By Angelina Falco
Herald Intern
Coming up Saturday, March 7, the City of Casselberry will be hosting a Spring Jazz and Art Festival from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lake Concord Park. The night will feature two of the biggest jazz hitmakers working today, Marion Meadows and Steve Oliver, co-headlining the festival.
Meadows is a soprano saxophonist who started playing clarinet at the age of nine. Performing for more than 40 years at this point, Meadows has recorded more than 10 released albums since 1997. His most recent album entitled “Just Doing Me” came out in 2024.
In his academic career, Meadows was also involved in music. Having studied jazz at his high school and then going on to study at Berklee College of Music, majoring in arranging and composition. After that, he attended State University of New York Purchase School for the Arts. Shortly after releasing Soul Traveler, Meadows received his Doctorate in Arts and Humanities from Wilberforce University in 2016.
Oliver is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter who has been involved in creating and producing music for about 30 years. He has recorded 14 full-length albums along with multiple collaborations, with his latest project “A New Light” which came out in 2023. Throughout his time performing, he’s achieved multiple top billboard hits and top 10 hits as a solo artist and producer in the smooth or contemporary jazz formats.
Before he began work on his albums, Oliver grew up in the San Francisco bay area where he played in progressive rock bands in high school. He continued his journey through music at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles while playing gigs in and around central California.
When Oliver’s debut album came out entitled “First View,” it was highly regarded in the smooth jazz community. Radio stations nationwide played his tracks and the record ended up landing him the “Best New Artist” award from Smooth Jazz News.
These two established jazz musicians will be performing at the Casselberry Spring Jazz and Art Festival on March 7th at this free event. Other than their smooth tunes, there will be food trucks, art exhibits at the various art facilities, and product vendors to engage with and support. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. that evening, a night in Casselberry will become a night of jazz.
For more information, email [email protected] or call 407-262‑7700, ext. 1507.
