Kahil El'Zabar

Touring to promote his critically acclaimed Delmark release, Big M, A Tribute to Malachi Favors, with saxophone titan Ari Brown and NYC violinist Billy Bang, master percussionist Kahil El'Zabar returns to Los Angeles' Jazz Bakery on November 21st - 25th with three extremely talented friends, violinist Billy Bang, young monster reedist Rene McLean (Jackie's son), and rock-solid bassist Yosef Ben Israel for five nights of thrilling and exploratory jazz. This group'smusic spans a tremendous amount of territory, branching African drumming to Chicago free jazz, creating a deep soul groove hybrid of contemporary ethnic folk and jazz music.

Internationally renowned percussionist and composer Kahil El'Zabar is considered one of the most prolific jazz innovators of his generation. Indeed El'Zabar is a true "Renaissance Man," with a musical style and content that flows from ancient Africa to the modern world. In his own words, "The spirit of one's approach comes first before the technical. All the facility in the world with nothing that comes from the heart doesn't make good music. The basis of the strength of any artistic evolution has come from ethnicity."

Arturo O'Farrill was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Educated at the Manhattan School of Music and the Brooklyn College Conservatory, Arturo played piano with the Carla Bley Big Band from 1979 through 1983. He then went on to develop as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Turre, Papo Vazquez, The Fort Apache Band, Lester Bowie, and Harry Belafonte. In 1995, Arturo agreed to direct the band that preserved much of his father's music, Chico O'Farrill's Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, which has been in residence at New York City's Birdland for the past few years as well as performing throughout the world. Besides recording three albums as a leader for Milestone Records, 32 Jazz, and M & I (Bloodlines, A Night in Tunisia, and Cumana Bop), Arturo has appeared on numerous records including Habanera with Alberto Shiroma, and the soundtrack to the critically-acclaimed movie Calle 54.

Arturo was a special guest soloist at three landmark Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts Afro-Cuban Jazz: Chico O'Farrill's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, November 1995; Con Alma: The Latin Tinge in Big Band Jazz, September 1998; and the 2001 Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala: The Spirit of Tito Puente, November 2001. In March 2002, he was also the featured artist in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz in the Schools Tour, when he led a Latin jazz quintet for 24 educational performances that reached over 5,000 people throughout NYC metropolitan schools.

The Estrada Brothers

Since the 1950's, The Estrada Brothers have been catering to the diverse musical needs and tastes of audiences, something they have thoroughly enjoyed. Inspired by their father, who was also a musician, five of the seven brothers have either played or have been part of the band at one time or another. In the late 1950's, after listening to the recordings of vibists Lionel Hampton, Tito Puente and most importantly Cal Tjader, the band brought in a set of vibes [vibraharp], an instrument that would figure prominently in the Estrada Brothers sound. In 1985, while performing at a music festival and sharing the stage with the legendary jazz saxophonist, Stan Getz, the band took on a different musical attitude. "Up until that concert", says Ruben Estrada, "We were doing lots of casuals, weddings and just about any musical job that came up. But when we got to do our thing, which was to play Latin jazz, we decided right then and there to concentrate more towards that direction."

Hear the Estrada Brothers on November 25th at Steamer's, 138 Commonwealth, Fullerton, 714/ 871/ 8800.