{"id":138103,"date":"2026-01-30T21:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/138103\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T21:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:22:19","slug":"fgcu-jazz-combo-will-perform-original-student-compositions-inspired-by-artist-onajide-shabaka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/138103\/","title":{"rendered":"FGCU Jazz Combo will perform original student compositions inspired by artist Onajide Shabaka"},"content":{"rendered":"

The FGCU Jazz Combo will perform original student compositions inspired by multidisciplinary Miami artist Onajide Shabaka on Feb. 3. His exhibition, \u201cBecoming Tomorrow\u2019s Dream,\u201d is on view in the Wasmer Gallery in the Arts Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University.<\/p>\n

Shabaka\u2019s artistic endeavors are deeply influenced by ecological concerns. But it was Shabaka\u2019s interest in jazz that led Wasmer Gallery Director John Loscuito to ask the university\u2019s jazz combo to compose music inspired by Shabaka\u2019s practice and artworks.<\/p>\n

\"Onajide<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

This Onajide Shabaka watercolor is part of the ‘Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream’ exhibition at FGCU’s Wasmer Gallery. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe brought the jazz students over to meet Onajide, and go on one of these nature walks that he does,\u201d Loscuito explained. \u201cThat proved to be a fantastic experience to understand Onajide better for the jazz students. Magic started to happen and we started to see ecosystems in a new way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The members of the jazz combo fused these experiences and Shabaka\u2019s art into original jazz compositions \u2014 with some direction from their Emmy-nominated FGCU professor, Brandon Robertson.<\/p>\n

\"Emmy-nominated<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Emmy-nominated FGCU Music Professor Brandon Robertson accompanies Jazz Combo during rehearsal for Feb. 3 concert inside the Wasmer Gallery. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe just started to formulate the songs together and then they went off on their own and started working together outside of class,\u201d said Robertson.<\/p>\n

One such number is \u201cMangrove Groove,\u201d which reflects the layers of mangrove roots and plant life in the ebb and flow of Everglades waters.<\/p>\n

Another is \u201cCatching.\u201d Inspired by Shabaka\u2019s \u201cPursuit of Human Entanglements,\u201d the composition explores the complexity of individual interactions with society.<\/p>\n

Robertson believes the combo\u2019s performance of the pieces inspired by Shabaka, his process and his art will underscore the power of collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want the audience to take away how we can collaborate with someone who has a completely different background from everyone in this group, who comes from a vastly different walk of life, and when they see the art and the music put together, gain a much greater appreciation of that collaboration,\u201d said Robertson.<\/p>\n

The WGCU Jazz Combo performs in the Wasmer Gallery from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3.<\/p>\n

\"Multidisciplinary<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Multidisciplinary artist Onajide Shabaka gives explanations to drummer Nicholas Romig (in black) and trumpeter Diego Figueredo of artwork in ‘Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream’ exhibition. <\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming Tomorrow\u2019s Dream: Onajide Shabaka\u201d explores themes of migration, healing, and African\/Native American heritage and includes a collaboration with music. The exhibition runs through Feb. 19.<\/p>\n

About the exhibition<\/p>\n

Loscuito met Shabaka during Art Basel a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking for someone that could correspond with the 250th anniversary of the United States,\u201d Loscuito said. \u201cI didn’t really know what that looked like. I just knew I didn’t want it to be something straightforward. I wanted to work with an artist who represented some of the complexity of ideas behind our country, and so when I first saw Onajide\u2019s work, some of his star maps that related to understanding ancestors that he did not know, I felt like that was a really poetic point of departure for the complexity of us as a country and many of the people who live here who don’t really know where they came from or who their ancestors were or their lineage. So that was the departing point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Artwork<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Artwork by Miami artist Onajide Shabaka on view in ‘Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream’ exhibition at FGCU Wasmer Gallery. <\/p>\n

Then Loscuito discovered that Shabaka is also interested in ecology, natural habitats and other complex natural elements.<\/p>\n

\u201cI related them to insect paths and to other complex kinds of architecture not built by humans,\u201d Loscuito added.<\/p>\n

