April 10, 2014
MEDIA CONTACT
Media: Su Byron § [email protected]
Jazz Club of Sarasota Presents
JAZZ ON THE WATER CRUISE
With the Michael Royal Trio
Sunday, May 4 § LeBarge
(Sarasota, Florida) The Jazz Club of Sarasota presents its popular “Jazz on the Water” cruise, Sunday, May 4, 3-5 p.m., aboard LeBarge, which departs from Bayfront Park in downtown Sarasota. Guests will enjoy the swinging sounds of the Michael Royal Trio with Michael Royal on keyboards, Johnny Moore on drums and Michael Ross on bass. Tickets are $30 for Jazz Club members; $35 for non-members. Snacks and beverages will be available for sale; guests are requested not to bring coolers. Boarding begins at 2:30 p.m. For tickets, call 941-366-1552.
Pianist and composer Michael Royal is considered to be a pioneer in the establishment of jazz in Florida, introducing live jazz and classical piano to such popular local venues as Michael’s on East, the Gator Club Private Reserve, the Upper Deck, and many more. A native Floridian and former student of Jacques Abram at the University of South Florida, Royal developed his own unique idiom for the piano, merging classical influences of Ravel and Debussy with the sounds of John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk and Bill Evans. Royal has performed at major jazz venues around the world, and with such acclaimed jazz and pop artists as Clifford Jordan, George Morrow, John La Porta, The Count Basie Orchestra, Ira Sullivan and Mark Murphy. In the ‘80s, Royal’s career took him to Hollywood and New York, where he created film scores and produced jazz events, including the 1989 Western New York Jazz Festival. Royal returned to Sarasota in 1989, where he has since been a major force on the area’s vibrant jazz scene.
Royal’s trio is rounded out by drummer Johnny Moore, who is lauded by critics for “his rock steady beat and tasty solos” that are “lessons in how drums should be played” (Puppy Jazz), and bassist Michael Ross, a fixture on Florida’s jazz scene, known for having “one of the fattest acoustic bass sounds you’ll likely hear” (All About Jazz).
“The jazz cruise has been a favorite for more than 10 years,” says Dave Walrath, president of the Jazz Club of Sarasota. “What better way to enjoy a beautiful spring day than by sailing around Sarasota Bay while enjoying the sounds of exceptional jazz?”
For more information about the Jazz Club of Sarasota, call 941-366-1552, or visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org.
About the Jazz Club of Sarasota
The Jazz Club of Sarasota is the most active jazz club in the United Sates, featuring more than 80 concerts and lectures per year. Founded in 1980 by the late Hal Davis, the former publicist for Benny Goodman, the club presents the Sarasota Jazz Festival, one of the major jazz festivals in the United States. The organization also sponsors the Venice Jazz Festival every year.
