On April 28, 1960, jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan recorded a seminal four-track album entitled Leeway. Not only did this record earn contemporary critical acclaim, but decades after its release, it inspired Indiana trumpeter Wade Baker to pursue a career in jazz. Baker has since dived deep into the blues, too, and this May the Dayton transplant – who now also sings and plays bass and electric guitar – will promote his passion for the two genres at two local venues. Baker took an afternoon to chat with the Dayton City Paper about his musical evolution, chaotic drummers and Dayton’s “funky” attitude.

So, how did a jazz trumpeter from Jasper, Ind., start moonlighting as a blues musician?

When I moved to Cincinnati in 2006, I began playing electric bass in a blues band. This experience definitely infused quite a bit of “bluesy grease” in my writing. I toured for over three years as an electric bassist and continually get calls to play on recording sessions and perform at major gigs all over the country. As for being a blues guitarist and singer, I would say that I’m still learning. I’ve only been fronting the Wade Baker Blues Group since February of 2011, and even though I’m playing many of the most impressive blues venues and festivals, I know I have a lot to learn. – Wade Baker

Some of your original compositions display strong funk influences. From whence the funk?

In 2011, I moved to Dayton and began playing with a lot of cats who used to hit with the Ohio Players, Sun, Slave, Heatwave, Lakeside, Platypus, Zapp, etc. I had absolutely no clue how many incredible funk bands were present in Dayton in the 1970s, and that most of those musicians still live in town. I would definitely say that moving to Dayton has schooled me in funk. – WB

This month, you’ll be playing with the Jazz Central Big Band at Jazz Central and leading the Wade Baker Blues Group at Tumbleweed Connection. As a performer, what’s the biggest difference between a blues audience and a jazz audience?

It’s actually kind of difficult to distinguish the difference. When I’m fronting the Wade Baker Blues Group and playing guitar, it’s almost as if another innuendo-laden personality gets set free. There are many more liberties in the blues, [concerning] acceptable dress code, concert etiquette, sobriety levels (laughs). Simply put, I play the blues because it’s so much fun, and I play jazz because it satisfies my musical desires.     – WB

How would you honestly describe Dayton’s attitude toward jazz?

Since I travel all over the country playing jazz, I feel I have a reasonable idea of how people perceive the music nationwide. Dayton, compared to most places, is incredibly clueless about jazz – barring a very small contingency of people “in the know.” I’m not sure if it’s because Dayton has traditionally been a “funk” town … or [because] there hasn’t been a reason for the Dayton public to get excited about a jazz artist. – WB

Jazz musicians are often asked why critics seem eager to write jazz’s obituary. What are your thoughts on this question?

People’s attention spans are now measured in nanoseconds, and jazz requires a depth of thought that the modern world does not accommodate. We have let our culture become watered down and perverted to the most pathetic levels ever, and it’s reflected in our artistic endeavors. Most people think “American Idol” or “The Voice” are acceptable forms of “live” entertainment and consider karaoke singers to be musicians. Frankly, the lack of appreciation for true talent and ability makes me question how long anyone will care to watch humans creating live music anymore. – WB

You have appeared on some hip-hop albums as a “gun for hire.” How does modern jazz fit into the context of modern hip-hop? 

I feel jazz musicians are equipped with the harmonic, melodic and rhythmic capacity to function on a high level in any idiom. Jazz, hip-hop, blues and funk are all African American musical forms and to deny that fact would be irresponsible. Jazz and blues will always be prevalent in hip-hop. For example: Tyler the Creator is a modern hip-hop artist. On his latest release, Wolf, he uses Frank Ocean’s music and beats on tracks. Frank’s chord voicings are atypical for most hip-hop records. They sound like jazz harmonies. This is a great example of how jazz harmonic language can work perfectly in modern hip-hop.  – WB

Final question: Jazz drummers are supernovas of constant chaos – agree or disagree?

