Free outdoor concert – Music Walk at McCollum Hall. From 6-9 pm, we will groove along with amazing jazz music and the Night Market, where live music, history, shopping and delicious food collide. Discover the soul of Fort Myers and experience a night to remember.
The evening’s entertainment:
• La Lucha
• Brandon Robertson Quartet
• The PK Trio
Bryant Monteilh is the evening’s Emcee, helping us tell the story of McCollum Hall. Anchor, Host and Reporter for WGCU Public Media, he brings us compelling stories and meaningful conversations.
Free show. Free parking.
Enjoy dinner with jazz from a food truck or pack your own basket. No alcoholic beverages permitted. Seating provided or bring your own chairs or blanket. Easy parking and event access is available for individuals with disabilities and seniors.
La Lucha creates their unique, vibrant and fun jazz style through a fusion of myriad musical styles. These three best friends – John O’Leary on piano, Alejandro Arenas on bass and Mark Feinman on drums – draw audiences into their musically imaginative world, enlivening the stage with high energy and high audience interaction. Based in Tampa Bay, they have performed at festivals and concert halls throughout the South and Mid-Atlantic US. Their tour of Italy and France included performances at the Umbria Jazz Festival and Jazz a Juan in Juan Les Pins.
Brandon L. Robertson is an EMMY®-nominated music director, accomplished upright/electric bassist, composer and music educator. A Tampa native, he holds a Master’s of Music in Jazz Performance and a BA in Music Performance from Florida State University. He has performed across 22 countries throughout Europe, from the Mediterranean coast to the capital of Iceland, bringing his dynamic musicianship to international audiences. Brandon serves as the John & Dorothy Guigon Director of Jazz Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. He also leads the Artis Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra at the Artis Naples in Naples.
The PK Trio blends Great American Songbook Classics, modern jazz and original compositions to create their own sound, showcasing the trio members’ unique talents. Bassist and vocalist Piper Kemmerer leads the trio that includes drummer Josue Gallardo and pianist Mason Hunn. All recent or current students of the FGCU Bower School of Music, they have performed with musicians including Benny Benack III, The Four Freshmen, Laila Biali and Jalen Baker.
McCollum Hall is a catalyst renovation project in promoting redevelopment in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area for the Fort Myers CRA. Built in 1938 by Clifford “Buck” McCollum, Sr., a black businessman and entrepreneur, and his wife Gertrude, McCollum Hall was the centerpiece of commerce, music and entertainment in the Dunbar Community.
A popular stop for touring black entertainers on the Chitlin’ Circuit of the 1930s-1950s, its second-floor dance hall jumped to life when musicians took to the stage, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Otis Redding and other jazz and blues greats. It was named to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places on April 18, 2022. It is a site on Florida's Black Heritage Trail.
Presented by the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency. Powered by HAPCO Music Foundation. Made possible with partnerships from: City of Fort Myers; River District Alliance; Lee County Black History Society; FGCU Bower School of Music & the Arts; Thirty8 Collective; Collaboratory; and Lee Pitts Live.
Since 1984, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency has spearheaded programs and policies designed to reverse deterioration, create jobs, revitalize the business climate, increase property values, and encourage active participation and investment by citizens. Info:
https://fortmyerscra.com
HAPCO’s educational programs help disadvantaged young people in Florida, Georgia and Texas build their better futures. They use their musical, culinary and artistic talents to fund their college education or to pursue professional careers. Info:
http://hapcopromo.org
Also check out other Music events in Fort Myers, Entertainment events in Fort Myers, Festivals in Fort Myers.
