Fort Mose Blues and Jazz Concert Review

Yesterday, we stepped out to attend the “FORT MOSE: Jazz & Blues Concert Series” (Feb. 10-11, 16-19 of 2023), located at the Fort Mose Museum in St. Augustine, FL. The show kicked off at 7 pm, check the Calendar to view future events, dates, and times. A concert and a crowd full of people is one thing, but a captivating Artist that’s able to capture a crowd is another. Though there are many scheduled events taking place over the course of this year, tonight the signature Performing Artist was Rhiannon Gibbons. 

The engagement was homey and authentic.

We watched Rhiannon go from singing a soothing rendition of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, the Negro National Anthem, to playing the banjo, playing the violin, and then singing while playing the violin. Impressive. If you were expecting Jazz, you got it. From the roots. From her selection of songs, we were welcomed by Folk and Bluegrass. The Genre married well with the indigenous aromatic tones of Rhiannon Giddens’ voice. It’s amazing how her chemistry put me in a Jefferson Airplanes vibe. Hear me out Rhiannon, “Jefferson Airplanes- White Rabbit (Cover Song)”, I’m just saying… you should think about it. (Nudge*) Aside from the Star of the show, I couldn’t resist the children playing in the leaves.

The setup of the show was Refreshing.

A beautiful backwoods vibe with weeping willow trees surrounding the crowd and stage. A mysterious complexion of colorful lights hanging from Spanish oak formed a canopy hovering over the sold-out crowd. As Rhiannon belched new sounds, the cool night breeze left a chilling effect, but the children didn’t feel any of it as they ran to-and-fro.

Another sweet spot to the concert series was the plentiful signage laced museum and participants received a free shuttle ride to and from the event. Not to mention, there were plenty of Food Trucks, Coffee Trucks, and Beer Trucks to choose from at the Fort Mose Concert Series.

Like, where could you go wrong?

Review by Araya Knight @ BCN Media