Gather 'Round Blends Ethereal Jazz With Ambient Soundscapes in Miami Beach

Miami's multicultural dynamic manifests not only in our local cuisine, visual arts, and architecture but also in music. Gather 'Round, an immersive experience curated by musician and filmmaker Michael Cantalupo, feeds from that dynamic. The evening of ethereal jazz blended with ambient soundscapes is set to premiere on Saturday, May 11, at the Sanctuary at MBCC, a century-old church on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

Cantalupo is a multifaceted artist whose passion for music and film production has fueled his creative journey. Recently, he also made headlines advocating for street performers in Miami Beach.

He describes the essence of Gather 'Round as a manifestation of Miami's evolving musical landscape. "This is a moment of shift of sound. The landscape here is ripe for a real sort of renaissance, artistically, and I think we all kind of feel it."

Inspired by the intersection of Miami's diverse musical heritage and the burgeoning avant-garde scene, Cantalupo conceived Gather 'Round as a platform to showcase the city's emerging talent. The ensemble is made up of Miami musicians, including pianist Julian Bermudez, bass player Sami Head, and singer Pierangela.

"Gather 'Round was born out of an improvisational jam session," says Bermudez. "Michael and I met at a jam session, and he had a profound sensitivity to what was happening musically in real time. We talked about some of these concepts afterward, and we knew we wanted to do something more formal."
The hope is for Gather 'Round to transcend conventional boundaries, fueling interaction.

"My vision for Gather 'Round is for it to embody the exploratory nature of collective improvisation, where you don't necessarily know where the music is gonna go, but you trust in the other musicians and everybody's ability to feel each other out," says Bermudez.

Central to Gather 'Round's ethos is its immersive experience. Set in the candlelit ambiance of the Sanctuary at MBCC, guests will be enveloped in an intimate setting conducive to musical exploration.

"Building a show that is inside of sacred spaces sounded really, really nice to me," says Cantalupo. "To be able to play a show that's immersive and intimate, but still from the second that you walk in, you feel, 'Oh, this is different.'"
Cantalupo envisions Gather' Round as a transformative experience, inviting guests to embrace vulnerability and intimacy through the power of music. "My hope is that people who have never witnessed or experienced the raw spark of musical creativity and spontaneity will not only have their chance to experience it but also really get it."

With plans to record a studio album and expand the project's reach, including a possible recurring residency, Gather 'Round will also capture a moment in time since the event will be carefully recorded both in audio and video, showcasing audience participation.

"The idea is to almost have sacred music in sacred spaces. But sacred in the way that we just really care about the musicality," says Cantalupo. "We really care about the experience, we really care about the ambiance, and our devotion is to the music."

– Florencia Franceschetti, ArtburstMiami.com

Gather 'Round. 8 p.m., Saturday, May 11, at the Sanctuary at MBCC, 1620 Drexel Ave., Miami Beach; 305-672-2014; mdpl.org. Tickets cost $46 to $120 via eventbrite.com.