Drummers, period, cause chaos (laughs). Jazz musicians, especially high-level jazz musicians, are some of the most picky people to deal with! Be it the food you eat on the road or the sound of the piano at the venue, to who’s setting up where on stage … blah, blah, blah. Personally, I’m incredibly low maintenance. Give me a stage, an audience and someplace to shower and rest and I’ll lay it on the line for the music. – WB

Wade Baker performs with the Jazz Central Big Band on Thursday, May 2, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (and the first Thursday of every month) at Jazz Central, 2931 E. Third St. Admission is $5. The Wade Baker Blues Group performs on Friday, May 3, at 9:30 p.m. at Tumbleweed Connection, 454 E. Fifth St. Please call 937.228.5500 for admission details. For more information, visit wadebaker.com.

 Reach DCP freelance writer Benjamin Smith at BenjaminSmith@DaytonCityPaper.com.

When a young artist emerged on the New York jazz scene in the early ‘60s, you could listen to the vinyl records he recorded monthly, and in most cases even less. We could hear the cool sounds emanating from the hi-fi back in the day, but if your favorite artist walked up to you to ask for a smoke back then, you probably wouldn’t recognize the face. In those dark ages of pre-electronica, there was no Youtube, no camera phones, Spacebook Friends, no Twitter tweets and no road cams documenting your every move.

Such was the case of Armando Anthony Corea, better known as “Chick.” This young innovator hit the jazz scene like a Russian meteorite. He recorded with flautist Herbie Mann before releasing two daring, debut albums that included “Tones for Joan’s Bones.”

But it was the album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs that caught the attention of jazz nuts nationwide.

Corea, a Boston-based young musician, was a brilliant combination of time, touch, feeling, swing and technique all rolled up in one post-bop pianist with post-impressionistic ideas.

Corea and his parents are from Northern Spain. His father, a Boston bandleader during the ‘30s and ‘40s, introduced Corea to the piano at age four. Since then, the story has blossomed into a full-blown corsage of music that puts Corea on the leading edge of jazz pianists alongside the likes of Herbie Hancock – with whom he has dueled several times – McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett.

Corea has traveled to the Midwest on a number of occasions, usually bringing his long time drummer, Lenny White, and his brother from another mother, bassist Stanley Clarke. For this performance, however, Corea will go it alone in a solo piano concert.

The event is sponsored by the Miami Regional Arts Series under the steady leadership of Dr. Howard Epstein. “The Miami Regional Artist series consists of two separate series on the Hamilton and Middletown campuses of Miami University. I am director of both,” Epstein said.

Somewhat similar to Cityfolk, Dayton’s Cultural Arts Presenter for more than 25 years, Epstein has always been able to present the best talent to the Miami regional arts community and surrounding areas with affordable ticket prices.

“Some of the acts that have appeared in Hamilton include Alison Krauss and Union Station, Diana Krall, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Ben Harper, Andy Bey, Keb Mo, Junior Wells, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the Seldom Scene and many more. In the past three years, Middletown has also presented Arlo Guthrie, Randy Newman, Esperanza Spaulding, Trombone Shorty, the Punch Brothers and Dailey and Vincent,” he said.

The thing about seeing and hearing Chick Corea’s band is that you never knew what was up his sleeve. Whether Corea plays acoustic piano, drums, electric keyboards or just hits a couple tin cans with a stick, you are in for a truly stimulating evening of galvanizing music. I’m hesitant to say “jazz” because I want everyone to enter the auditorium with an open mind and strap you seat belts on tight.

“I started this whole music playing with Herbie Mann,” Corea said. “I played with Herbie Mann for two years, then he got some money to produce and asked me to record some Latin stuff. I kind of told him I have some heavier, more avant-garde stuff that I’d like to do, so he gave me the green light.”

After recording his own debut album, Corea was immediately pushed into the harsh glare of stardom, latching on to Stan Getz – with whom he recorded the incredible Sweet Rain with drummer Roy Haynes.

“Music is about associations and associations run deep,” he said. “For Return to Forever, there was a history of playing together that we couldn’t shake so we decided form a band.”

Corea’s second album, Is, caught the eye and ear of Miles Davis and he wound up sharing piano duties with Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock.

From those humble beginnings, Corea has garnered numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards at the recent 2013 show for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo and Best Instrumental Composition. Recent years have also seen Corea’s rising interest in contemporary classical music. He composed his first piano concerto and an adaptation of his composition “Spain” with the London Symphony Orchestra.

