LIVE
JAZZFEST: TOOMAI STRING QUINTET
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 | 6:30 PM
Blending global musical traditions with jazz improvisation, classical influences, and rhythmic interplay, the ensemble creates a richly textured sound shaped by contemporary composition and cross-cultural collaboration.
The Toomai String Quintet is a New York–based ensemble devoted to exploring musical traditions from around the world through original string arrangements and newly commissioned works. Formed at The Juilliard School in 2007, the group has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, 92Y, and Lincoln Center, earning recognition for “electrifying performances that bridge cultures and genres.” The quintet is particularly focused on expanding the Latin American chamber music repertoire, having arranged or commissioned more than 30 works by composers from the region. Their albums Cuerdas Cubanas (2018) and Passos Brasileiros (2024) have received critical acclaim. The ensemble features violinists Emilie-Anne Gendron and Alex Fortes, violist George Meyer, cellist Hamilton Berry, and bassist Andrew Roitstein.
JAZZFEST: SAMMY FIGUEROA PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO CAL TJADER
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 | 6:30 PM
Sammy Figueroa is a percussionist, bandleader, and Grammy-nominated artist known for his extensive work in Latin jazz, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean music. Over the course of his career, Figueroa has performed and recorded with artists including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, and Herbie Hancock, while also leading his own acclaimed ensembles.
This special performance pays tribute to Cal Tjader, the pioneering vibraphonist and bandleader whose recordings helped bring Latin jazz to a wider audience during the 1950s and 1960s. Known for combining Afro Cuban rhythms with cool jazz and West Coast jazz traditions, Tjader collaborated with artists including Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Eddie Palmieri and remains a major influence within Latin jazz.
Featuring rhythm driven arrangements, improvisation, and music associated with Tjader’s celebrated recordings and musical legacy, this performance honors one of the defining figures in the history of Latin jazz.