S2 Ep2131: NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT PInellas Park with Ricky Butler, Vice-Mayor

S2 Ep2168: MUSIC SCENE Jazz Singer/Songwriter Alexis Cole Encore Chapter

In this episode of Music Scene, Lunchtime Conversation host caught up with the whirlwinds vocalist/pianist jazz legend Alexis Cole [https://alexiscole.com/]who just wound up her Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit and will be the featured artist in the Sunday  July 5 6pm  Vocal Jazz Jam hosted by Jocelyn Medina at a new venue in Plant City, The Red Calliope Gallery. Sign up for this at jazzvoice.com/jam [http://jazzvoice.com/jam].  She will open the event a live one hour set before the virtual jam opens up to singers everywhere to join in the jam. The Big News? New CD coming out "Taking My Seat - A Musical Legacy" plus performances in Deer Head Inn (Delaware Water Gap) July 24, July 31 at Lafayette Bar in Easton Pa and August 1 at Westchester Collaborative Theater in Ossining NY. She will join the prestigious Music School for Music this fall in NYC, where she splits her time between her and Fruitlands Heights in St. Pete! Always a lifelong learner, she took up Spanish last year and walked into our Thrive DTSP studio with a bass (taking lessons at Noisemakers) for her next musical collaborative process, borrowed from Alejandro Arenas.  Enjoy our previous interviews with Alexis here. [https://audioboom.com/channels/1842136-radio-st-pete-podcast-archive?search=alexis+cole]     ALEXIS OFFERS A VARIETY OF SHOWS THAT SPAN JAZZ, CABARET AND ORCHESTRA ALEXIS COLE TRIO - Performing a tight evening of remixed jazz standards, Alexis on keys and singing with her long time trio with David Finck on bass and Kenny Hassler on drums, move together with a seeming telepathy through the jazz standard repertoire and beyond.  THE MUSIC OF GIGI GRYCE [https://alexiscole.com/gigi] - Together with Gryce's biographer Noal Cohen, they explore Gryce's fascinating life, with never before heard compositions with unpublished lyrics by jazz greats. A perfect music and lecture program for libraries and arts centers.  BIG BAND JAZZ CELEBRATION [https://alexiscole.com/big-band] - Alexis is the consummate big band singer.  With a great book of excellent original charts by many exemplary arrangers, Alexis is the perfect guest artist for your Big Band or Jazz Orchestra, including strings!  I'LL TAKE NEW YORK: GREAT SONGS OF A GREAT CITY - Join Alexis and her trio as they celebrate the pulse and history of NYC through music both popular and obscure. You’ll hear fresh takes on classics like Rodgers & Hart’s “Manhattan,” Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” and Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” coupled with less familiar songs that shine a light on different corners of Gotham; it’s a sonic tour of the spices of life in the big city that never sleeps. SONGS OF THE SEASON: WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS - An upbeat and soul stirring Christmas show featuring father and daughter plus rhythm section and horns with all original arrangements of holiday classics.   COMMON GROUND - Together with her father, pianist and organist Mark Finkin, bassist Nick Morrison and drummer Kenny Hassler, the group performs Finkin's inspiring and upbeat Christian music, stirring the soul and bringing people together.  In these tense times, they invite Christians from across the political spectrum to come together and find their common ground and minimize the divide through their shared love in Jesus Christ.   CANARY IN COMBAT BOOTS - Dispatches from Cole's time in Basic Training alongside songs from the rich musical legacy of WWII BOTH SIDES OF JONI WITH MONIKA HERZIG:  Both Sides of Joni, released March 31, 2023, features a set of reimagined Joni Mitchell songs supporting her messages of truth, life, and wisdom with jazz sensibilities by an all-star cast of musicians including renowned vocalist Alexis Cole and arranger/ pianist Monika Herzig. The album and release tour are dedicated to beloved jazz vocalist Janiece Jaffe who brought the project to life and unexpectedly left this world November 23, 2022. WOMEN IN JAZZ:  Together with an all female band including Alexis will performs songs from the classic and contemporary American Songbook penned by women. Treasured favorites like Close Your Eyes, Willow Weep for Me, and Can't We Be Friends meet up with songs from the New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers book released in 2022, edited by Terri Lyne Carrington. VALENTINE'S DAY JUKEBOX: WHERE YOU PICK THE SONGS - A set of romantic jazz favorites, followed by a set of audience requests, where specific songs can be dedicated to loved ones.  LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME: TIN PAN ALLEY TALKS TINDER - The Great American Songbook just got PERSONAL. Alexis' show about the perils of dating and the embrace of the single life, Tin Pan Alley Talks Tinder shows that though much has changed since the days of Tin Pan Alley, the music shows us how much has stayed the same in love. DISNEY LOVE SONGS WITH STRINGS - Selections from Alexis' album Someday My Prince Will Come featuring original arrangements for rhythm section and horn(s) plus string quartet. Can also include a children's choir!  #musicscene #vocals #piano #jazz #composer #songwriter #alexiscole #nanettewiser

