Latin jazz will light up the stage three nights in a row as the Belleayre Music Festival opens its acclaimed Catskill Mountain Jazz Series from August 1-3.
Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion get things hopping on Thursday, Aug. 1 and The Pedrito Martinez Havana Quartet takes the stage on Friday, Aug. 2. Both shows will take place in the Belleayre Jazz Club. The Latin jazz theme moves to the big stage on Saturday, Aug. 3 when Paquito D'Rivera & Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band promise to raise the roof with a thundering live show. All shows begin at 8 p.m.
Sammy Figueroa has long been regarded as one of the world's great musicians. He has played on countless records, providing the rhythmic framework for hundreds of hits. Well-known for his versatility and professionalism, he is one of the few percussionists equally comfortable in a multitude of styles, from R&B to rock to pop to bebop to Latin to Brazilian to New Age.
As one of New York’s most sought after session players, Sammy played on countless albums, jingles and film scores and appeared often with The David Letterman Band and the Saturday Night Live Band.
He has recorded and toured with Miles Davis, the Brecker brothers, Sonny Rollins, David Bowie and Mariah Carey (on her multi-million selling MTV Unplugged).
Sammy has firmly established himself as a bandleader and artist, earning two Grammy nominations for his initial solo release. When Sammy plays percussion he tells a story, taking the listener on a journey.
Since arriving in the United States at the end of the 1990s, the Cuban percussionist Pedro Martinez has been all over the place, putting rumba and guaguancó into the weave of all kinds of groups. But when his drums, singing and writing are the focus – as is the case in his new band– “he’s an incomparable performer,” wrote Ben Ratliff of The New York Times.
The Pedrito Martinez Group has its roots planted firmly in the Afro-Cuban Rumba tradition and in the bata rhythms and vocal chants of the music of Yoruba and Santeria.
Mr. Ratliff called the sound, “complex, blenderized Africa-to-the-New-World funk.”
The band has built a fan base that includes Taj Mahal, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and Derek Trucks. Rounding out the quartet are percussionist, Jhair Sala, electric bassist, Alvaro Benavides and keyboardist/vocalist, Araicne Trujillo.
Mr. Martínez was also a member of the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band,Yerba Buena which toured the world opening for the Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.
Big Band tunes with a Latin flavor promise a night of red-hot entertainment as Paquito D’Rivera and Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Big Band spice up some of the classic tunes in the genre with Latin rhythms, culminating the opening weekend of the Catskill Mountain Jazz Series
Paquito is one of the world’s finest clarinetists. He first rose to prominence with the band Irakere and hehas released over 16 CDs as a leader. Paquito was a founding member of Dizzy's United Nation Orchestra. In 1997 Paquito’s “Portraits of Cuba” received a Grammy award for best Latin Jazz CD.
Paquito’s Cuban heritage is at the forefront of all of his work and promises to add just the right amount of spice to heat up the big stage at Belleayre.
The Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Big Band, a veritable who’s who among jazz musicians, was formed in the summer of 1998 to perform Dizzy Gillespie's classic big band repertoire and continue the legacy left by the late master.
Tickets for the Belleayre Jazz Club shows are $26 for general admission. Tickets for Paquito D'Rivera & Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band range from $26-$66.
Upcoming shows
The second weekend of the Catskill Mountain Jazz Series shines the spotlight on two piano masters. The action gets underway with the Bill Charlap Trio in the Jazz Club on Friday, Aug. 9. The jazz series wraps up in outstanding style on Saturday, Aug. 10 with Kenny Barron’s Platinum Quintet.
It’s Broadway at Belleayre on Saturday, Aug. 17 when song-and-dance legend Ben Vereen takes the stage.
The festival presents Comedy in the Catskills II with Harrison Greenbaum performing on Friday, Aug. 23. Veteran funny woman Rita Rudner headlines on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The season closes in theatrical rock style with The Music of Pink Floyd on Saturday, Aug. 31.
All shows begin at 8 p.m. Tickets for all shows are on sale via Ticketmaster. For additional information, please call 800 942-6904, ext. 1344, visit: belleayremusic.org
For information on where to stay, dine, shop or to simply enjoy the great outdoors when you¹re in town for the Belleayre Music Festival, please visit: www.catskillhighpeaks.com, www.ulstertourism.info or www.greatwesterncatskills.com. Belleayre Music Festival concerts are held on the grounds of Belleayre Mountain in Highmount.
Belleayre Mountain is located in the heart of New York’s Catskill Mountain region, and is operated by the Olmpic Regional Development Authority. The ski resort is located just off Route 28 and is 37 miles west of Thruway Exit 19 at Kingston; 55 miles southeast of Oneonta on Route 28; 40 miles from the Route 17 exit at Roscoe; and 95 miles southwest of Albany and just two hours north of NYC.
