Janis Siegel to Launch Gold Coast Jazz Society Season

Janis Siegel has spent more than five decades taking her voice around the world. This November as the premiere concert for the 35th Season of the Gold Coast Jazz Society musical line up, she shares the stage with Chuck Bergeron and the South Florida Jazz Orchestra. On Wednesday Nov. 11, Swingin' in the Key of Jazz  opens the Gold Coast Jazz Society 2026 – 2027 Season. Bringing this Grammy-winning jazz icon together with a local, legendary bassist Chuck Bergeron and this powerhouse orchestra, promises Fort Lauderdale an unforgettable opening at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts' Amaturo Theater at 7:45 pm.

Siegel's ten Grammy Awards tell only part of the story. As a vocalist and arranger, she helped shape The Manhattan Transfer's distinctive sound, becoming an important part of the sophisticated harmonies and vocal arrangements that made the group instantly recognizable. Her own musical journey has been just as varied, moving through jazz, swing, pop, R&B, Brazilian music and Vocalese.

Staying in one musical lane has never seemed to interest Siegel. Perhaps that range is part of what has kept her voice so compelling. She has never treated jazz as something to be preserved behind glass; for Siegel, it has remained a language to explore, reshape and share.

Chuck Bergeron and the South Florida Jazz Orchestra bring considerable credentials to the meeting. Born and raised in New Orleans, Bergeron has been an in-demand bassist for four decades. His career includes extensive amounts of touring and performing all over the world. Chuck studied at Loyola University and the University of Miami before joining the bands of Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. After the breakup of the Buddy Rich Band, Chuck moved to New York and embarked upon a 15-year career as a working professional bassist, performing, recording, and touring with a host of jazz luminaries.

As a leader, Chuck has released eight albums. Four have been with the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, and four others have been with smaller groups that have featured Chuck's compositions and arrangements in trio, quartet, and quintet settings. He has garnered three ASCAP awards for his writing and critical acclaim from major jazz trade publications including JazzTimes, Downbeat, Jazziz and Bass Player magazines. He is currently the Professor of Jazz Studies and Program Director for Jazz Pedagogy at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.
 
The critically-acclaimed South Florida Jazz Orchestra draws together accomplished musicians from the region and beyond. Over two decades, it has grown into a powerful accompaniment for this visiting star. It stands as evidence of the caliber of jazz talent that South Florida proudly calls its own. There is history between Siegel and Bergeron too. They have worked together before, and when Bergeron created his Bass & Face project, Siegel was the first vocalist he called!

There will be plenty of history in the Amaturo Theater, and little reason for nostalgia. With the celebrated Siegel as the visiting voice and the South Florida Jazz Orchestra holding the local groove, we can promise surprises and standing ovations for our opening night.