Thursday Apr 4  7:00pm
Mark Town Latin Jazz – TICKETS ( $17/$12)

Mark Towns Latin Jazz Band plays classic Latin jazz in the tradition of Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, & Mongo Santamaria. Fronted by the guitar work of Mark Towns and featuring a spectacular Latin jazz rhythm section of Cedric Leonardi on drums/percussion and Ross Schodek on bass, the band appeals to both jazz aficionados and salsa dancers as they rip through sets featuring bebop-inspired jazz soloing over authentic Latin rhythms including the Mambo, Güajira, Cha Cha Cha, Danzón, & Merengue. Mark Towns’ original tunes as well as his Latin jazz arrangements of classic compositions by jazz masters Coltrane, Monk, Miles, and Ellington are used as launching pads for the band’s spicy-hot sonic excursions. Howard Mandel of DownBeat Magazine wrote, “Mark Towns’ music has the piquancy and surprise of the best Latin-inflected jazz, with a sense of space unique to his Southwestern roots meeting the sophistication of his residency in Los Angeles.” Larry Coryell said, “There are only a few really good guitarists. Mark Towns is one of them.”