Thursday night's concert at ATLAPA

Also in this issue's culture section:
Photography, José Ponce's urban scenes
Panama Jazz Festival schedule
Sparky the Wonder Dog
Poets' Corner
More muñeco photos
Music videos, An online inauguration concert

Cuban legend Chucho Valdés

Thursday night's show
photos by Eric Jackson

Chucho Valdés, the pianist and band leader who gave the likes of Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D'Rivera their starts, was the first Cuban musician to win a Grammy. He and his band --- Lazaro Rivero, Yaroldy Abreu, Juan Carlos Rojas and Mayra Valdés --- brought their hot Afro-Cuban jazz to ATLAPA as the January 15 headline act and those in attendance who didn't realize what all the fuss was about knew afterwards.

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Italian saxophonist and band leader Marco Pignataro --- this is a warm-up act?

The Marco Pignataro Quintet opened the show on Thursday night, but "warm-up band" wouldn't be a proper term for this act. It was a great night of music overall, and somebody had to start first. Moreover, calling in the "Marco Pignataro Quintet" also doesn't do justice to the collection of world-class talent onstage with Pignataro. Special acknowledgment was given by Pignataro himself to Puerto Rican bass player Eddie Gomez, who lived up the the billing and continued to make this a Panama Jazz Festival that's characterized in large part by some astounding upright bass playing in several bands. The act was fairly tight, but with multiple solos for each musician, wherein all demonstrated why they were in such company.

How to describe the music? Original, with all sorts of influences, and played with the subtley of musicians who have learned to master that all-important instrument, the volume control.

Eddie Gómez, the renowned master

Billy Drummond

Flautist Matt Marvuglio

Mark Kramer

Make the Executive Hotel your headquarters in Panama City --- http://ww.executivehotel-panama.com
Find the boat of your dreams through Evermarine --- http://www.evermarine.com

Panama Jazz Festival special