degree and a spell with the Santa Fe Opera, she moved to Brooklyn to explore The Great American Songbook.
In this episode, we’re joined by Eric Mullins, a professional musician and Executive Director of Mullins Music, and Jimmy Michaud, vinyl archivist and community curator, to explore the story behind Swamp Sounds Florida, a Florida‑rooted vinyl collective built on education, trust, and cultural preservation.
In this special on-location episode of Studio Sessions, WUSF Jazz Brand Manager Warren Buchholz sits down with Sommelier Rita Batiste at Piccolo Buco in Tampa to explore the sensory connection between classic jazz albums and carefully selected wines. Each pairing is designed to mirror the mood, texture, and emotional d
Meet Al Di Meola. He’s a GRAMMY® Award-Winning American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist/composer, working as a solo artist on hit albums like Casino and Land of the Midnight Sun and performed with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. He recently released a new album Twenty Four and is currently on tour where he’ll be
Jazz Album Reviews
The maestro strikes again! In collaboration with chart-topping gospel icon Ricky Dillard, Ron Carter pays tribute to his late mother, Willie May, through a collection of her favorite hymns and spirituals on his latest release Sweet, Sweet Spirit.
Within the opening moments of the Premazzi/Nasser Quartet’s debut release From What I Recall, it becomes clear that this is the work of a distinctly unique and modern voice.
Make no mistake, Carlos Henriquez’s album A Nuyorican Tale is heavily influenced by its Latin music roots. However, there are threads of Straight Ahead Jazz, Afro-Jazz and even some Big-Band winding through the 9 songs that help broaden its appeal to a wider audience.
Spoken Word Poetry Performances
New Performances coming in 2025
Leandra Diaz, known as SlimTruth, is a spoken word artist, author, coach, and workshop facilitator based in Orlando. She’s nationally ranked and known for using her voice to highlight mental health and uncover personal truths.
Nicole has always had a love for writing and especially poetry, one she has only expanded on through high school and college. Inspired by lyricists, other poets, and the natural world, she commonly writes about internal and external struggles and how language shapes our understanding of ourselves. For more of her work, check local literary magazines and community poetry events in the St. Pete area, where she appears regularly.
Ty Scott King is an award-winning, multi-Billboard charting poet and hip hop artist and a best-selling author. Ty has successfully showcased her poetic talent on the National Poetry Slam level and hosted both an internationally aired TV show and her own radio show. Learn more at tyscottking.com.
Poetry Written and Performed By Grentry Burkes. Artwork Referenced: “swansong” by Caroline Colby and "Juicebox of Desire” by Andrew King.
