For Shawn Wethington, the Sophisticated Gents of Florida’s upcoming Jazz Funk Soul concert will be a time to “party with a purpose.”
Featuring saxophonist Jay Singleton, the concert from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Savannah Center will help the nonprofit raise money for its charitable efforts as well as introduce Singleton and the Soul Purpose Band to The Villages.
“Events like this help build camaraderie,” said Wethington, president of the Gents, an organization made up of men who serve the tri-county area through fellowship, community outreach and fundraising events that support scholarships for local high school students.
Wethington, of the Village of Mallory Square, said Jazz Funk Soul will mirror last year’s Jazz Meets Motown concert and include food, door prizes and live music.
“We’re partying with a purpose,” Wethington said. “The purpose is coming together to really get to know one another and to support the organization. We have people who are flying in from out of town to support us, so it’s become a well-known event.”
Leonard Jackson, of the Village of Edenfield, said as the Jazz Meets Motown committee chair and lead planner for Jazz Funk Soul, he was tasked with ensuring everything needed for the event was complete, from booking the entertainment to approving the decorations.
“Jazz is a very diverse genre and attracts a lot of people, but this event isn’t just about jazz,” Jackson said. “We wanted to include funk music and soul. As opposed to what we did last year during the Jazz Meets Motown event, we wanted to extend the realm of music so there’s something for everyone.”
Jackson, who is a former event promoter and radio personality, said he has a passion for music and loves being able to see people dance while enjoying music.
“When I was looking around the room and saw people who paid to help our cause having a great time, for me, it was very satisfying to know the overall goal of the Gents is to better communities through education,” he said.
After performing in The Villages for the first time during the Jazz Meets Motown event last year, Andrewluv and the Franchise Players Band joined the list of bands that perform during nightly entertainment in The Villages’ squares. Its next performance is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 23 at Spanish Springs Town Square.
Like Andrewluv and the Franchise Players Band, the Soul Purpose Band will make its debut in The Villages thanks to the Gents.
Jackson said it’s become a goal to provide a platform for talented Florida musicians who have yet to have their big break.
“My goal is to bring some great musicians in entertainment, especially African Americans, to The Villages,” he said. “A lot of the musicians I look for have been playing together for a long time and are bona fide musicians. They can play all genres of music and are really entertaining to the audience.”
Wethington said he is proud the organization continued with plans to host the concert after a change in the Gents’ leadership in March nearly derailed the event.
“When we had a change in administration in the middle of our year, it became about just sustaining the organization at the time,” Wethington said. “Since then, we’ve made sure we had a really good grip on our events as we move forward. We didn’t break at all for the summer as normal and I feel that’s really commendable.”
Along with planning for the concert, the Gents hosted monthly planning meetings and, in March, helped clean a portion of County Road 42 — from the First Baptist Church at The Villages to State Road 301 — as a part of the Adopt-a-Road program.
Planning is underway for the organization’s 2026 Friendship Golf Tournament Scholarship Fundraiser in October and for members to serve as poll workers during the November election.
The Gents host the Friendship Golf Tournament Scholarship Fundraiser in partnership with The African American Club of The Villages, and over the past 12 years, the tournament has helped fund $510,000 in scholarships for 309 high school students from Lake, Sumter and Marion counties.
This year’s tournament will begin with sign in at 7 a.m. Oct. 24 at Harbor Hills Country Club, 6538 Lake Griffin Road, Lady Lake.
Wethington and Jackson said they joined the Gents not only to build new relationships, but to cultivate a positive impact on the community in which they live.
“The Gents are made up of mostly retired educators, businessmen, lawyers, doctors. We are professionals,” Wethington said. “They use their expertise to enhance a community through education by adding to what the counties already were trying to do.
To purchase tickets, which are $40, for Jazz Funk Soul or to learn more about the Sophisticated Gents of Florida, visit sophisticatedgentsfl.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