S2 Ep2167: GREEN LIT IMPROV Mariah Kaylor, John Lynagh & Friends TONIGHT 6/26!

Lunchtime Conversation host Nanette Wiser could not stop giggling during this Yes, and! adventure with Mariah Kaylor and John Lynagh...it was a blast! The Station 12 Studio [https://greenlightstpete.com/station-12/] family launched an improv troupe Green Lit and they perform at Green Light Lounge & Kitchen [https://greenlightstpete.com/green-light-lounge-kitchen/] (next to Green Light Cinema [https://greenlightstpete.com/])  the last Friday of every month! We got a taste of their impromptu wit, learned about their journey (Mariah is also the baker for Green Light Kitchen) and their aspirations...they are going to be HUGE! Shout out to Rocio Escobar, Mary Rachel Quinn and Eugenie Bondurant who teach and help their students live their dreams!  #station12studioe #greenlightcinema #greenlit #improvcomedy #mariahkaylor #johnlynagh #greenlightlounge+kitchen #nanettewiser #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

S2 Ep2166: projectALCHEMY Alexander Jones on "What Remains" @Palladium 6/27 & New Season

Lunchtime Conversation host Nanette Wiser caught up with Alexander Jones, project Alchemy about his projects wtih NextGen Ballet, choreography for Jobsite's upcoming American Idiot and Ruth Eckerd Hall Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the projectAlchemy's fall 2026-2027 season. projectALCHEMY Presents What Remains: dance, visual art, and photography works with Rebekah Lazaridis and Joey Clay.  What Remains is an evening of repertory works reimagined for the stage through collaboration with visual artist Rebekah Lazaridi [https://www.rebekahlazaridis.com/]s and photographer Joey Clay [https://joeyclay.com/].  The program features bloom and residue, a work rooted in nature and cycles of transformation, and ABOVE/below, a tarot-based exploration of archetype, shadow, and integration. Together, these works highlight the relationship between movement, visual art, and image – offering two distinct yet connected experiences shaped through ongoing artistic collaboration. TICKETS here. [https://palatspc.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/40117] 👉This presentation is part of projectALCHEMY’s [https://www.projectalchemy.dance/] work as 2025 Creative Fellows [https://mypalladium.org/home/creative-fellowships/] at the Palladium at SPC, a program supporting artists in the development and presentation of new and reimagined work. 👉projectALCHEMY is a nonprofit dance+ company based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Founded by Alexander Jones (Artistic Director) and led in partnership with Marcus Wehby (Executive Director), projectALCHEMY creates transformative dance experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of performance and production. Learn more: https://www.projectalchemy.dance/values [https://www.projectalchemy.dance/values] [https://www.projectalchemy.dance/values] 👉This show is produced through the Palladium Creative Fellowships [https://mypalladium.org/home/creative-fellowships/]. The Palladium Creative Fellowships support and foster artistically and culturally diverse performing artists. #projectAlchemy #alexanderjones #palladium #dance #art #photography #nanettewiser  #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