I like to describe Corea as a comet: brilliant, streaking through the heavens, dodging clouds and creating calamity on Earth. But just like that legendary heavenly body, Haley’s Comet, it will return some day. You don’t want to miss Chick Corea during this tour.

Chick Corea will perform a solo piano concert on Sunday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at Miami Middletown Campus’ Dave Finkelman Auditorium, 4200 N. University Blvd. Tickets are $35. For more information, call 513.529.3200 or visit the Miami Box Office website at tickets.miamioh.edu.

Reach DCP freelance writer Khalid Moss at KhalidMoss@daytoncitypaper.com

Talk to any hardcore bluegrass fan and Rhonda Vincent’s name is bound to come up. She was named the Female Vocalist of the Year each year from 2000 through 2006 by the International Bluegrass Music Association and The Wall Street Journal hailed her as the “new queen of bluegrass.” She began her music career at the ripe old age of five with her family in the “Sally Mountain Show” and music can be traced back five generations in the Vincent family. She recently sat down with the Dayton City Paper and talked about growing up on the stage and the tradition-steeped nature of bluegrass music.

You come from a musical family and have been playing music virtually your entire life. Not many people can relate to that lifestyle. Were there pressures from that atmosphere?

When I was three years and five years old, growing up in a musical family, you just think that everyone else is at their house doing the same thing or traveling like you do. You don’t really think about it as anything but a normal life. My dad picked me up from school every day, so he, my grandpa Bill and I could sing and play till dinner. After dinner, friends came over and we played till bedtime. This was an every night occurrence and I thought it was a perfectly normal way of life, as if everyone was doing the same thing. It wasn’t until I became a teenager that I discovered that Tommy Parsons and Barb Wheeler were at the skating rink, or staying overnight with friends and I was with my family playing music. I grew to love the music so much; it wasn’t really a choice of having it as a career. It was a way of life that just evolved into a career. –Rhonda Vincent

Is it easier to find inspiration with so many legendary players to draw from or is it harder to carve a unique sound of your own?

I think the legendary bluegrass musicians give a wonderful foundation and template for a continuous authenticity to the music. Early in my career, I would experiment with the parameters in order to figure out how to meld the hard-driving traditional bluegrass music into my own musical sound and still give it a contemporary edge, in order to create something fresh and new. With the saturation of so many artists in all genres of music, it makes for a great challenge with each new project – sometimes making something new means going back to an original sound. -RV

Bluegrass offers fans a wealth of festivals all across the country. What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing a festival versus playing your own show?

The advantage of a festival is we get to play two shows and visit in between with our bluegrass friends and other artists. The disadvantage of that is it makes for a very long day, doing two shows and signing after each one and the wait time sometimes will bog you down. The advantage of a show is you get a realistic view of your brand and your value. If people come to a show that only you are performing at, you know they love what you do enough to pay for a ticket, instead of a festival where there are multiple artists. I love to perform at various types of venues. I think it keeps us fresh and challenges us to different situations. It’s important that we be able to play our best, even if the conditions are not perfect. It’s one of those self-fulfilling experiences. Where others might choose to go into controlled environments, where they see the same type of stage with the same set up night after night, I would get bored with that. I love waking up to see where we are next, who I may encounter and what adventure is before us. -RV

Many people might look at a life of constant touring and travel as exhausting. You’ve spent so much of your life as a professional musician, is it hard for you to adjust to down time?

It is difficult for me to just chill out. There are even more things for me to do when I’m off the road, since we have our own record label. I always greet each day with a list of 50 or more things to do, knowing I’ll have to prioritize to accomplish a portion of them. -RV

Perhaps more than any other style of music, bluegrass fans hold tight to tradition. Is it tough to balance staying true to a somewhat rigid construct while still challenging yourself to explore new areas? 

I think each artist must do what their heart leads them to do. Ultimately, each artist should do what they find will make them successful. There have been many things I’d LIKE to do, but I found it was not feasible.  I think the challenge is changing things, whatever it might be, and no matter how difficult it is to make the change and being willing to do whatever it takes to make you successful.  That in turn requires you to do a complete evaluation of every facet of your career, and make the hard choices. -RV

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage will perform on Saturday, March 9 at Miami University Hamilton’s Parrish Auditorium, 1601 University Blvd. in Hamilton. Performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 ($23 for seniors, $16 for students and children 12 and under). For more information, visit regionals.muohio.edu/artistseries/hamilton.htm or rhondavincent.com.

