Clearwater Latin Jazz Fest

Ruth Eckerd Hall and EMIT presents two free community events celebrating Latin Jazz. The Clearwater Latin Jazz Fest featuring award-winning musicians  

from Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the U.S., including  Renesito Avich & Friends, Mauricio Rodriguez and the MJR Latin Project and O Som Do Jazz with Andrea Moraes Manson and José Valentino Ruiz will come together for a FREE concert of Latin Jazz at The BayCare Sound on Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m.  Clearwater Latin Jazz Fest Workshop & Concert featuring Dimas Sánchez and the Afro Latin Jazz Project will take place in the Murray Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday, September 14 at 3 p.m. Both of these free events are general admission. A ticket is not needed and seating will be first come first served. Both events are presented by EMIT and Ruth Eckerd Hall with support from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City of Clearwater and South Arts.  

Renesito Avich is a Cuban-born, twice Latin GRAMMY® recipient and master of the tres guitar. His concerts are always exciting and entertaining, and this quartet has some of the best Latin musicians in the state including bassist Mauricio Rodriguez, percussionist Andy Fornet on Percussions and singer Otto Duniel Ferreiro. Renesito was born in Santiago de Cuba and pursued his musical education at the University of the Arts in Havana. At the age of 15, while still living in Cuba, Avich began performing with the 17-member salsa big band Elito Revé y su Charangón. This group toured across South America and Europe. His primary instrument remains the tres guitar, which is the national instrument of Cuba. It is named “tres” (three) because it contains three pairs of strings, for a total of six strings. His compositions display a broad conception of the sound of the Cuban Tres, in which he uses expressive resources of Classical music, Jazz and World Music. Its roots lead him to recreate and develop melodies, rhythms, styles and rhythms of the Trova, the Changüí Nengón, the Conga, Rumba and Son Santiago, making a kind of journey through the different playing styles of the eastern country, mixed with the urban concept of Arsenio Rodríguez and Child Rivera. 

Mauricio Rodriguez and the MJR Latin Project revives the Latin jazz scene with its intricate fusion of Latin rhythms with jazz and flashbacks to the Latin greats of musical history. The MJR Latin Project has some of the finest musicians in the area including GRAMMY® winning saxophonist, Zach Bornheimer, Venezuelan pianist Pablo Arencibia, drummer Andy Fornet (former drummer for Orquesta Revé and Charanga Habanera, Cuba), conguero and percussionist Sergio Gala and Mauricio Rodriguez (former bassist with Fervet Opus in Cuba). This band revives the Latin jazz scene with original compositions pleasing the most demanding spectators with its intricate fusion of Latin rhythms and momentary flashbacks to the Latin greats of musical history. 

O Som Do Jazz features Rio de Janeiro singer Andrea Moraes Manson and an international crew of musicians performing samba-jazz, Bossa Nova, Baião and MPB. Imagine Brazilian musicians in love with American jazz playing in Rio de Janeiro night clubs circa 1965 - and you get an idea of what O Som Do Jazz is about. Special guest Latin GRAMMY® recipient José Valentino Ruiz joins the group.  

O Som Do Jazz has recorded four CDs and is delighted to present authentic Brazilian music to audiences that appreciate this beautiful music. The sextet includes Andrea Moraes Manson (voice), José Valentino Ruiz (flute & sax), John O'Leary (piano), Alejandro Arenas (bass) , David Manson (trombone) and Mark Feinman (drums). O Som Do Jazz is active performing on festivals, concerts and special events in the South and its music has been placed in shows on HBO, Fox and BBC One. 

The Clearwater Latin Jazz Fest Workshop and Concert features Dimas Sánchez and the Afro Latin Jazz Project. The workshop is led by Dimas Sánchez, an accomplished drummer and percussionist from Puerto Rico, now residing in Orlando. The quartet also includes Mauricio Rodriguez - bass, Mariano Morales - piano and Jochy Rodriguez - trumpet. The band members have performed with Celia Cruz, Tito Nueves, David Sánchez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Eddie “GuaGua” Rivera, Milly Puente, Gabriel Hernandez, Nestor Torres and Chuchito Valdés, among others. The workshop focuses on the roles of each instrument in various Latin music genres. 

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When

Location

The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park, 300 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, 33755, View Map