3 groups of special interest are coming to Chicago very soon. 

1.  Jane Bunnett and Maqueque Thursday, June 28-Sunday, July 1 at the Jazz Showcase
Melvis Santa, who was just in Chicago with her own group, Ashedi, will be returning to perform with Maqueque, which always features some of Cuba's most prominent female jazzistas. 


12th Annual Chicago Latin Jazz Festival, Friday, July 13-Sunday, July 15
This year the festival spends Friday and Saturday at the usual Humboldt Park location before moving to Navy Pier on Sunday.   The entire lineup looks interesting, but of special interest is a big band project by  Chuchito Valdés and the Chicago Latin Jazz Collective   Chuchito usually performs here with a smaller combo, but this will be a special big band tribute to his grandfather Bebo Valdés.  Friday, July 13 and  Sunday July 15.  The full schedule can be seen using the link above. 


Finally, at this writing, Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son are scheduled to close this year's Festival Cubano in Riis Park on Sunday, August 12.

Melvis Santa and Ashedi were at Sabor a Café in Chicago June 16 and 17th for a concert, workshop and Rumba jam.  You can see a photo gallery here. 

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The delightful Melvis Santa returns to Chicago with three master percussionists/rumberos for concerts and workshops.   Whether you are a musician, dancer or just an aficionado of Rumba, this is a don't-miss, and as a bonus, Sabor a Café is an intimate setting with great sound that serves wonderful Colombian food.   

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ENGLISH:  Escape, the debut album by Alberto Lescay & FORMAS, has just been released in both Cuba and several international digital stores.   This project represents the best of the best of the NuJazz movement in Cuba, and its release was accompanied with justifiable fanfare in the media in Cuba as well as a presentation concert in the Museo de Bellas Artes in La Habana, the perfect venue considering that the Lescay family is also distinguished in the plastic arts.  If you speak Spanish, you can listen to Rabio Rebelde's podcast special here:
ESPAÑOL: Escape, el álbum debut de Alberto Lescay & FORMAS, acaba de ser lanzado tanto en Cuba como en varias tiendas digitales internacionales. Este proyecto representa lo mejor de lo mejor del movimiento NuJazz en Cuba, y su lanzamiento fue acompañado con fanfarrias justificables en los medios en Cuba, así como un concierto de presentación en el Museo de Bellas Artes en La Habana, el lugar perfecto teniendo en cuenta que la familia Lescay también se distingue en las artes plásticas. Puedes escuchar el podcast especial de Rabio Rebelde aquí:

ENGLISH:  You can read Bill Tilford's review of Escape, which includes the group's EPK video, here.
ESPAÑOL:  Puedes leer la reseña por Bill Tilford de Escape (incluyendo el EPK  video del grupo) 
aquí. 

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As part of the Artes de Cuba festival, Tiempo Libre will be on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center of Washington DC tonight (May 20) at 6pm EDT.  Like all Millennium Stage free concerts, this will be livestreamed:  .  

TIMBA.com's best photographer, Tom Ehrlich, has been at some key performances during Artes de Cuba, and we are looking forward to seeing some of his work in the future. 

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