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Hot Tickets: Symphony showcases violinist

Halina Bobrow, above, is the soloist in Lalo's violin concerto Symphonie Espagnole, with the Tampa Bay Symphony. Bobrow was a member of the Toronto and Cleveland orchestras and played under renowned conductors such as George Szell, Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel and Pierre Boulez before giving up her professional music career to become a nurse. But she never stopped playing and since 1986 has been concertmaster of the community orchestra, lending a skillful helping hand to music director Jack Heller.

Also on the program are Schubert's Rosamunde overture, Stravinsky's Firebird and the overture toDas Liebesverbot, an early Wagner opera. Concerts are at 8 p.m. today at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, 8 p.m. Friday at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa. $12. 727 319-8383 or (727) 442-3696; www.tampabaysymphony.com

- JOHN FLEMING, Times performing arts critic

Country star Alan Jackson drove a forklift and worked at Kmart before striking it rich with his songs. Jackson's 14th album, What I Do, is filled with traditional country songs about the kind of life he used to lead - hard living and working, sad loving and pickup trucks - before he became one of Nashville's biggest successes.

Those Kmart days are long behind now that Jackson, 45, has sold 43-million records.

Alan Jackson performs with Martina McBride at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ford Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Interstate 4 at U.S. 301 N, Tampa. $28.50-$59.50. (813) 740-2446 or (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100.

- GINA VIVINETTO, Times pop music critic

The Best of Both Worlds Tour with Jay-Z and R. Kelly fell apart in New York last week. Jay-Z says Kelly was unprofessional and disruptive, both on and off stage. Kelly has filed a $75-million breach-of-contract suit.

Meanwhile, Jay-Z is going on with the tour and bringing along friends. Mary J. Blige and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs are confirmed to join him in Tampa on Saturday, and his management team says other pals may come along as well.

Jay-Z is considered one of the greatest emcees of all time by his peers. The Brooklyn-born rapper and boyfriend of Beyonce is calling this outing his last. Jay-Z claimed last year's Black Album, which contained the smash 99 Problems, was his "retirement album." Those who know Jay-Z as just the big lug sitting next to the Destiny's Child hottie in paparazzi shots would be wise to tune in to the guy's music: He's bright and insightful, and though his raps get gritty, Jay-Z leaves his listeners with a lot to think about.

Jay-Z and his friends perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $36.75-$66.75. (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100.

- GINA VIVINETTO, Times pop music critic