Doors: 1.30pm Music: 1.30pm

Picture – Gina Southgate from 2019 JazzLeeds festival

The current line-up is about 15 people, including vocals, trumpet, trombones, flute, clarinet, saxes, bass, piano, timbales and other latin percussion.  Band leader and coach is trombonist Jonny Enright.

As a band what we love most is the way our audiences respond, moving to the music, sometimes with great skill, sometimes because they just can’t help but get on their feet.

The afro-cuban rhythms of son montuno are just made for moving your hips. The Colombian dance rhythm of cumbia is infectious. There’s even a song about grinding Venezuelan coffee.

Feel the tumbao rhythm of the bass guitar and the meaty riffs of the baritone sax.

Clap along with the clave rhythm. Join in and sing the full-harmony coros in response to the passionate solo pregones.

Appreciate the skill of the trombones, saxes, flute, tres guitar and timbales taking turns at improvised interpretation as the songs develop.

Many of our tunes were made popular by the Fania All-Stars as skilled musicians moved from Latin America to New York and traditional folk styles became blended with jazz. There are songs by Eddie Palmieri, Hector Lavoe and Benny More as well as a couple of our own written in Yorkshire.

They’ll be at Seven Arts Courtyard, unplugged, on the afternoon of 23 August 1.30- 3.30pm. Outside if nice, inside the venue if wet.

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