Top 10 concert picks for Sarasota-Bradenton-Charlotte: March 17-23

Chris Botti

Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Chris Botti visits Sarasota's Van Wezel for a concert this week. Starting his solo career with 1995's "First Wish," Botti soon found a number of fans, including Sting, who appeared on his 1999 album "Slowing Down the World" and subsequent releases. Botti's most recent studio album was 2012's "Impressions," featuring guest musicians such as Andrea Bocelli and Herbie Hancock and earning him a Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy, his first win after four previous Grammy nominations. 8 p.m. Thursday, March 17; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $47-$72; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

J.P. Soars and the Red Hots

Recently nominated for Band of the Year by the Blues Music Awards, J.P. Soars and the Red Hots will visit both Englewoods on Dearborn and Celtic Ray this week. South Florida guitarist and singer-songwriter Soars, who's also up for B.B. King Entertainer and Instrumentalist – Guitar Blues Music Awards this year, most recently released 2019's Tab Benoit-produced "Let Go of the Reins." He also plays in the supergroup Southern Hospitality with Grammy-nominated pianist Victor Wainwright and fellow Floridian Damon Fowler. 7 p.m. Thursday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $7; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com; 9 p.m. Saturday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

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Sarasota Jazz Festival

The annual festival ends this week, starting with NEA Jazz Master pianist and Venice resident Dick Hyman on the main stage Thursday with clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski (trumpeter Terell Stafford and friends open.) Nine-time Grammy-nominated jazz singer Tierney Sutton, whose band performed on the score to the Clint Eastwood film "Sully," plays Friday with pianist and fellow Grammy nominee Shelly Berg (Grammy-winning guitarist Russell Malone and friends open.) Renowned Cuban-American trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, who's won multiple Grammys and composed music for Eastwood's "The Mule" and "Richard Jewell," closes the festival Saturday (La Lucha and friends open.) 6:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota; prices vary; 941-260-9951; jazzclubsarasota.org

Jorge Luis Pacheco

Another concert that local jazz enthusiasts will want to keep on their radar this week is Cuban pianist, percussionist and vocalist Jorge Luis Pacheco at Sarasota's Fogartyville. Hailing from Havana, Pacheco has earned accolades including the Audience Choice at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition, and performed at esteemed venues such as the Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater, during a concert where Herbie Hancock was presented with a lifetime achievement award. Pacheco will be joined by drummer/percussionist Otto Santana Selis at the Fogartyville show. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Friday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $30, $25 members, $15 students; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org

Lauren Anderson Band

The Blue Rooster's live music lineup this weekend also includes singer-songwriter and guitarist Lauren Anderson returning to the venue. Currently based in Nashville and originally from Chicago, Anderson's sound blends blues, rock and soul, taking influence from powerful singers such as Bonnie Raitt and Etta James. Last year Anderson released her sophomore album "Love on the Rocks," featuring renowned blues-rocker Mike Zito playing guitar on the track "Back to Chicago," and plans to release a new full-length later this year. 8 p.m. Saturday; The Blue Rooster, 1525 Fourth St., Sarasota; $10; 941-388-7539; blueroostersrq.com

Mindy Simmons celebration

Mindy Simmons, a Sarasota resident and singer-songwriter who was a fixture of Florida's folk scene and the Sarasota-Manatee community, sadly passed away last month. This event will celebrate her memory, as her friends from the folk community sing, share stories and remember her. The event will also be a potluck, so bring a dish to share and your own dish, cup and utensils, and guests are encouraged to bring their own chair to set up on the patio. The event is free, though those planning on attending are asked to register. 3 p.m. Sunday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; free; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org

More: Sarasota singer-songwriter Mindy Simmons dies at 63

Proud Tina: The Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner

Van Wezel's live music lineup this week also includes this tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, with South African singer Caroline Borole. The show will feature Tina Turner's hit songs from the '60s to the '90s, including "What's Love Got to Do with It," "Private Dancer" and her rendition of "Proud Mary." The show will also feature a special guest performance by Belinda Davids, a fellow South African singer who competed on "Britain's Got Talent" and performs her own popular Whitney Houston tribute act. 8 p.m. Tuesday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $27-$72; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

Hymn for Her

Hymn for Her, an alt-folk act with local ties and a national fanbase, continues its return to performing live with a show at The Blue Rooster. Featuring husband and wife Wayne Waxing and Lucy Tight, the group has been covered by outlets including Rolling Stone, which named the single "Blue Balloons" from their 2018 album "Pop-n-Downers" one of the 10 best country and Americana songs of that week. The group also earned some international recognition when they were chosen to play England's massive music festival Glastonbury in 2017. The Blue Rooster show will be as a trio. 7 p.m. Tuesday; The Blue Rooster, 1525 Fourth St., Sarasota; $5; 941-388-7539; blueroostersrq.com

Richard Marx

The Bradenton Gulf Island Concert Series continues with Grammy-winning pop singer-songwriter Richard Marx at The Center of Anna Maria Island. Marx rose to fame with his 1987 self-titled debut album and its 1989 follow-up "Repeat Offender," which both went multi-platinum and spawned No. 1 hits including "Hold On to the Nights," "Satisfied" and slow dance staple "Right Here Waiting." Along with releasing music under his name, most recently 2020's "Limitless," Marx has collaborated with other artists, winning a Song of the Year Grammy for co-writing Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father," and released last year's memoir "Stories to Tell." 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Wednesday; The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria; $57-$85; 941-778-1908; centerami.org

Matt Woods and Hannah Aldridge

Bradenton restaurant and venue Cottonmouth will feature a pair of singer-songwriters when it hosts Matt Woods and Hannah Aldridge. On albums such as 2019's "Natural Disasters" and 2016's "How to Survive," Woods plays a brand of authentic Americana-country with an independent spirit (he's played Gainesville's annual punk extravaganza Fest multiple times.) Aldridge hails from the music mecca of Muscle Shoals, Alabama (her father is former FAME Recording Studios employee Walt Aldridge) and plays a type of Southern rock informed by Southern Gothic storytelling that's dubbed "dark country." 6 p.m. Wednesday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $5; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top 10 Sarasota-Bradenton-Charlotte concert picks, March 17-23