\"Wasmer<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Wasmer Gallery Director John Loscuito likens these marks to insect paths and to other complex kinds of architecture not built by humans. <\/p>\n

As Loscuito\u2019s understanding of Shabaka\u2019s art and interests deepened, so did his appreciation of the language he\u2019s developed over this 50-plus year career, and the exhibition grew beyond works that reflect the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnajide had expressed a deep interest in jazz, and jazz has an integral connection to the music of the United States,\u201d Loscuito noted. \u201cAnd going back to this 250th celebration, I thought that was perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Artist<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Artist Onajide Shabaka (white shirt, back turned) discusses art and process with members of the FGCU Jazz Combo. <\/p>\n

Jazz history is American history.<\/p>\n

Often acclaimed as America’s greatest art form, jazz has become accepted as a living expression of the nation’s history and culture. Since its inception with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band\u2019s recording of \u201cLivery Stable Blues\u201d in 1917, jazz, its audiences, and its performers have accompanied, reflected, and informed every historical moment of the past 100 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I talked to [FGCU Music Professor] Brandon [Robertson], and he said, yeah, they were up for a collaboration with the artist and the [Wasmer] gallery.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Loscuito and Robertson arranged a field trip to Miami so the jazz students could meet the artist, see some of the pieces he intended to exhibit at FGCU and learn about his process.<\/p>\n

\"Onajide<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Onajide Shabaka watercolor of two of his ancestors is part of ‘Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream’ exhibition at FGCU Wasmer Gallery. <\/p>\n

The trip<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, back in October, myself and a few of my students from the Jazz Combo traveled to Miami with John to meet Onajide,\u201d Robertson said. \u201cHe showed us a lot of pieces that he would be displaying here at FGCU and then took us on a nature walk at a nearby park so that they could take inspiration from nature and appreciate how the elements around us all kind of connect each other and how we use our natural space to create this comfort and this ambiance. So that was kind of the motivation that the students needed to gather.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loscuito describes their reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was one instance where there was a passionflower vine, and there was the whole life cycle of a certain species of butterfly, from the caterpillars to the chrysalis to the butterfly, even being eaten by lizards,\u201d Loscuito recounted. \u201cAnd so the jazz students were like, wow, the whole thing is right here in front of us. Life itself is unfolding: birth, death, living with each other. It was a wonder to see the jazz students see that happen in such an unexpected way, and for me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shabaka amplified what they saw during the walk with photographs he\u2019d taken during his numerous forays into the Everglades, particularly what exists beneath the surface of the water.<\/p>\n

\"Onajide<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Onajide Shabaka watercolor that’s part of ‘Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream’ exhibition at FGCU Wasmer Gallery<\/p>\n

The compositions<\/p>\n

When they returned from Miami, Robertson and his students got right to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had to think about what we watched and witnessed and come up with titles and the nature sounds they could create using their instruments,\u201d Robertson reported. \u201cThey started playing these sounds, and I said, OK, now just kind of run with that, and that’s how many of them started to come up with the ideas of the compositions.”<\/p>\n

One such composition is called \u201cMangrove Groove.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was mostly based off the photos that we saw, the underwater shots, and the water flowing through the mangroves and how they move,\u201d said drummer Nicholas Romig.<\/p>\n

\"FGCU<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

FGCU Jazz Combo drummer Nicholas Romig. <\/p>\n

The first time he heard the piece, Shabaka was swept away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could listen to it over and over again, you know what I’m saying?\u201d he remarked.
Robertson readily agreed.<\/p>\n

\"Artist<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Artist Onajide Shabaka was blown away by Jazz Combo composition ‘Mangrove Grove.’ <\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t take credit for the students\u2019 work. This is their project, you know,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when that little funk grove melody first started out, it gave me chills because it’s the kind of flavor that I like.\u201d<\/p>\n