S2 Ep2165: WORK is THIRD Dawn Hunter with Paula Thomas: Look Through The Turn

(6/29/2026) Look Through the Turn | Small Wins, Big Healing & the Power of Celebration With Paula Thomas    What if progress didn’t have to look impressive to count? In this episode of Work Is Third, Dawn Hunter sits down with founder and storyteller Paula Thomas to explore what it means to rebuild after loss, and how small wins can change everything.  After navigating crippling depression and anxiety, and later, an ADHD and autism diagnosis, building a career in tech, and then losing her husband unexpectedly, Paula was forced to redefine everything: her identity, her work, and what success really means. Along the way, she discovered that small, intentional progress is often the most powerful kind. This conversation is for anyone who has experienced loss, burnout, identity shifts, or the quiet pressure to do more and is ready to move forward with intention. Together, Dawn and Paula discuss: * Why “success” doesn’t always look like success * What motorcycles and submarines teach us about resilience * Why grief doesn’t fit into three days of PTO * How to build workplaces that expect the unexpected * Why keeping a “win book” matters 📚 Guest Info  Website: weiter-mfg.com [http://weiter-mfg.com]  L https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-thomas/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-thomas/] 📔 Resources Mentioned * SuperBetter App, https://superbetter.com/ [https://superbetter.com/] * Brag Books *  “Clear is kind,” attributed to Brené Brown * Military Concepts: submarine qualification cards(cross-training for resilience); designing systems that expect failure/unexpected absence * Morning pages, from The Artist’s Way Stay Connected  with Dawn Hunter Visit The Dawn Lab. [https://www.thedawnlab.com/] 🔔 Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH is a speaker, trainer, and culture strategist who blends law, leadership, and wellbeing to create healthier, more human-centered workplaces. Drawing on her expertise as a public health lawyer and Certified Wellness Practitioner, she helps leaders and organizations move from burnout and disconnection toward resilience, integrity, and sustainable growth. 🎧 Subscribe to the show!  📬Subscribe to The Joyful Rebellion Newsletter 📸 Instagram: @workisthirdlife  LISTEN to ALL her podcasts. [https://www.thedawnlab.com/podcast] Book her as a speaker or consultant; see all her services here [https://www.thedawnlab.com/services-all]. Subscribe to Work is Third for more conversations that reimagine work, rest, and joy. https://workisthird.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazcwU1drcGFFU0FfMmtzN2g3QVZON293d1RpQXxBQ3Jtc0tuUG92Rlo0WEhHVHQ1TzdGYlBicUtsX0xOVHA2TTJfdW9XWGtEQXEyX0NlNWtYTjdwSDhzTWdWTngzVGFMdGlrRHZNLS1FWktONGdyYmxHUkdpM0t3YlNrVVlYZXRTYnZrX0M2eGhaT2JXMXpvYlNtbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fworkisthird.com%2F&v=TWC6SHiWGTI]  #dawnhunter #workisthird #paulathomas  #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

S2 Ep2164: ARTS ALIVE! St. Pete Catalyst's Bill DeYoung with John Huls

Actor, educator and longtime theater professional John Huls joins Bill De Young for this edition of Arts Alive!   Huls has been the nucleus of the Dirty John’s sketch comedy troupe since its inception in 2019. He’d spent six years as American Stage’s education director; it was there he began teaching improv and standup comedy.  He liked the idea of “anything goes, no holds barred” comedy, and several of his students – actors and upstart standup comedians – thought a lot of it, too. So they started a theater group.   Dirty John’s combines sketch comedy, music and improv, with decidedly gay subject matter. Dirty John’s Drag Queen Summer Camp is onstage tonight and Saturday at The Studio@620 (tonight’s show is already sold out, but walk-ups are welcome and encouraged).  Tickets are available at The Studio website. #billdeyoung #stpetecatalyst #artsalive! #johnhuls #Diretyjohn's #sketchcomedy #studio@620 #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete