Jazz
The Betsy’s Annual Overture to Overtown (OTO) Jazz Festival celebrates the historic connections between South Florida jazz and the National historic jazz circuit which brought musicians who played in NYC’s Harlem to The Harlem of the South (AKA Overtown). The Betsy’s ‘Overture to Overtown’ Jazz Festival takes place in tandem with Jazz Appreciation Month, created by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and also includes a celebration of UNESCO’s International Jazz Day. We include poetry along with jazz in this annual event.
The Betsy hosts the longest-running jazz program in the region, with live music offered 9 times a week. We accept applications from jazz artists year-round, who while touring SOFLA would like to stay in The Betsy Writers Room (and play a gig), or would like to participate in our annual festival. Our core program is focused on virtuoso jazz piano. Next, we are most interested in jazz vocals, followed by solo instrumentalists.
Recent visiting jazz artists include: Aaron Burnett (Sax), Kayla Nicole (Vocals), Mark Irwin (Piano), Carole Ann Taylor (Vocals), Jim Gasior (Piano), Brian Murphy (Piano), Markus Gottschlich (Piano), Charu Suri (Piano), Danny Mixon (Piano),