The Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series has announced updates to the lineup for the upcoming event, including the addition of New Orleans jazz-funk artist Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, which will perform Feb. 26.
Also, due to unforeseen circumstances, Taj Mahal and Christian McBride were forced to cancel their performances that had been set for Feb. 11 and 12. Refunds for Taj Mahal and Christian McBride will be available via point of purchase.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s music respects Crescent City traditions while pushing the boundaries of those traditions, adding pop, rock and hip-hop influences.
"Allen Toussaint told me, ‘Learn everything you can, take everything you can from us, but don’t be us,’" Shorty said. "The responsibility put on me is to move the music forward.”
Trombone Shorty’s new album opens with a dirge, but anyone who thinks the bandleader, singer, songwriter and hornblower born Troy Andrews is coming here to mourn, they’re wrong.
Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series is a collection of five performances taking place Feb. 18-26 at Fort Mose Historic State Park. The series honors the history and celebrates the cultural significance of the first free Black settlement in what is now the United States.
Proceeds of this series will support the construction of an on-site fort representation and development of additional interpretive resources. The original fort was destroyed during the Battle of Bloody Mose in 1740.
Previously confirmed artists include two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Gregory Porter, the legendary 18-time Grammy Award-winning Count Basie Orchestra, breakout Americana and roots singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah and New Orleans’ deep-groove R&B and jazz group Tank and the Bangas.
The Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series is produced by the St. Johns County Cultural Events Division, which operates The St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, with support from St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, St. Augustine Distillery, St. Johns Cultural Council, Fort Mose Historical Society and Flying Saucer Presents.
Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com and in-person at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre box office. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Box Office accepts credit and debit card payments only.
