Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
Drummer Ignacio Berroa will present a master class, “Afro-Cuban Jazz and Beyond,” in Chicago on Aug. 31.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Artist)During the upcoming Chicago Jazz Festival, drummer Ignacio Berroa will present a master class, “Afro-Cuban Jazz and Beyond,” at the Chicago Cultural Center. This video/teaching demonstration, which is free and open to the public, will be presented on Aug. 31 at 11:00 a.m. in the Claudia Cassidy Theater.
In his presentation, Berroa will discuss the history and evolution of Afro-Cuban music. He will examine and illustrate the ways in which Afro-Cuban rhythms have shaped jazz, and vice-versa. His main goal is educate students, professional musicians and music lovers in general, while keeping alive the legacy of the great masters.
“Afro-Cuban Jazz and Beyond” presents an historical view of the circumstances involved in the development of Afro-Cuban music, beginning with the arrival of African slaves in Cuba, the Caribbean, the United States and Brazil.
Berroa will describe how certain African groups left their marks on the evolution of Afro-Cuban music, and he’ll examine the rhythmic similarities and differences between the countries where slaves arrived in the New World, the strong musical connection between Cuba and the United States, and how Afro-Cuban jazz has developed in this country.
The Chicago Cultural Center is located at 78 E. Washington Street in downtown Chicago. To see a list of other events happening on Aug. 31 during the Chicago Jazz Festival, click here.
Berroa’s latest album is a trio disc titled Straight Ahead From Havana. To learn more about Berroa, visit his website. DB
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.
Feb 27, 2024 1:40 PM
“I might not have felt this way 30 to 40 years ago, but I’ve reached a point where I can hear value in what people…
Albert “Tootie” Heath (1935–2024) followed in the tradition of drummer Kenny Clarke, his idol.
Apr 5, 2024 10:28 AM
Albert “Tootie” Heath, a drummer of impeccable taste and time who was the youngest of three jazz-legend brothers…
“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”
Mar 12, 2024 11:42 AM
“There are a few musicians you hear where, as somebody once said, the molecules in the room change. Geri was one of…
Henry Threadgill performs with Zooid at Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Apr 9, 2024 11:30 AM
Big Ears, the annual four-day music celebration that first took place in 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee, could well be…
