{"id":368215,"date":"2026-08-11T08:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T08:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/368215\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T08:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T08:48:21","slug":"august-at-the-music-arts-community-center-brings-soul-jazz-and-one-enchanted-evening-wgcu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/368215\/","title":{"rendered":"August at the Music & Arts Community Center brings soul, jazz and one enchanted evening | WGCU News"},"content":{"rendered":"

August at the Music and Arts Community Center in Fort Myers will be characterized by soul, jazz and one enchanted evening. It all kicks off Aug. 15 with CeCe Teneal\u2019s \u201cDivas of Soul.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"CeCe<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

CeCe Teneal is an award-winning singer-songwriter. <\/p>\n

\u201cMs. Teneal was a headliner for the 2019 Citrus Bowl,\u201d noted Andrew Kurtz of the Gulf Coast Symphony. \u201cShe’s won awards for her own music that she’s written. It’s her, two backup singers and a seven-piece band. She will be singing \u2018Midnight Train to Georgia,\u2019 \u2018River Deep, Mountain High,\u2019 music of Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin.\u201d<\/p>\n

On August 20, the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective will focus on the music of Wayne Shorter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWayne Shorter has been a really important influential figure in the jazz world with all kinds of groundbreaking work that he did with Art Blakey, and the collective is bringing in two guest artists to perform with them on that particular show,\u201d said Kurtz.<\/p>\n

\"Gulf<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony <\/p>\n

On August 22, the Gulf Coast Symphony Pops celebrates Richard Rodgers and Broadway\u2019s Golden Age with ‘Some Enchanted Evening.’<\/p>\n

On Aug. 22, the Gulf Coast Symphony Pops celebrates Richard Rodgers and Broadway\u2019s Golden Age with \u201cSome Enchanted Evening.\u201d The evening will feature vocalists Elizabeth D\u2019Aiuto and Mark Sanders performing songs from \u201cOklahoma!,\u201d \u201cCarousel,\u201d \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d and contemporary pieces.<\/p>\n

\"HEAT<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website<\/p>\n

HEAT Latin Jazz Band is a high-energy six-piece ensemble that has been a Fort Myers favorite for nearly a decade. <\/p>\n

\u201cOn Aug. 29, Saturday night, we’re bringing back HEAT Latin Jazz, a Latin jazz group that was formed at FGCU 12, 13 years ago,\u201d said Kurtz. \u201cI first started bringing them in even before we had the Music and Arts Community Center, when they were still students. They perform high-energy Latin dance party. We’ve been bringing them in at least once a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 300 seats, the MACC combines state-of-the-art acoustics and professional staging that makes every performance feel personal. It\u2019s located on Shire Lane off Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers.<\/p>\n

\"Vocalist<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website <\/p>\n

Vocalist Mark Sanders performs with the Gulf Coast Symphony Pops. <\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n

Divas of Soul<\/p>\n

\u201cDivas of Soul\u201d is a celebration of 50 years of chart-topping music from artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and more, featuring hits from the disco era (\u201cBad Girl,\u201d \u201cBest of My Love\u201d) to Motown\/R&B (\u201cDancing In the Street,\u201d \u201cKilling Me Softly\u201d) and pop (\u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got to Do with It,\u201d \u201cHow Will I Know\u201d).<\/p>\n

\"'Divas<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website<\/p>\n

‘Divas of Soul’ performer CeCe Teneal<\/p>\n

Teneal is an award-winning songstress in her own right. In 2022, Mayor Buddy Dyer and Mayor Jerry Demmings proclaimed Sept. 17 as annual Cece Teneal Day in Orlando and Orange County, respectively, to celebrate her 20 years of arts and entertainment contributions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn opportunity to bring in a really wonderful performer like CeCe Teneal accords with our commitment to supporting Florida-based artists,\u201d said Kurtz.<\/p>\n

\"Gulf<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website <\/p>\n

Few musicians have shaped the sound of jazz across as many decades, or in as many directions, as celebrated jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. <\/p>\n

