By STEPHEN HAMMILL

The Friends of the Carrollwood Cultural Center have announced the return of the monthly Concert Cycle starting Jan. 14 with a jazz performance and art exhibit.

Proceeds from the concerts go to benefit the Carrollwood Cultural Center, which is under construction through a partnership with the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department and the Friends of the Carrollwood Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization.

The gallery will open at 2 p.m., with the recital to follow at 3. Before the musical portion of performance, there will be an exhibit of the works of artist Tim Case. Visitors are invited to walk through the exhibit and talk to the artist. It will be a mixed-media show, featuring jewelry, paintings ceramics and textiles – about 80 pieces . Refreshments will be provided by J. Christopher’s restaurant.

Jazz guitarist Tom Jemmott will be performing in the Jan. 14 concert. Jemmott, 37, is a Carrollwood resident. He and his wife moved from South Tampa last year, where he still teaches at Don Banks Music on Henderson Boulevard. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 1994 with a jazz performance degree.

The Tom Jemmott Quartet will perform a variety of pieces from the jazz epochs, including the early bebop of Charlie Parker, some 1960s jazz written by the likes of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, some Latin and Brazilian-flavored beats, along with a dash of more modern, funky styles similar to Pat Metheny.
“We’ll mix it together to keep it interesting,” said Jemmott. He said the quartet typically plays hotels and smaller clubs in the area and, although they have an original repertoire, will likely stick to standards for the upcoming performance.

Mary Ann Scialdo, artistic director for the Carrollwood Cultural Center, is excited about the partnership with the community and the county.
“My responsibility as artistic director here is to set up the program, contact the artists, basically making it happen. It’s hard work,” she said.
Scialdo, a Julliard-trained musician and a music teacher at Miles Elementary School in Tampa, still wakes up before dawn to practice piano. She sees it as her mission as director to bring the joys of music to her own neighborhood and to use the many connections made over the years to bring in some notable acts.

The concert series is meant “to present performances in a local venue which will allow people on a Sunday afternoon to have entertainment of the highest quality, without having to go too far,” she said. “It’s to have the best of the best.”

Scialdo also serves on the Carrollwood Cultural Center’s board. “It’s a volunteer board and all of us work very hard to supply the area with this marvelous organization,” she said.

The center must make due with the limited space afforded to it as construction continues on the new Carrollwood Cultural Center. Currently, all events are being held in the annex next door to the main building.

“Until the building allows us to do more staged productions, we make do with what we can,” said Scialdo, who asserted the intimacy can make for a unique experience for the audience.

The remaining schedule for this year’s cycle is still in the works. Scialdo did mention that for the February concert, a celebration of Black History Month is likely, as well as a large children’s performance for March. That event will feature artwork from children ages 8 and up.
“We want to have them work on the exhibit,” said Scialdo. “They will design the programs and make the art.”

In April the center will host a chamber orchestra performance, and she promises a surprise ending for the Concert Cycle in June.
The Carrollwood Cultural Center Concert Cycle takes place at the Carrollwood Cultural Center Annex, 13345 Casey Road. Tickets for each concert cost $12 for Cultural Center members, $15 for the public and $10 for seniors and children under 12. The center hosts one concert a year exclusive to its members as a thank-you gift.

For more information or for ticket reservations, contact Vicki Cuccia at 969-3991 or visit http://www.carrollwoodcenter.org.