New Yorker Bob Sands came to Europe 11 years ago with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and decided to stay to broaden his horizons He was young and qualified having graduated from Eastman with a degree in Classical Saxophone and did his graduate work the The Manhattan School of Music studying Jazz. He originally planned to base in Paris. But after a gig in Madrid he stayed and made a life there. The first few years were spent in Cultural transition as his brash New York personality clashed with the

A true Diva needs more than attitude and bravura. She has to deliver and back it up with chops and skill as well as power of presence. Columbian vocalist Martha Patricia is a Latin Diva who takes the stage and commands your attention and involvement with her musicality, originality and true love of Jazz. At a recent concert at Café Berlin she delivered a variety of classic Jazz standards as well as Salsa adaptations and Brazilian Classics. She obviously has been influenced by Sarah Vaughn and

On Monday nights, Madrid´s premier jazz venue hosts The Dukaband, an 11 piece group that plays the music of Duke Ellington with a horn line up that includes tuba, trombone, two trumpets, Baritone, Tenor and Alto Saxophones. I went expecting to hear faithful renditions of Duke´s work in the style of the period but quickly realized that the themes and Structures of Ellington´s compositions were used as a starting point for wild creativity in approach, orchestrations and style. The group features s

It must be the pure love of the music that drives them Jane Bunnett and husband Larry Cramer. The rigors of the road can take a toll as they shepherd their ever-evolving band of Cuban artists and they do it in a home-style relaxed manner with Trumpeter Larry Cramer also serving as road manager for the crew. For their Sunday night date at Victors on the Bay in San Diego the Bass did not arrive with the band a full sized acoustic bass mysteriously vanished without a trace. After many frantic calls

The group Valle Son is a little known Cuban group first encountered by Canadian tourists in Cuba. They were enchanted by the groups unpretentious, folkloric style and brought them to Canada, recorded them and sent them out on tour. Juneau Salsa Dancers Antonio and Heather Diaz had heard the group in Canada and for 3 years battled Visa restrictions until they finally got permission to bring the group to the Alaskan Capital, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, snuggled at the foot of a