Footprints: A Celebration of Wayne Shorter<\/p>\n

Few musicians have shaped the sound of jazz across as many decades, or in as many directions, as celebrated jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. From his groundbreaking work with Art Blakey\u2019s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis to the electric landscapes of Weather Report, Shorter\u2019s compositions remain some of the most performed and beloved in all of jazz. With a featured guest saxophonist, the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective honors Shorter\u2019s timeless voice and extraordinary legacy.<\/p>\n

Founded in 2021, the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective brings the best of live Jazz performance to Southwest Florida. Under the artistic direction of drummer, educator, composer & arranger Paul Gavin, the Jazz Collective invites the best artists from the country to collaborate in concerts that span the entire jazz genre.<\/p>\n

Since graduating from the University of South Florida in 2015, Gavin has made his living exclusively as a freelance musician. By playing all kinds of music all around Florida, teaching privately and in schools, and writing for school programs and his own original music, he maintains an active schedule.<\/p>\n

He has played regularly with great musicians in the Tampa Bay area including trumpet player James Suggs, singer Gloria West, and bassist Michael Ross. He also plays regularly in the Fort Myers area with guitarist Dan Heck, bassist Brandon Robertson, and the Stardust Memories Big Band. He played regularly also with the late trumpeter Dan Miller.<\/p>\n

After almost 4 years of supporting others\u2019 musical projects, Gavin is now focusing on building his own brand. He currently has two bands. The Vanguard plays his original music, and Mosaic plays the music of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.<\/p>\n

Gavin has received honors for his musicianship. In 2013 he was one of the winners of the VSA International Young Soloist Competition, flying out to Washington DC to play with members of the Airmen of Note at the Kennedy Center on the Millennium Stage. In the same year he also won the Downbeat Student award for a collaboration with flutist and composer Jose Valentino. Most recently Gavin won a grant from the Young Artists Awards in Fort Myers, which will fund the creation of his debut album of his original music \u2013 to be recorded this year.<\/p>\n

As a composer & arranger, Gavin has written and arranged music for his own bands since his college days. He is currently writing and arranging for his own bands The Vanguard and Mosaic. He is also the percussion arranger for the Sickles High School Wall of Sound, the Plant City High Raiders, and Indian Rocks Christian School.<\/p>\n

\"Vocalist<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website<\/p>\n

Vocalist Elizabeth D’Aiuto performs with the Gulf Coast Symphony Pops. <\/p>\n

Some Enchanted Evening & the music of Richard Rodgers<\/p>\n

Richard Rodgers\u2019 contributions to the musical theatre of his day were extraordinary, and his influence on the musical theatre of today and tomorrow is legendary. His career spanned more than six decades, his hits ranging from the silver screens of Hollywood to the bright lights of Broadway, London and beyond. He was the recipient of countless awards, including Pulitzers, Tonys, Oscars, Grammys, and Emmys. He wrote more than 900 published songs and 40 Broadway musicals.<\/p>\n

Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) wrote their first shows together when both were still students attending Columbia University. Their breakthrough came with the score for a 1925 charity show, \u201cThe Garrick Gaieties,\u201d which introduced the classic valentine to their hometown, \u201cManhattan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Vocalist<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website <\/p>\n

The evening will feature vocalists Elizabeth D\u2019Aiuto and Mark Sanders performing songs from ‘Oklahoma!,’ ‘Carousel,’ ‘South Pacific’ and contemporary pieces. <\/p>\n

Over the next five years, they wrote 15 musical comedies for Broadway and London\u2019s West End before relocating to Hollywood in 1930, where they contributed songs and wrote the scores for several movie musicals, most notably \u201cLove Me Tonight\u201d starring Maurice Chevalier.<\/p>\n