The piece was written to have the musicians overlap or layer each other in much the same way mangrove roots are layered, particularly as water flows through and laps against them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s like a spot that’s near Bonita Springs,\u201d Romig added. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to see how the tides switch out the currents, and when it’s low tide, you see more of the roots exposed and just how deep and thick they are, and how when the tide is high, all you see is the shrubs. You just see the trees. So, there\u2019s this other world, this other layer, and we were actually trying to figure out how to emulate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shabaka<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Shabaka incorporates star charts into his paintings of distant ancestors. <\/p>\n

\u201cConvergence\u201d is premised more on Shabaka\u2019s artwork than on what the students saw during the nature walk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one was inspired by all the celestial imagery that you have in your exhibit, but specifically, the one called \u2018Celestial Convergence,\u2019 said Romig. \u201cThe guitar instrumental was inspired by clouds covering the moon, and the baseline matches the energy that you see in the night sky in Florida with the stars and moon shining through the tree that’s in the \u2018Celestial Convergence\u2019 piece of art. And then the horns have kind of a faster paced melody to kind of match that Florida nightlife feel \u2026 the chill vibe of the night with its exciting nightlife that\u2019s happening when other animals are asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jazz<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Jazz composition ‘Convergence,’ inspired by celestial imagery in Shabaka’s photographs<\/p>\n

\u201cCatching\u201d was inspired by another of Shabaka\u2019s art pieces, \u201cPursuit of Human Entanglements,\u201d and specifically the section of the piece \u201cwhere there\u2019s these weaving, interconnected, swirling lines that represent that complex entanglement of human relationships in a society,\u201d said bass player Gabe Burgos.<\/p>\n

\"'Four<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

‘Four Corners’ gave rise to jazz composition that will be played Feb. 3 by the FGCU Jazz Combo.<\/p>\n

The fourth composition was inspired by Shabaka\u2019s piece titled \u201cFour Corners.\u201d On first impression, the piece seems somewhat discordant. That\u2019s intentional. The baseline was written so that as the notes are landed on the fret board, it mimics the cross shape of the artwork. It also incorporates divergent style changes from places around the world.
\u201cIt’s going to sound very chaotic and strange, but I feel that also mimics our universe in general, which is an infinite chaos ever expanding,\u201d Burgos noted.<\/p>\n

\"Bass<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Bass player Gabe Burgos plays upright as Diego Figueredo (left), Nicholas Romig (drums), Brandon Robertson (piano) and Jonathan Esyaman (saxophone) look on. <\/p>\n

The Jazz Combo<\/p>\n

In addition to Nicholas Romig, the jazz combo consists of trumpeter Diego Figueredo, saxophonist Jonathan Esyaman, bass player Gabe Burgos and guitarist Alejandro Ramirez-Morales, and in all they created six compositions that incorporate the sights and sounds they experienced in Miami.<\/p>\n

\"FGCU<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

FGCU student Diego Figueredo on trumpet<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be performing those compositions on the 3rd,\u201d said Robertson. \u201cThey going to try to make it into a soundscape which they\u2019ll order depending on how the exhibition is hung.\u201d<\/p>\n

They will be joined for the concert by a pianist from the Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra who will be attending FGCU in the fall.<\/p>\n

\"FGCU<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall<\/p>\n

FGCU student Jonathan Esyaman on saxophone. <\/p>\n

Takeaways<\/p>\n

Robertson hopes the Feb. 3 audience will appreciate two things. The first is Florida Gulf Coast University\u2019s emphasis on ecological subjects.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re in a concert with the Everglades,\u201d Robertson pointed out. \u201cWe’re surrounded by nature. I want [the audience] to take away that our university is very environmentally aware and oriented, that the students are gaining that knowledge and appreciation. You just got to push them a little bit, poke the bear a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Artist<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Artist Onajide Shabaka (white shirt, back turned) listens to FGCU Jazz Combo rehearse for Feb. 3 concert in Wasmer Gallery. <\/p>\n

Second is the power of collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese collaborative moments are going to be memorable moments for the students, and that will be displayed to the audience,\u201d said Robertson. \u201cAnd I always feel that when audiences come to our jazz concerts, for instance, they always say that. The Bower School of Music and the Arts does a great job of collaboration in this region. That’s the part I love about working here is the collaboration side of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FGCU<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

