Tiempo Libre performs at Rialto Center for the Arts on 4/27/13

Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) is winding down and culminates with #jazzday on Tuesday, April 30 with the worldwide celebration, International Jazz Day!!

This week on The Jazz Spot we will celebrate the work of several trailblazers who were born this week, bassist Charles Mingus, the GREAT lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, songbird Blossom Dearie and the Father of Latin Jazz, Cubano, Mario Bauza!

Speaking of outstanding Cuban artists, enter Tiempo Libre! Classically trained at Cuba’s premier conservatories, the members of three-time Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre are true modern heirs to the rich musical tradition of their native Cuba. The Miami-based group is celebrated for its sophisticated performances of timba music, an irresistible, dance-inducing mix of Latin jazz and Cuban son. Tiempo Libre has introduced Cuban music to new audiences through appearances on shows such as the Tonight Show, Live from Lincoln Center and Dancing With the Stars and concerts worldwide including performances at Tanglewood, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Hong Kong’s Kwai Tsing Theatre and Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy.

Tiempo Libre collaborated on “Para Ti” with violinist Joshua Bell for his At Home with Friends album and frequently plays with leading orchestras, including concerts this season with the Cleveland Orchestra and the San Francisco and Houston Symphonies. The band recently released My Secret Radio on Sony Masterworks, previous albums Bach in Havana (Sony Masterworks), Arroz Con Mango (Shanachie) and Lo Que Esperabas (Shanachie) were nominated for Grammys. Check out their website for more info at www.tiempolibremusic.com

BE SURE to tune in to The Jazz Spot tonight in the 10 PM hour of the show to hear my conversation with pianist and Musical Director of Tiempo Libre, Jorge Gomez! You can check out Tiempo Libre LIVE tomorrow night in Atlanta at the beautiful Rialto Center for the Arts! For ticket info go to their website at rialtocenter.org.

We celebrate jazz music and culture EVERDAY.....and we continue to be inspired by it!

Feel free to contact me via email, jazz@gpb.org....follow me on twitter @masanijazz or join the fun on Facebook, The Jazz Spot on GPB Radio!

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