In 1935 they returned to New York to write the score for Billy Rose\u2019s circus musical \u201cJumbo,\u201d launching a golden era that included \u201cOn Your Toes,\u201d \u201cBabes in Arms,\u201d \u201cI\u2019d Rather Be Right,\u201d \u201cI Married an Angel,\u201d \u201cThe Boys From Syracuse,\u201d \u201cToo Many Girls,\u201d \u201cHigher and Higher,\u201d \u201cPal Joey\u201d and \u201cBy Jupiter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Vocalist<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website<\/p>\n

The evening will feature vocalists Elizabeth D\u2019Aiuto and Mark Sanders performing songs from ‘Oklahoma!,’ ‘Carousel,’ ‘South Pacific’ and contemporary pieces.<\/p>\n

In 1943 the partnership disbanded temporarily when Rodgers collaborated with Oscar Hammerstein II on \u201cOklahoma!,\u201d but it resumed with a revision of their 1927 hit \u201cA Connecticut Yankee,\u201d which opened on November 17, 1943 \u2014 less than a week before Lorenz Hart\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

For the next two decades Richard Rodgers collaborated exclusively with Oscar Hammerstein II on such musicals as \u201cCarousel,\u201d \u201cAllegro,\u201d \u201cSouth Pacific,\u201d \u201cThe King and I,\u201d \u201cPipe Dream\u201d and \u201cThe Sound of Music.\u201d Collectively, their musicals have garnered dozens of awards including Pulitzer Prizes, Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys; Drama Desk, Drama Critics\u2019 Circle, Outer Critics\u2019 Circle, Laurence Olivier, and Evening Standard awards.<\/p>\n

After Hammerstein\u2019s death in 1960, Rodgers continued to write for the musical stage, including “No Strings,” and collaborations with Martin Charnin, Stephen Sondheim and Sheldon Harnick. His 40th, and final, Broadway musical, \u201cI Remember Mama,\u201d opened on Broadway less than eight months before his death on Dec. 30, 1979.<\/p>\n

The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway was renamed in his honor, and Rodgers and Hart were each commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp at the end of the past century.<\/p>\n

\"Gulf<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website<\/p>\n

The high-energy six-piece ensemble has been a Fort Myers favorite for nearly a decade. <\/p>\n

HEAT Latin Jazz Band<\/p>\n

The high-energy six-piece ensemble has been a Fort Myers favorite for nearly a decade. It is known for delivering authentic Latin grooves, soaring horns, and irresistible percussion that keep audiences moving all night long.<\/p>\n

\"HEAT<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website <\/p>\n

HEAT Latin Jazz Band is known for delivering authentic Latin grooves, soaring horns, and irresistible percussion that keep audiences moving all night long.<\/p>\n

Founded on an idea from Keith Doxie, music instructor at Lexington Middle School, the band has grown to provide Southwest Florida with a unique presentation of Afro-Cuban music, played by musicians from diverse training backgrounds. The band\u2019s concept has been not only to play music that is not ubiquitous to the music scene of SWFL, but also to bring up-and-coming musicians into the fold by playing music that is as technically challenging as it is fun to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf of them have other careers, but they still perform together,\u201d noted Kurtz.<\/p>\n

In fact, the band comprises musicians from different walks of life and training. Bandleader and trumpeter Diego Azcuy is a professional pilot and civil engineer. Assistant bandleader, drummer and percussionist Miguel Azcuy is a registered nurse. And co-founder and keyboardist Juan Enrique Diaz is a professional welder.
The rest of the band includes musicians from FGCU, each equally active in the Southwest Florida music scene.<\/p>\n

\"Dancing<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Gulf Coast Symphony<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Symphony website<\/p>\n

Dancing is definitely encouraged during HEAT Latin Jazz Band performance at the Music & Arts Community Center. <\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re an experienced dancer or just ready to sway to the beat, this is a night where the dance floor calls your name \u2013 and dancing is definitely encouraged.<\/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":"August at the Music and Arts Community Center in Fort Myers will be characterized by soul, jazz and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":368216,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-368215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368215","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=368215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/368216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}