Last year's Clearwater Jazz Holiday attempted to breathe life into a Tampa Bay tradition by boosting the pop quotient. It also marked the first time the Holiday charged for tickets – which, considering it booked a lineup that included the Avett Brothers and Bonnie Raitt, seemed to pay off.

Kool & the Gang
With the Ohio Players
Details: Friday 8 p.m. Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S, St. Petersburg. $39-$75. (727) 892-5767.

An up and coming string quartet will play Beethoven this weekend in St. Petersburg. The Jasper String Quartet, winner of the 2012 Cleveland Quartet Award, consists of violinists J. Freivogel and Sae Chonabayashi, violist Sam Quintal and cellist Rachel Henderson Freivogel. They'll play the Beethoven Op. 18 quartet in C …

CLEARWATER
Rockdom is lorded over by giants of course, your Springsteens and Dylans, your Stones and Beatles. We love 'em all, as well we should. But sometimes, when the mood is right, when the radio is being generous, all we really crave is a lil' Billy Idol in our lives. Sometimes, we don't want to think; we …

David Manson is one of the most versatile musicians around.

Ask a handful of artists to name the greatest American rock 'n' roll band, and you might be surprised how many name Creedence Clearwater Revival. They've certainly got the resume: Tens of millions of albums sold; smash hits like Fortunate Son, Down on the Corner and Bad Moon Rising; a spot in the Rock and …

After you check out this year's tbt* Ultimate Local Music Guide's top local bands, make sure to take a look back at the local talent we've featured in years past.