Some have called Afro-Peruvian music the next big thing in jazz. A chance to do a little research on that prediction comes on Sunday when the Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet performs in Edmonds.
Afro-Peruvian and jazz music have a few things in common. Both genres are triplet-based (three notes that are played in the time of two notes), and both are very fluid, with musicians reacting musically to nuances that allow for an emotional context and connection with the listener, and physically reacting to their music.
Trumpeter-composer Alegria comes from a creative family. His grandfather, Ciro, was one of Peru’s most famous novelists; his father, Alonso, was a well-known playwright whose work was always positive and an influence on his son.
Everyone in the family had to play an instrument, so Alegria turned to the loudest one, the trumpet. He went on to earn a doctorate in jazz studies at the University of California.
Years of field work listening to the black musicians of coastal Peru plus his creative vision that slid the music into a contemporary jazz framework has led to multi-country tours and the chart-topping CD “Nuevo Mondo.”
Percussionist Freddy Lobaton, part of the sextet, performs with traditional instruments including the cajon (box drum) and quijada (jaw bone).
Jazz It Up!: Trombonist Dennis Wilson is the special guest at the annual fundraiser for music programs at Shoreline School District.
Wilson has been a lead and solo player for the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, has received a Grammy nomination for arrangements created by The Manhattan Transfer and has performed on a half-dozen Grammy-winning albums with the Count Basie Orchestra. Faculty and school ensembles also will play.
O.A.R.: The initials stand for “… of a revolution,” a rock band discovering that when you throw a musical change-up, some fans get discombobulated.
Normally delivering upbeat and funky music with some unexpected twists, the 13-song studio album “All Sides” seems to reach out to commercial radio, although it’s a diverse set list.
The change-up seems to have worked. It placed 13th on the Billboard 200 chart, the highest debut of the band’s career.
Children of the Revolution: Middle Eastern, rock, Latin, Greek, Iraqi and flamenco music might be on the set list of this popular group, driven by a multicultural line-up and fine fusion. PBS featured the band’s two-hour video that helped launch the Triple Door five years ago. This is a quality band worth seeing.
Griffin House: The singer-songwriter has fronted for Ron Sexsmith, Josh Ritter and John Mellencamp. His latest CD is a 13-track collection with vignettes of his experiences highlighted by a melodic approach and his conviction that music has an impact on listeners’ lives.
Janiva Magness: The blues-and-roots vocalist is on the top of her game. She’s won two Blues Music Awards for Contemporary Female Artist of the Year and has a 2008 nomination for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, to be awarded in May.
Najee: One of the pioneers of contemporary jazz, Najee is touring in support of “Rising Sun,” a combo of jazz improv and R&B. The sax-and-flute musician has earned two Grammy nominations and has performed for Nelson Mandela and President Bill Clinton.
Out and about: Roots-rock/Americana band Dead Rock West, with frontwoman Cindy Wasserman, opens for The Knitters (Monday, Tractor Tavern). The John Doe-led alt-country, alt-folk band was a pioneer in the country punk movement (Monday, Tractor Tavern) … Pepper’s Saturday performance at Showbox at the Market is sold out.
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