The Village Gate & Le Poisson Rouge present the historic return of the legendary ‘SALSA MEETS JAZZ’ series featuring… The Multi-Grammy nominated Bobby Sanabria with his Big Band. Sanabria will be joined by special guests Jon Faddis, trumpet and Candido, congas. Artistic Director: Art D’Lugoff of The Village Gate. October 13th, 2008 -7:00 PM & 9:30 PM Show Times.

As any longtime New Yorker knows, the space now occupied by (Le) Poisson Rouge was formerly home to the Village Gate, whose owner, Art D’Lugoff, helped to foster Latin-jazz hybrids with the Salsa Meets Jazz series run by Symphony Sid Torin and Jack Hooke. Seems like the new tenants must know their history, since they’ve invited D’Lugoff to revive his concept with this show featuring multi-Grammy nominated percussionist Bobby Sanabria and his red-hot big band. Trumpeter Jon Faddis is on hand to raise the roof a few inches, while veteran conguero Candido—who played in the legendary Tico All-Stars sessions here in 1965—keeps things rooted in deep earth.

Bobby Sanabria Big Band features:

Bobby Sanabria ------------- drums, percussion

Hiram Remón ---------------- vocals, percussion
Cristian Rivera -------------- congas
Giancarlo Anderson -------- bongo, cencerro
Alex Hernández ------------- acoustic bass
Enrique Haniene ------------ piano

David DeJesús --------------- lead alto, soprano sax
David Bixler ------------------- alto sax
Peter Brainin ------------------ tenor sax
Jeff Lederer ------------------- tenor sax
Danny Rivera ----------------- baritone sax

Joe Fiedler -------------------- lead trombone
Dave Miller -------------------- trombone
Tim Sessions ------------------ trombone
Dr. Chris Washburne -------- trombone, tuba

Kevin Bryan -------------------- lead trumpet
Shareef Clayton --------------- trumpet
Jonathan Barnes -------------- trumpet
Andrew Neesley --------------- trumpet

Thank you so much for doing this. Now when I speak of the fond memories I have of the Village Gate to anyone, particularly my students, they have a place they can go to to get a taste of the magic that used to happen there...

Bravo to you y mucho ache’,
Bobby Sanabria

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your visit to MAMBOSO.NET’s web module. “The Salsa Meets Jazz Project” is a unique tribute to an innovative and defining period for Afro-Cuban and Jazz music in New York City.

My approach to the famous “Salsa Meets Jazz at the Village Gate” series is not as a musicologist, or as an accomplished musician, but as a visual artist, poet, and aficionado of Afro-Cuban rhythms. The Gate series gave me access to an eclectic confluence of spirit, artistry, and identity: The three pillars of Nuyorican consciousness—the fourth being community.

The first time I heard Mongo Santamaria perform AFRO BLUE at the Village Gate was a revelation for me. The profound experience of watching him live and front-stage brought me full circle with the emotions and imagery evoked during my chance listening of EXPLODES AT THE VILLAGE GATE as a boy growing up in El Barrio. The convergence between past and present brought about a clarity that inspired an entire manuscript of poetry and writings.

Yes, many of us have our special memories of the “Salsa Meets Jazz at the Village Gate” series, and it is with a sense of gratitude, responsibility, and nostalgia that this project has taken form.

Gracias y Ashe

Francisco Reyes II
MAMBOSO.NET