The Weekend of Jazz is still running strong, 13 years later, thanks to McCullough’s efforts, as well as those of event director Jeff Weir, event promoter Dan Archibald and scores of other school and community volunteers. The event, held annually the first weekend in March and organized and presented by the Beavercreek Music Parents Association, continues to expose students and the community to new and exciting forms of jazz. It also provides participating students with opportunities to learn about the world of jazz, including careers in music, directly from professional jazz musicians.

Weekend of Jazz blends performances from professional and aspiring musicians. Beavercreek students, as well as those from schools in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, have a chance to show off their stuff. Each year, the event also draws two marquee ensembles to headline Friday and Saturday nights. These groups are always world-class. Previous headliners have included The Woody Herman Orchestra, Spyro Gyra, Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band, The Stanley Clarke Band, Tito Puente, Jr. and His Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and the Buddy Rich Big Band. This year, Jeff Coffin and the Mu’Tet return for their second year on Friday night and pianist Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band headline Saturday’s bill.

The event kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 28. The first performance features the Beavercreek jazz ensembles from Ankeney and Ferguson middle schools and the Jazz I and Jazz II ensembles from Beavercreek High School. Thursday’s concert is free and open to the public. What makes this performance special – and indicative of the culture of learning that pervades the weekend – is that one of the professional musicians, Jeff Coffin, will be providing feedback to the young players after each set. This interaction takes place on stage, so that parents and the community can also listen in on the master class.

Saturday day also features student performances. There are generally 18-20 bands participating in Saturday’s event. These middle school, high school and college jazz bands come from the surrounding communities for a chance to exhibit their talent. While there is some informal competition among the student bands, the emphasis is always on music instruction and learning. After each Saturday performance, a panel of professional jazz musicians and music educators critique the concert. The student bands also have the opportunity to attend clinics for one-on-one advice from one of the panel members. Through these sessions, the students have a chance to interact with the musicians, learning not only about the mechanics of the music, but also about careers in the field. In fact, several years ago, one of the professional groups, the all-female group Five Play approached one of the Beavercreek High School saxophone players about potential future work. They were so impressed with her playing that they asked her to send them her resume once she had graduated high school.

The Friday and Saturday night headlining acts provide a rare opportunity to see high caliber musicianship in an intimate setting – the auditorium holds about 800 people. In addition, the festival tickets for the evening shows are very reasonable – $30 for adults and $20 for seniors and students.

The headlining bands offer two distinct takes on contemporary jazz. Jeff Coffin and the Mu’tet is led by Jeff Coffin, who many may know as the saxophonist from the Dave Matthews Band and from Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. Playing cutting-edge compositions, The Mu’tet takes its name from the word “mutation,” signifying the growth and adaptation of jazz music. The band features an all-star cast, including Felix Pastorius on bass (son of bass legend Jaco Pastorius), Bill Fanning on trumpet, Chris Walters on keys and five-time Grammy winner Roy “Futureman” Wooten on drums. The group’s music draws from myriad sources, including African, New Orleans, Indian, funk, jazz, folk, Gypsy, rock, fusion, Brazilian and other styles of music. A non-traditionalist, Coffin is known to use guitar effects on his sax, which he calls “electro-sax.” He also sometimes plays two saxophones at once.

Ramsey Lewis is a jazz piano icon. The keyboardist, who recorded his first album in Chicago in 1956, has since released more than 80 albums and has received three Grammys. During his long career, the musician has collaborated with artists such as Earth, Wind, & Fire, Grover Washington, Jr. and Nancy Wilson. While Lewis played in an acoustic trio for much of the last 15 years, his latest album has seen a return to his electric roots. His most recent album featured Henry Johnson on guitar, Michael Logan on keys, Joshua Ramos on bass and Charles Heath on drums.

The Beavercreek High School Weekend of Jazz takes place Thursday, Feb. 28 through Saturday, March 2 at Beavercreek High School, 2660 Dayton-Xenia Road. The Thursday and Saturday day shows are free, while tickets for the Friday and Saturday night concerts are $30 for adults and $20 for seniors and students. For more information, go to WeekendOfJazz.org.

