New Dimensions in Latin Jazz Present Ignacio Berroa Quartet and Elio Villafranca, 4/5

NEW DIMENSIONS in LATIN JAZZ returns to S.O.B.'s on Monday, April 5th, 2010 with a double bill of the Grammy-nominated Cuban drummer IGNACIO BERROA's quartet and the virtuoso Cuban pianist-composer ELIO VILLAFRANCA with a solo performance on acoustic piano.

The IGNACIO BERROA QUARTET features Robert Rodriguez on piano, Ricky Rodriguez on bass, Javier Perez on saxophone, and Ignacio Berroa on drums. Ben Ratliff of the New York Times said of the group, "If you want to understand the new Latin jazz - which is one of the almost measurably vital things going on now in jazz - you might as well start with the drummers. This makes Ignacio Berroa quite important. Mr. Berroa left Cuba for the United States in 1980, finding work with Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente and many others. His impressive new record, 'Codes' (Blue Note), with a distinct arrangement idea on every track, lays out different kinds of rhythmic feel along a vast spectrum....what makes Mr. Berroa stand out among other Cuban drummers is how deeply he has also mastered the looser feel of American jazz drumming. He proves it with his playing on 'Realidad y Fantasia,' a remarkable type of generous ballad-swing, made with brushes, that may be a dying art."

Now an important participant in the NY jazz scene, pianist/composer Elio Villafranca was born in Cuba and classically trained at El Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana. His music, informed by jazz and AfroCuban culture, creates spirited,groundbreaking innovations. His 2003 debut album, "Incantations/Encantaciones (Universal/Pimienta), was selected as one of the top 50 jazz albums of the year by Jazz Times Magazine.

The groundbreaking performance series, planned for alternate Mondays, continues April 19th with a double bill of multiple Grammy-wining bassist JOHN BENITEZ 's sextet and the duo of Grammy-winning Argentinian pianist FERNANDO ORTERO and violinist Nick Danielson.

NEW DIMENSIONS in LATIN JAZZ originated in a five month run at Jazz Standard in 2007, opening doors onto the panorama of cutting-edge music created by a new wave of Latin American jazzistas now based in New York -- Argentinean trumpeter Diego Urcola, Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda, Grammy-nominated Cuban guitarist Juan-Carlos Formell, Colombian percussionist Samuel Torres, Argentinian bassist Pedro Giraudo, and the U.S. debut of the Grammy-nominated Brazilian accordionist/composer Tonhino Ferragutti, as well as the New York debuts of exceptional Cuban jazz pianist/composers Elio Villafranca and Osmany Paredes.

The series continued into 2009 at Zinc Bar and S.O.B.'s. with presentations of Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry,and the New York debuts of Venezuelan pianist Silvano Monasterios and Cuban singer Haydee Milanes.

Tickets for the concert at S.O.B.'s range in price from $17.70 to $20 and may be purchased by calling the S.O.B. box office at 212-243-4940.

For more information, visit www.sobs.com.