Jazz percussionist
Jamey Haddad takes listeners for a head-bobbing trip around the world at Nighttown tonight. His All-Star International Trio features Venezuelan pianist Leo Blanco and Bulgarian bassist Peter Slavov, who bring their musical heritage into the mix. Haddad himself lived in Brazil for a couple of years back in the ’80s. Tonight’s show pays tribute to the country with a blend of South American beats, African drums, and Venezuelan jazz. Haddad credits Blanco with the ear-opening sounds. “He integrates a lot of different folkloric music [in his playing],” he says.
The threesome has crossed genres and broken down cultural barriers before: Slavov collaborated with Blanco on the latter’s 2003 debut, Roots & Effect, which Haddad produced. The leader believes music transcends every cultural divide. “The possibilities that exist when people stop judging . . . The quality of spirit grows,” says Haddad. “You get to a place in you that is the same place others have in them. It’s a passport into another type of consciousness.”
Thu., May 31, 8 p.m.
