Mikelyn Roderick and Daniel "Buddy" Monteiro grew up around jazz. Neighbors in a duplex, their families would gather to play music and reminisce about seeing their favorite artists - Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald - perform right around the corner. The two friends became vocalists themselves, progressing from local churches and clubs to cutting recordings with Motown Records and performing at clubs and in festivals nationwide.

Roderick and Montero didn't live in Harlem or Chicago, however, they lived in Onset. And after respective careers performing jazz on stages nationwide, the two are returning to Onset and decided to bring jazz back with them, organizing the first annual Onset Beach Jazz Festival on July 24, 2010.

"Music brings a community together," said Monteiro. "It's been missing from here for so long, we decided 'let's bring it back.'"

Monteiro and Roderick are coming back to Onset themselves. Monteiro has been living in New Bedford but is buying a house in town. After many years in Los Angeles, Roderick returned to Onset to renovate a family home and has become reacquainted with the community.

"I was still very close to a lot of friends in the community that remained here," said Roderick. "I had been talking about this for a few years and just felt that I didn't have anything holding me back."

And by incorporating local performers - They are deciding among a few local, high-school jazz bands for their opening act - they are reciprocating the community support that they felt as they began their careers.

"We want to celebrate past days and inspire kids for things to come," said Monteiro. "Onset was a vibrant place, you could hear music on every corner. Everybody could play, Wareham High School had a great music program. This area nurtured us enough to go on to the national stage."

But now they're focused on nurturing the festival.

Roderick and Monteiro are keeping mum about the headlining act, although their contacts from years in the music business and jazz circuit has led to an act that they promise will draw attention.

"Only Stevie Wonder would be bigger than this," said Monteiro.

They have planned two fundraising events, and are actively recruiting sponsors, food and other vendors as well as performers for the July event.

An "old-school, rhythm-and-blues dance" will be held on April 3, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Onset Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. Bobby Silvia will be providing a fried-chicken-and-waffle dinner (Roderick says it's a salt-and-sweets thing, you'll understand when you try it), and tickets are $10 for food and dancing.  Music will be by DJ Lady K, and Roderick and Monteiro will both perform.

On May 8, Roderick's former roommate, Mario Cantone, of "Sex and the City" fame, will perform his comedy routine at Wareham Middle School. General admission tickets are $45, but for $55 you can get a ticket and an invitation to an after-party at Salernos where you can ask Cantone about the newest "Sex and the City" movie that just finished filming.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

"Get your tickets early, this will sell out," Roderick warns.

The committee has been working with members of the Cape Verdean Festival Committee and the Blues Festival Committee on getting the necessary arrangements to make this a summer of music and culture in Onset.

"It's a lot of work," said Roderick.  But we've got a strong committee, and we have a lot of things we want to get right."

"Jazz isn't something new," said Roderick.  "We're just bringing it back to Onset."

For more information and tickets, please contact onsetbeachjazzfestival@gmail.com.