If you have ever wished Tampa leaned harder into its jazz roots, the city has heard you. Central Park Jazz Jam debuts at Tampa’s African American History Museum at ENCORE on Tuesday, December 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The experience is designed to feel less like a formal concert and more like a neighborhood reunion set to a swing beat.
The new quarterly series opens with the Nick Peters Quartet, bringing live jazz to a spot on Ray Charles Boulevard in the historic Encore neighborhood, formerly known as The Scrub. Brokenmold Entertainment has teamed up with the Tampa Black History Museum, Tampa Housing Authority, Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, Tampa Bay History Center, and Tampa Downtown Partnership to turn the courtyard into an outdoor listening room that still has room for kids to run around. The concert takes place at 1213 N Central Ave.
Live music where the legends once played
This is not just a random place to put a stage. Last September, Mayor Jane Castor helped unveil the Music Legends of Central Avenue historic marker on what would have been Ray Charles’s 95th birthday, a reminder that this neighborhood once hosted giants like Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Tampa Red and the Adderley Brothers. Bringing a regular jazz night back into that footprint feels less like nostalgia and more like upkeep.
Families can expect free, kid friendly activities from the YMCA and Tampa Bay History Center while the band handles the grown up business of solos and standards. The event is free to attend, and organizers are betting that once people show up for the music, they will stick around to learn more about the museum and the history it protects…