FGCU music instructor Brandon Robertson on piano during rehearsal with Jazz Combo<\/p>\n

More about Brandon Robertson<\/p>\n

Robertson is the director of jazz studies and director of the Basketball Band at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. He is an honorary member of the Kappa Kappa Psi Mu Upsilon Chapter at Florida Gulf Coast University. He was nominated most recently for an Emmy Award for best documentary for educational collegiate programs featuring the FGCU Jazz Ensemble.<\/p>\n

Robertson graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor of arts in music with a focus on jazz studies. In the same year, he became a member of the popular Florida-based jazz trio The Zach Bartholomew Trio. In 2012, the trio released its first album, titled \u201cOut of This Town,\u201d which received notable reviews from jazz critics. In 2015, Robertson performed at the world-famous Dizzy\u2019s Coca Cola Club in New York City with the nationally recognized FSU Jazz Sextet, joining members of the JALC Orchestra.<\/p>\n

Aside from being an active musician, Robertson is also an advocate in jazz music education. He has presented jazz clinics, workshops, master classes, and guest performances in schools K-12 throughout Florida and taught at the Florida State University Summer Jazz Camps for middle school and high school students. In the spring of 2016, he earned his master of music in jazz performance at Florida State University. During this two-year period, he directed jazz ensembles, small jazz combos, taught various music-related courses at the university each semester, and performed with traveling national acts visiting the campus. He was also a faculty member of Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College School of Music in Tifton, Georgia, where he taught applied bass and helped with the jazz ensemble.<\/p>\n

As a prominent bandleader, Robertson has taken his band on multiple national tours, headlining at some of the top jazz venues in the country, such as The Palladium, Open Stage, Blues Alley, Andy\u2019s Jazz Club, The Jazz Showcase, The Jazz Kitchen, Cliff Bells, NightTown, The BOP STOP, The Jazz Estate, Shapeshifter Lab, The Side Door, Twins Jazz, Velvet Note, B-Sharps Jazz Club, and many others. To add to his impressive resume, Robertson has performed with notable acts such as The World Famous Count Basie Orchestra led by director Scotty Barnhart, vocalist Carmen Bradford (singer for The Count Basie Orchestra), Laila Biali (2019 JUNO Award Winner), Jason Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Marty Morell (drummer of pianist Bill Evans: 1968-1974), vocalist Carla Cook (Grammy-nominated NYC singer), Dan Miller (former member of The Harry Connick Jr. Big Band) , Lew Del Gatto (former member of the SNL Band), Leroy Jones, Charlie McCoy (international harmonica player and member of the country music hall of fame), Ray Coussins (pianist and former accompanist for Frank Sinatra), Eric Alexander, Wycliffe Gordon, Greg Tardy, Marcus Printup (member of the JALC Orchestra), Nick Finzer, and Canadian jazz singers June Garber and Halie Loren. Robertson has also toured 22 countries in Europe traveling from the Mediterranean, up to the capital of Iceland.<\/p>\n

Robertson has performed in the South Carolina Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, Savannah Jazz Festival, Clearwater Jazz Festival, Sanibel Jazz & Blues Festival, The Landings Music Festival, Florida Jazz & Blues Festival, and In May of 2017, Brandon made his debut as a headlining act at the 2017 International Jacksonville Jazz Festival in Jacksonville.<\/p>\n

Robertson has currently released his first album \u201cBass\u2019d on A True Story\u201d through Canadian label Slammin Media\/Believe Distributions. The album has reached No. 16 on the iTunes Top 200 Jazz Releases.<\/p>\n

For full disclosure, FGCU holds the broadcast license for WGCU. WGCU is a member-supported service of FGCU.<\/p>\n

Support for WGCU\u2019s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The FGCU Jazz Combo will perform original student compositions inspired by multidisciplinary Miami artist Onajide Shabaka on Feb.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138104,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":{"0":"post-138103","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cape-coral","8":"tag-cape-coral","9":"tag-cape-coral-headlines","10":"tag-cape-coral-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}