Yissy García, Chuchito Valdés & Brian Lynch

Chuchito Valdés is doing 9 shows in Trio at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago between Thursday, March 20 and Sunday, March 23.  Musically, Chuchito just keeps getting better as he ages. For complete schedule and tickets, click here. 

Fresh from some concerts in Miami that are getting raves, Yissy Garcia now moves on to New Orleans. On Saturday afternoon, March 21, she will be performing at the Congo Square New World Rhythms festival, and WWOZ will play a recording of her music on Sunday, March 22.  The WWOZ website, which contains the Congo Square lineup as well, is here.  Then, at 8pm the same day (March 22), she will perform at the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.  Catch her group, Bandancha, live if you can - it's a live representative of the new wave of Cuban music that I keep shouting about.  If you can't see it live, catch the WWOZ broadcast.   

Finally, in a recent blog entry about Latin on Lex in New York, I mentioned that one of the artistic directors was Brian Lynch.  He is performing with Phil Woods and We Six at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Jazz Festival in Milwaukee on Friday, March 20.  As best as I can determine, this will be straight-ahead Jazz but very much worth checking out.  This is part of a larger festival that runs from March 19-21.For complete details, click here. 

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Post-script

Although I was not able to attend any of the live concerts, I did listen to the WWOZ radio rebroadcast of the Yissy García and Banda Ancha (sometimes spelled Bandancha in different materials) performance at Conga Square. WOW. Banda Ancha means broadband in English, and this set lived up to the group's name - a kaleidoscope of Jazz, Rumba, Funk, Acid Jazz, Brazilian, Hip Hop - in a lot of groups the turntable would be intrusive, but it blends in well enough here to convert even an old purist like me. If the forthcoming live recording lives up to what's happening live, it is going to make some serious waves when it is released. Watch this group closely.

Posted by: Bill Tilford on Sunday, 22 March 2015, 01:21 PM