Dominic Walker at DI CoffeeBar in Tampa, Florida on June 7, 2024. Credit: Photo c/o Stephen Splane

Davis Islands is one of many communities still reeling from the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but last Friday, a sense of normalcy returned to the back patio of DI CoffeeBar. And while the sound of the Dominic Walker’s Gibson L4-CES may have been familiar, it might have been hard for regulars to see exactly what was happening.

“Last night was fun because the lights didn’t come on in the back,” Walker, 33, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. So the cafe’s staff improvised and put out hundreds of small, electronic candles. Behind him was bassist Mark Neuenschwander, who Walker earned a master’s in music under at the University of South Florida (USF). To the right of them, LaRue Nickelson, an instructor at USF considered by many to be Tampa Bay’s dean of jazz guitar. “With the mood of that. We kept it really light. We weren’t throwing a dance party, we were having a candlelit evening. Everybody adapted to that energy—and it was great.”

The back patio lights are back on at 214 E Davis Blvd., and just in time, too, since the weekly jazz marks its first anniversary with a special two-day celebration.
Neuenschwander—considered one of the best bassists in Florida, with an encyclopedic knowledge of songs—returns, with saxophonist Jack Wilkins, the recently-retired Director of the Jazz Studies at USF, plus vocalist Bryan J Hughes and powerhouse drummer Paul Gavin. It’s a formidable lineup, and the quintet might not fit in the space that normally holds a trio.

“If worse comes to worst, I’ll sit on a stool on the side of the stage,” Walker—a former host on WUSF’s unceremoniously-axed “All Night Jazz”—laughed. From there, he’ll have quite the view.

While DI CoffeeBar has plans to expand, the patio currently holds up to 75 people and fills up early. From the audience, the show feels like stumbling on a secret club where tables are dotted with wine bottles, and the crowd cares about what’s happening onstage.

For night one of the anniversary, Walker expects to pull a lot from Hughes’ songbook, but will also keep playing when the singer takes a break. Decidedly, it will not be a candlelit kind of set.

“We’re going for noise complaints,” Walker, who earned a bachelor’s at Utah State University, said of the hot set. “And that’s how it goes, especially with Paul Gavin on the drums. It’s gonna get loud and we’re gonna be shaking butts.”

Night two will be an iteration of Walker’s monthly open jam. Jean Bolduc, who Walker has played alongside in a swing guitar band led by local jazz icon Nate Najar, will drum, with Jon Shea on bass. Saxophonist Douglas Butler—who first met Walker when he showed up for a jam—is the featured artist.

Paul Gavin at DI CoffeeBar in Tampa, Florida on June 7, 2024. Credit: Photo c/o Stephen Splane

Up next for Walker is the mastering of his solo debut, which he recorded alongside Gavin, and organist/neuroscientist John C. O’Leary III at Tampa’s famed Morrisound studios. The record will feature standards and some originals along with Walker’s famous takes on the Beatles, Zombies and Rolling Stones. Bringing new versions of popular tunes is something Walker likes to do.

“People today don’t know the song ‘If I Were A Bell,’” Walker said about Frank Loesser’s composition from the ‘50s musical “Guys and Dolls.” But when Miles Davis played it with his Relaxin’ quintet in the late-’50s, people did. The cut still makes the set every now and then.

“People love recognizing tunes. It helps them to be a part of it, of what’s going on,” he added. “And even when we play tunes people don’t know, it seems like they still love it.”

And what’s not to love? For Walker, Friday nights on the island are about the hang, and learning the songs in the moment. The practice, and the revelations to be found in nights like the one he leads, can be likened to taking in paintings, which are borne of primary colors.

“It’s like, ‘Holy crap, how did we make all these with just a few colors?’ It’s insane,” he said, pointing out how music works in a similar fashion, especially as the improvisational aspect of it all starts to unfold. “When you start seeing how the people use the elements to build and to play, it just becomes more magical.”

Walker credits a lot of the vibe to DI CoffeeBar owners Marilyn and Ramon Perez, who just celebrated 10-years open on the island. They’ve been committed to having music, and they’ve built a crowd that almost needs to come together each week. After taking a week off post-hurricanes, being back on the patio felt like a reunion.

“This is where people meet—and it’s also just fun as hell.”

“It felt like we hadn’t seen each other in forever,” he said of the embrace. “A lot of times when you go play a regular gig you’re really background. And this is a really fun gig where you’re definitely not background—but people can still talk if they want to, or they come and they can listen.”

When the anniversary weekend wraps, Walker looks forward to seeing more Bay area musicians, especially the young jazz musicians who’re re-inventing the scene, finding their way to the cafe. All levels are welcome, too, from beginners who can find refuge playing alongside vets, and absolute beasts who want to tear up some mushroom jazz.

“The people who play here can handle all of it, and we want to play with you,” he said. “This is where people meet—and it’s also just fun as hell.”

There’s no cover for the DI CoffeeBar Friday Night Jazz one-year anniversary happening Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26 in Tampa.

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This article appears in Oct 17-23, 2024.