- May 23, 2025
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Alejandro Arenas and Mark Feinman turn up the heat during La Lucha's performance on Saturday's final day of the jazz festival.
As night sets in, the jazz festival becomes a spectacle for the eyes as well as the ears.
Arturo Sandoval addresses the audience as the festival nears its end.
Arturo Sandoval defected from Cuba to bring his artistry to the U.S.
East County's Allen and Gloria Brush and Sarasota's Christine and Andy Fowler found perfect seats at Nathan Benderson Park.
Sarasota's Pam Greer and Sherelle Matthews manage the entry table and enjoy jazz at the same time.
Crowds get ready for La Lucha and Arturo Sandoval on the final day of the 2022 Sarasota Jazz Festival.
Lieutenant/Paramedic Tim Baker and Firefighter EMT Jennifer Jackson enjoy working the festival.
Sarasota's Terry Grady, a festival volunteer, buys a treat from Giovanna Trejo of Happy Belly Tacos.
Orlando's Caleb McCue, a Sarasota native, came home to see Arturo Sandoval.
Sarasota's Roger Skidmore and Franklyn Skidmore are glad to see La Lucha finally taking a leading role.
Alejandro Arenas of La Lucha, Houston Person, and Mark Feinman of La Lucha perform together.
Tampa Bay area pianist Christine Allen-Bruno and Joe Bruno, Sr., a 94-year-old active professional jazz player, watch the performance on the final day.
Bradenton resident Brandon Dowd swings his feet to the rhythm of the music at Nathan Benderson Park during the jazz festival.
Arturo Sandoval's drummer and percussionist, Ricardo Pasillas, adds some unique sound effects to the music.
Sarasota resident Angelo Ragone of the SRQ Club greets Alejandro Arenas of La Lucha.
As the Sarasota Jazz Festival came to a close March 20 after a week-long run at Nathan Benderson Park, those who attended experienced both ends of the music spectrum.
One renowned musician performed, along with another who is a rising talent.
"I'm not going to say we saved the best for last," Sarasota Jazz Club President Ed Linehan said. "But we saved the most energy for last."
Closing out the festival, which began March 13, were Tampa jazz band La Lucha, and jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval, who has won both Grammy and Emmy awards.
La Lucha, which consists of Alejandro Arenas on bass, John O'Leary on piano, and Mark Feinman on drums, has often been invited to serve as a backup rhythm section for visiting artists at the festival. However, for the first time, the musicians took the stage as featured performers.
For the finale of their performance, La Lucha was joined by two guests from earlier in the week: Houston Person, who played saxophone and Ken Peplowski, who played clarinet.
"I heard La Lucha at the jazz festival four or five years ago," Sarasota's Roger Skidmore said. "John O'Leary is a really smashing piano player. They know how to play."
Skidmore said La Lucha has a way of playing "under the surface" as an accompanying artist to push the artist who receives top billing to the front.
The appearance of Arturo Sandoval also drew praise from those who attended. "This guy is one of the best in the world," said Joe Bruno, Jr., a Tampa Bay-area musician.
After the festival took a couple years off due to the pandemic, this year's event allowed the Jazz Club of Sarasota to resume a long-continuing tradition.
This year was the first time the festival had been held at Nathan Benderson Park, with past locations including the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the Riverview Performing Arts Center, and the Municipal Auditorium. Linehan said that holding it outdoors was beneficial not only because of COVID-19 uncertainty at the time the festival plans were made, but also because of its proximity to I-75 as well as to the The Mall at University Town Center.
He called the event "Our most ambitious festival in years," and he said that after the hiatus, that was an appropriate goal. "It's how we want it to open," he said. "We wanted to come out stronger. And I think we succeeded."