Reach DCP freelance writer Kevin J. Gray at KevinGray@daytoncitypaper.com

 If you place bets and are a football fan, then you probably bet on who would be the winner of the Super Bowl shortly ago. You either won or you lost, but you surely didn’t know the exact outcome. That is what one must respect about sports: It’s just as unpredictable as the weather forecast. With that said, that is also what many people like about jazz: the improvisation that takes you into intriguing directions that even the musician playing didn’t fully map out.

“The nature of jazz is improvised music,” stated Hot Club of Detroit’s Evan Perri. He added that sports like football and hockey are improvised. “You have your set of rules, but you go out there and you think on your toes.”

“Another main similarity between sports and music to me is you often play music and sports with other people, especially in jazz,” noted Perri. “That’s what I like doing. I like experiencing music and life with other people, as opposed to sitting in my bedroom and never leaving the house. I like to socialize and share with others.”

Just as interested in skateboarding as he was in playing instruments when he was young, Perri said that he started out playing the bass, but when he heard this unique style of jazz known as gypsy jazz he was instantly hooked and started a like-minded jazz band in 2003. This gypsy jazz style was invented by the Belgian-born gypsy Django Reinhardt in France in the 1930s.

“Reinhardt is my favorite guitarist in the world. I have been listening to him everyday for many years now and I just love it all,” exclaimed Perri. “Our music is dedicated to his spirit.”

Their style has led to many accolades in the press, including one from allmusic.com writer Ken Dryden that stated: “Hot Club of Detroit’s interest in continuing to expand their musical horizons makes each new release a highly anticipated event.”

Perri said that although Hot Club plays modern compositions in the style of gypsy jazz, there are just as many similarities as there are differences.

“Our original compositions have nothing to do with gypsy jazz. I guess you can just call them jazz compositions,” explained Perri. “But we perform with a certain set of instrumentation and that is where we get our sound.”

This set of instrumentation can be compared and contrasted to gypsy jazz accordingly, and the show often features many dynamic performers, including Shawn Conley on bass, Jon Irabagon  onsaxophones, Perri on guitar, Julien Labro on accordion and Paul Brady on guitar.

“Our instrumentation can be very similar, but instead of a violin we use an accordion,” he said. “We also use all gypsy guitars and there is no drummer.”

There is even sometimes a singer that Perri describes as sounding “unique.”

“We play differently when you have a singer, as backing up a singer is a whole art form in itself,” said Perri. “We have to be conscious of that and not step on their toes and then everything sounds great.”

Perri also said that they use a type of strumming that gives the music a fast, swinging feeling often used in the style known as la pompe, which means “the pump.”

“I think you can take an old song and make it sound new again It’s all in how you approach music and arrange it,” Perri said, also noting that adding other styles to your sound does not make you more modern and original. “Just by having other influences in your sound does not make you more modern, as what makes you more modern is how the compositions are put together. You have to be true and honest and play what you are into and let that come out.”

However, Perri said he is not opposed to putting many different styles in his sound, as long as it is still the composition that matters most.

“Our song ‘Junction’ means a junction of a bunch of different sounds, like railroad tracks crossing each other of different types of music.”

While the song titles of his compositions not only come from what is reflected in the music, Perri also noted that they are reflective of what his frame of mind is in terms of influence.

“‘Song for Gabriel’ off of the Junction album, for instance, is dedicated to pop-star Peter Gabriel and reflects my enjoyment of getting away from the more jazzy style of writing into the style that I grew up with – a pop/folk type of approach.”

When asked about the advantages and disadvantages of writing in specific styles, Perri said that all music and life has advantages and disadvantages.

“I think music is music. I don’t write music for any advantage. I am writing music because it is what I hear in my head.”

Cityfolk presents The Hot Club of Detroit on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at the University of Dayton’s Boll Theatre, 300 College Park Dr. Tickets are $20. Doors at 8 p.m. For tickets call 937.496.3863. For more information on The Hot Club of Detroit, visit hotclubofdetroit.com.

