Seabreeze Jazz blows the crow away
Group shot of “Jazz in Pink” led by accomplished classical violinist Karen Briggs, this all star ensemble of musical women in jazz that projects talent, beauty, power and femininity as they embraced the crowd at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival. The group has vowed to provide educational opportunities and mentorship to upcoming rising stars. The group also features Mariea Antoinette, harpist, Althea Rene, flutist, and Gail Johnson, keyboards as well as a plethora of guest artist.
Story and photos by Richard A. Moore
What do you get when you combine the best in smooth jazz together with devoted fans, beautiful white sand beaches, great shopping and dining, and good old “Gulf Coast Charm”? You get the most exciting, most talked about contemporary jazz festival in the USA!
The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is a tried and true formula of the top names in smooth jazz and hosted warm and sunny Panama City Beach on the Northwest coast of Florida.
Named “One of the Top 10 Jazz Festivals in the USA” by JazzIZ Magazine and “Top 100 Event in North America” by the North American Tour Bus Association — the Seabreeze Jazz Festival is where friends meet to celebrate what is the “Smooth Jazz Lifestyle”! — Mark and Renee’ Carter, WSBZ-FM Owners and Founders of Seabreeze Jazz Festival.
This year’s Seabreeze Jazz Festival was the 15th Anniversary of the event which has called Panama City Beach home since its inception.
The festival truly stands up to its title of “One of the Top 10 Jazz Festivals in the USA”. Mark and Rene wanted to put on a Jazz Festival that would rival the best of the best and combine the beautiful sandy beaches of Florida with smooth Jazz and devoted fans for a blockbuster weekend.
The music is the same type of sound you can hear on the flagship radio station of the Seabreeze Jazz Festival at WSBZ-FM.
The Seabreeze Jazz Festival featured renowned artist like Brian Culbertson, who kicked
off the event with a dinner cruise on Wednesday night – along with an autograph session that night.
Other big names included Fourplay, Tower of Power, Lalah Halthaway, Steve Oliver, Euge Groove, Peter White, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun (the later three known as BWB performing together), Tim Bowman, Ken Ford, The (not so) Average White Band… who proceeded to turn it out like no other group had all weekend, Jazz in Pink, The Sultry Saxtress Pamela Williams and rising star Yancyy to name a few.
The event attracts a crowd that appears to have a solid group of followers that range in age mostly from the mid 30’s to the mid 50’s.
Next year, mark your calendar because you don’t want to miss it again.
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