Upcoming Events

Fall 2010 Concert
Monday, December 5, 8 PM
Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford Campus
$10 general/ $9 senior/$5 student/Free with SUID
Tickets: Door or Ticket Office (650)725-2787

We are very excited to present our first concert of the academic year! We have prepared all-new repertoire especially for the event, which will feature stellar performances from both the new and veteran musicians in the group. We are doing songs in a variety of Afro-latin styles: Jazz, Mambo, Salsa Dura, Samba, Candombe, Timba, Bolero, Danzon, and even Hip-Hop! Our works have been been previously performed/written by such stellar artists as John Coltrane, Juan Formell, Celia Cruz, Armando Perazza, Grupo Niche, Gilberto Gil, John Santos and Roberto Roena!

As usual, our repertoire spans the full range of the Afro-Latin and Jazz idioms. The concert gives us a chance to showcase the band's talent on unique material beyond that of a normal dance band. We've got some great jazz players who can tear it up!

Notable Past Performances

"Latin Jazz: Beyond the Americas"
Winter Concert with Marc and Paul Van Wageningen - Winter 2011

We are excited to announce our winter concert guest artists -- the fantastic "VW Brothers". We will be performing several of their challenging original compositions that go beyond the traditional boundaries of Latin Jazz in the Americas, drawing from musical influences from all ports of the world.

Originally born in the Netherlands, Marc and Paul VW have been instrumental in shaping the Bay Area Latin Jazz sound since their arrival in the US in the 1980's. They have been key ingredients for recordings and performances with such several internationally known musicians such as Pete Escovedo, John Santos, Mark Levine, Paquito D'Rivera, Carribean Jazz Project, Nestor Torres, Dori Caymmi, Francisco Aguabella and Jovino Santos Neto. Beyond Latin Jazz, they have shaped the sound of jazz, funk and fusion artists such as Tower of Power, George Duke, Sheila E, Stan Getz, Andy Narell, Sheila E., Diane Reeves, and Tom Coster. Their unique, identifiable approach has been the backbone of the Bay Area Latin & Jazz scene for the past 25 years.

Recently, Marc and Paul has stepped out as co-bandleaders, with the release of their critically-acclaimed debut-CD, 'Muziek'. The recording showcases their versatility, virtuosity and composition talents in a very multi-faceted project that cannot be easily classified. In this rare collaborative concert Marc and Paul share their talent with the Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble!

Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert with Guest Percussionist John Santos - Spring 2010

Join 4-time Grammy nominated master percussionist John Santos as he collaborates with Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble for a special performance. Mr. Santos is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Latin Jazz on the West Coast through his leadership of groundbreaking groups such as Machete Ensemble. The program will include several compositions by Mr. Santos. He will be performing on a variety of instruments and will be playing a diverse range of music styles spanning multiple eras of Afro-Cuban music and its fusion with jazz.

Artist Bios:
Four-time Grammy-nominated percussionist and US Artists Fontanals Fellow, John Santos is a major exponent of Afro-Latin music. He's been a prolific performer, composer, teacher, writer, radio programmer, and record/event producer in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years, having worked with acknowledged masters such as Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Max Roach, Eddie Palmieri, Patato Valdés, Francisco Aguabella, Steve Turre, McCoy Tyner, Batacumbele, Omar Sosa, and Carlos Santana. John was a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Institution. He has conducted countless workshops, lectures and clinics in the US, Latin America and Europe since 1972, and was the founder and director of the internationally renowned, Grammy-nominated Machete Ensemble (1985-2006).

The Stanford Latin Jazz Ensemble, formed in 2008 by director Murray Low, has rapidly progressed into being one of the finest academic performing groups of its kind. The group was awarded a prestigious SiCa grant for the current academic year, which has allowed its members to receive instruction from master clinicians.

"Masters of Latin Jazz Concert" - Ray Vega, John Calloway, and Jesus Diaz performing with the Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble - Winter 2010

Artist Bios:
Trumpeter Ray Vega is perhaps best known for his lead trumpet work with Tito Puente and stints with Mongo Santamaria and Mario Bauza. He is a master of both latin and jazz styles and a bandleader in his own right with four albums to his credit. He is also serves as a full time senior lecturer at UVM, where he teaches Jazz History, directs all small Jazz Combos as well as The Jazz/Classical Trumpet Studio.

Flautist and multi-instrumentalist John Calloway is a seminal figure in the West Coast Latin Jazz scene, having made major performance and compositional contributions to such bands as Machete Ensemble. He also has two critically acclaimed albums to his credit as a leader, and currently serves as an arts commissioner for the city of San Francisco.

Cuban-born percussionist Jesus Diaz is world-renown for his innovative work bringing a contemporary Cuban sound into US salsa, funk, jazz and latin jazz. His band QBA is generally regarded as one of the finest Timba bands in the United States, and he is the publisher of several percussion books and other instructional materials.

The Stanford Latin Jazz Ensemble, formed in 2008 by director Murray Low, has rapidly progressed into being one of the finest academic performing groups of its kind. The group was awarded a prestigious SiCa grant for the current academic year, which has allowed its members to receive instruction from master clinicians.

