Jazz Sunday to play final notes

In 1993, Al Hixon and his bandmates played at a funeral at Longboat Island Chapel.

At the end of the service, the late Rev. Jim Marsh asked if the group would come back on a Sunday morning and perform for the congregation.

They did, and soon it became an annual event.

For the past 25 years, Hixon and various bandmates have been filling the Longboat Island Chapel with the smooth sound of jazz on the second Sunday in February.

The Rev. Vincent Carroll once told Hixon the “Jazz Sunday,” as the event has come to be known, is more attended than the chapel’s Christmas or Easter services.

This year’s performance, scheduled for the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Feb. 11, is planned to be the last.

This year’s theme is “Jazz thru the Ages.”

Tony Swain, who has played alongside Hixon at the event for the past 25 years, organizes the program for Jazz Sunday.

“Examples [will be] starting maybe with the Hollers and the music of New Orleans and then bring it up to influence by Hollywood,” he said.

Swain said he has enjoyed playing at the chapel over the past two decades. He writes scripts that go along with theme.

Over the years, Hixon has learned that the best part of performing is determining what the audience wants to hear and watching them respond.

“It’s not just the notes that are played,” Hixon said. “It’s the void in between that is equally important.”

Each year, Hixon puts a band together consisting of musicians on piano, bass, drums, trumpet, clarinet, trombone and a singer. This year, two new singers will join the group. It’s not always the same musicians, but Hixon and Swain have performed  all 25 years.

Over the 25-year tenure, Hixon has worked with four ministers; The Revs. Bill Friederich, Vincent Carroll, Ken Gill, William Grossman and Jim Marsh.

For those who want to continue hearing Hixon, he has a weekly schedule. On Sundays, he’ll be  at The Sandbar Restaurant; on Mondays at  15 South; and on Tuesdays at The Resort at Longboat Key Club’s Sands Point Restaurant.

Hixon’s jazz career began around the age of 7 when he received his first set of drums. He played professionally from seventh grade through high school then college.

Swain studied music at Florida State University and did graduate work at the Manhattan School of Music. Locally, he has played with the Florida Symphonic Band, now known as the Sarasota Concert Band, and at The Players Theatre.