When I was in my teens, I had my first run-in with a set of bongo drums. You know, the kind that are in a pair, stave-constructed of wood, about eight inches high, joined together by a small slab of wood, with two natural-hide heads of different diameters you tune by inserting a standard drum key into tuning lugs.

A great conversation-starter at parties championed by Desi Arnaz and a character in the TV series “The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis,” bongos were – for a while at least – ubiquitous. For that very reason, perhaps, many did not consider them a serious musical instrument. After all, how hard could they be to play? And whatever could you do with them to make them anything more than portable beat-keepers?

What, indeed?

On Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. in the Sears Recital Hall of the University of Dayton’s Philips Humanities Center, Arts Series and Cityfolk will present “Cuban Connections.” And you will see – and hear – how one man has elevated the playing of percussion instruments to the heights of musical artistry. His name is Candido Camero, and he began playing when he was only four years old.

87 years ago!

His uncle – a professional bongo player – made him a pair of bongo drums out of two empty condensed milk cans. And his grandfather taught him how to play a bass guitar by ear, because as Camero stated, “I don’t know nothing for do-re-mi.”

Yeah, sure.

Camero may not know how to read music, but he knows how to do more than just keep the beat to it with drums; he knows how to turn bongos and conga drums into truly “musical” instruments. He has used his fertile imagination to pioneer the use of multiple drums tuned to specific pitches, coordinated independence (doing one thing with the left hand and a different thing with the right hand), and multiple percussion (three congas) all played at the same time by one person.

And Camero knows jazz. He’s performed with just about every single jazz great of his era: Pearl Bailey, Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Lena Horne, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Sonny Rollins, George Shearing and Sarah Vaughn.

Camero has played on over 1,000 albums, making him the most recorded conga drummer in the history of music. In 2008, he received the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz

Masters Award.

Joined by Cuban piano legend Hilario Duran and Canadian saxophonist/flutist Jane Bunnett, Candido will provide the heartbeat of an evening of Latin/Cuban jazz.

Cited as one of the world’s most innovative creators of Afro-Cuban music and Latin jazz, 59-year-old Cuban pianist, composer, arranger, orchestra leader, educator and recording artist Hilario Duran immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1998. In just over ten years, he had been named one of the ten most influential Hispanic Canadians.

Duran won two JUNO Award 2010 nominations for the Hilario Durán Trio album Motion (Alma/Universal Records), named Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year and Number 1 Latin Jazz Best Recording of 2010 by Latin Jazz Network. He earned a Grammy nomination in 2007 for his Latin Jazz Big Band album, From the Heart, (Alma/Universal Records) featuring Paquito D’Rivera and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez.

He was also honored with the prestigious 2007 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award in Miami for his outstanding contributions to Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin jazz. And he won the “Premio EGREM” for Best Arranger of the Year 1982-83, one of Cuba’s most prestigious music prizes.

Duran has performed with Cuba’s legendary Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna and accepted former leader Chucho Valdés’s invitation to replace him as pianist when Valdés started the famous group Irakere. For nine years, Duran toured worldwide as arranger, pianist and musical director for Arturo Sandoval. In his career, he has performed with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Michel Legrand, to name only a few.

Duran also serves as Adjunct Piano Professor and Ensemble Director on the jazz faculty at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario.

Canadian saxophonist/flutist Jane Bunnett has been twice nominated for Grammy Awards (Best Latin Jazz Recording 2002 for Alma de Santiago and 2003 for Cuban Odyssey), and is a fixture of nominations for Canada’s Juno Awards.

What’s so special about Cuban music, anyway?

“Its authenticity, and genuineness,” Bunnett remarks. “Such amazing, beautiful voices. And the diversification of music on the island, there’s always another genre to discover, so many styles of music. Then there’s the quality of the music, the tightness of the groups is really impressive – they practice all day long. It’s highly competitive, but in a nice way. It’s like baseball for them.”

If what Bunnett says is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, then suffice it to say that the trio of Camero, Duran and Bunnett should hit one out of the park …

The UD Arts Series and Cityfolk present “Cuban Connections” on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Sears Recital Hall of the University of Dayton’s Philips Humanities Center, 300 College Park Dr. Doors at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $25,  $23 for seniors, military, faculty and staff and $10 for students. Call Cityfolk at (937) 496-3863, or purchase online at www.cityfolk.org.