Looking at the diversity of musicians just within this Saturday's Jazz Caliente playlist, I realize that the arts (and, for me, music in particular) are the common ground where we all can meet and get along like civilized beings.
Dizzy Gillespie, from Cheraw, South Carolina, made it a point to explore all kinds of music, and ended up as a citizen of the world. Diz was a beloved and respected artist and mentor, known for helping to introduce Afro-Cuban rhythms to American jazz.
Relatively new on the scene, Colombia-born Daniel Girón is an exceptionally talented classical and new-flamenco guitarist. We'll hear from his latest album, Prisma, this week.
Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen came to New York from Israel, and happily fell in with a bunch of Brazilians. She's adept at all styles of music, but you really see the joy when she's playing Brazilian choro, or the eclectic compositions of her own Tentet.
Ara's Circle is a group based in the Netherlands, with members from Germany, Colombia, Belgium and Spain. Their mission is to "funkify Afro Caribbean beats and jazz," and they've won a number of European music awards.
A group of Afro-Haitian musicians living in New York decided to form a band that would add another dimension to Latin jazz. They call themselves Mozayik. The instrumentation and rhythms are irresistible on their recording, Haitian Creole Jazz.
Also on the show this week, the prolific Brazilian pianist and composer Antonio Adolfo, Mexican-American conguero Poncho Sanchez, pianist Eddie Palmieri and saxophonist Ivan Renta, who were both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and the ever-popular Buena Vista Social Club from Cuba.
Discover the world of music on Jazz Caliente!
Jazz Caliente airs Saturdays at 5 p.m. The program is hosted by Robin Lloyd and produced by KNKX Public Radio.