"The Anatomy of Latin Jazz" presented by John Santos - Spring 2010

Join John Santos as he illuminates the great tradition of Latin Jazz from his special perspective as a respected practitioner, producer, composer and educator. Rare and current recordings will be used to examine the Cuban and other roots of this prolific pan-American art form. John will outline many of the social and economic conditions that spawned Latin Jazz and its contemporary evolution, revealing the symbiotic relationship of Caribbean music and jazz. Participants will see how Jazz and Latin American music have significantly influenced one another since the late 19th century.

John's Bio:
Five-time Grammy-nominated percussionist and US Artists Fontanals Fellow, John Santos is a major exponent of Afro-Latin music. He's been a prolific performer, composer, teacher, writer, radio programmer, and record/event producer in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years, having worked with acknowledged masters such as Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Max Roach, Eddie Palmieri, Patato Valdés, Francisco Aguabella, Steve Turre, McCoy Tyner, Batacumbele, Omar Sosa, and Carlos Santana. John was a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Institution. He has conducted countless workshops, lectures and clinics in the US, Latin America and Europe since 1972, and was the founder and director of the internationally renowned, Grammy-nominated Machete Ensemble (1985-2006).

"New York Roots of Latin Jazz" presented by Ray Vega - Winter 2010

Musician/Educator Ray Vega discusses the cultural and musical influences that combined together in New York City causing a new genre of music to be born: Latin Jazz. Born and raised in the Bronx, Mr. Vega possesses first-hand, extensive experience in how this music came to be and how it evolved, through his work as trumpeter for Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Mario Bauza and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Mr. Vega traces the idiom's humble beginnings via artists such as James Reese Europe, Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington; explores its development through Machito, Mario Bauza, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker; and finally illustrates its current evolution up to Jerry Gonzalez and The Fort Apache Band and beyond. Vega will address several key conceptual aspects that define Latin Jazz and talk about the masters of the idiom who have helped to pave the way for future generations to follow. Participants will get a chance to listen to several examples and will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the richness of Latin Jazz music.

Ray Vega's participation in this lecture is generously supported in part by The University of Vermont (UVM). Ray Vega serves as a full time senior lecturer at UVM, where he teaches Jazz History, directs all small Jazz Combos as well as The Jazz/Classical Trumpet Studio.

Ray's Bio:
A native of the South Bronx, Ray Vega is a veteran of the bands of Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Mario Bauza, Luis "Perico" Ortiz, Hector LaVoe, and Johnny Pacheco. A multi-talented trumpeter, composer and arranger, Mr. Vega has now established himself as one of the innovators of the New York Jazz and Latin music scenes, presenting both from an original and contemporary perspective. His four CD releases as a leader have been well received by critics, musicians and audiences alike.

"The Origins and Role of the Flute in Afro-Cuban Music: 1900-Present" presented by Andrea Brachfeld - Winter 2010

Andrea Brachfeld, the first lady of the Cuban Flute, presents a workshop that examines the chronological development of the flute in Afro-Cuban Music. Ms. Brachfeld examines the integral role of the flute starting with the Cuban popular music scene in the nineteenth century, through the eras of the danzon, charanga, son, mambo, and finally to modern-day salsa and Latin Jazz. Significant musicians and composers, rare footage of authentic Cuban Charanga bands, and key historical written documents will be shared and discussed. Participants will listen to several examples of flute performances from several eras and gain a full appreciation of the importance of the flute to the Cuban musical genre, past and present.

Andrea's Bio:
Andrea Brachfeld is generally regarded as one of the most important flutists in the history of New York Latin Jazz scene. She is the recipient of the Chico O'Farell Lifetime Achievement Award for Latin Jazz, has twice received the Latin New York Music Award for flute, and is the recipient of the "Women in Salsa Award" from the Salsation organization in Washington DC. Her role in the famous latin band Charanga 76 catapulted her into salsa history as the first female flutist to play Cuban music in the US. She is the leader of the Latin Jazz group "Phoenix Rising", and has 4 CD's out as a bandleader.

Stanford/San Jose State Latin Jazz Ensemble Joint Concert - Spring 2009

We will be performing at San Jose State in a joint concert with their Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. Each group will be performing a set on their own, and then the concert will end with a blowout with both groups at once. SJS came to Stanford last year, and so they are returning the favor in a true battle of the Latin Jazz bands. The groups are very different in their approach and if you attend you will get a chance to compare and contrast.

COHO Sunday Afternoon Latin Jazz Series - Spring 2011

We are proud to be a part of a new Sunday afternoon latin jazz series sponsored by the Stanford Coffee House. There will be four performances during the spring quarter roughly every other week. Three of the concerts will be by us, and the fourth by the campus Brazilian jazz group. If you missed our sold-out Winter Concert, this series is a chance to see the band given an encore performance, completely free of charge! Feel free to stop by, order some food and drink, and listen to the band in the Coho's relaxed, informal atmostphere.