Jazz at Jackson's: Last Call with Ellen Vinson and Cody Martin

“A Fifteen-Year Love Affair with the Great American Songbook”

Join us at Jackson’s Steakhouse on Thursday, October 22, for Ellen Vinson’s final performance of “Jazz at Jackson’s.” 

This event has been an incredible journey over the last fifteen years, and there is absolutely no better place to close out this chapter than right here at Jackson’s. The local community has been incredibly supportive of this long-standing event. 

Featured performers for the evening are popular vocalist Ellen Vinson accompanied by noted pianist Cody Martin. The theme for the evening will be “A Fifteen-Year Love Affair with The Great American Songbook.”  Vinson is planning a set list full of fan favorites and a few surprises to make this night truly memorable and reflect years past. 

Ellen Vinson has loved singing jazz as long as she can remember. Although she graduated with a major in elementary education, she began college as a music major, singing jingles for radio and television in Tallahassee. Additionally, Ellen taught elementary school for over 30 years. She looks forward to sharing her interpretation of jazz classics, songs that tell a story, and never go out of style. Over the last decade, she has enjoyed participating in our annual “Jazz at Jackson’s” as well as events benefitting numerous nonprofit organizations. 

Conductor and pianist Cody Martin is currently the Music Director at Pensacola Opera, where he has led the nationally renowned Jan Miller Studio Artists Program since 2017. During the 2026-27 season, he leads productions of The Falling & The Rising and L'elisir d'amore in Pensacola. Cody also recently joined the faculty of the University of West Florida as conductor of the Runge Strings ensemble. Recent seasons have seen Cody leading productions of La traviata, Three Decembers, Le nozze di Figaro, Pagliacci, and Lucia di Lammermoor in Pensacola, in addition to various concert appearances. Other companies Cody has enjoyed working with include Opera Grand Rapids, Des Moines Metro Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Birmingham, Virginia Opera, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center.

There will be two seatings for this event: 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In addition to our full dinner menu, which will be available for the evening, Chef Jeremiah Taylor has prepared a special entrée feature: 6-ounce petite filet, lobster sherry cream sauce, herb roasted red potatoes and sautéed spinach.

This is a limited-seating event. To reserve your table, please visit online, jacksonsrestaurant.com or call Jackson’s Steakhouse, 850-469-9898.