Latin IS America
Swing Dance, Jazz Orchestras I, II, III
Swing to Latin rhythms from MSU Jazz Orchestras and special guest artists from Havanah, Cuba.
CONCERT
Swing Dance, Jazz Orchestras I, II, III
with Bobby and Roberto Carcassés
Part of the annual Jazz Spectacular series
Friday, April 17, 8:00 p.m., MSU Union Ballroom
$10 adults, $8 seniors, students free.
For the event page, click here.
Rodney Whitaker, director of MSU Jazz Orchestras
Roberto Carcassés, piano
Bobby Carcassés, trumpet, vocalist, and congas
Swing to Latin tinge. MSU Jazz Orchestras, under the direction of Rodney Whitaker, with special guest artists from Cuba: Bobby Carcassés, trumpet, vocalist, and congas, and his son, Roberto Carcassés on piano. This concert will feature the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Mario Bousa, and Dizzy Gillespie. MSU’s award-winning college band will perform rhumba, cha-cha, mambo and swing. Don’t miss this hot night of dance and fun.
Guest Artist Biographies
Bobby Carcassés, a multi-instrumentalist who has been an active musician for more than 50 years, is originally from Jamaica and grew up in Cuba where he developed an eclectic interest in music ranging from opera to jazz. Early in his career, he performed with some of the best Cuban vocal quartets in Havana, and spent time in Paris where he played with the legendary Kenny Clarke and Bud Powell. Returning to perform in Havana in the 1970s, Carcassés launched the Jazz Plaza Festival in Cuba in 1978. Now called the Havana International Jazz Festival, the event has expanded to include all of the main concert halls in downtown Havana as well as impromptu jam sessions in the streets.
Roberto Carcassés is the son of jazz pioneer Bobby Carcassés. Also known as “Robertico,” he is regarded as one of Cuba’s leading pianist and arrangers. As a young musician, he began performing at his father’s Jazz Plaza Festival in Havana. Traveling and performing with his father, his Cuban roots in music began to mix with his love of rock and roll. He explored jazz while studying at the National School of Arts in Havana, and later blended his knowledge with his love for Latin rhythm, writing, and playing the piano. A highly respected Latin jazz artist, Carcassés has collaborated and recorded with other popular artists like Selma Reis and Gema Y Pavel, including releases of his own such as Jazz Timbero and Invitation.
