West Windsor Arts Council presents The Power of Percussion, its third annual music festival, on Saturday, July 28, from 1 to 6 p.m., at Nassau Park Pavilion, behind Panera Restaurant. This free event, coordinated by Dave Haneman of Plainsboro, features Tony Vacca and World Rhythms, Animus, Swing Sabroso, and the Chuck Staab Group. During each set change, MIMA Music offers Spin Jazz sessions, an audience participation drum jam session.##M:[more]##
Haneman is a musician, active member of the WWAC advisory board, and owner of Haneman Associates, a video/music/special event production company.
Vacca, an innovative American percussionist with jazz and world music roots going back to 1972, is part of a wave of contemporary musicians whose work has fueled the rediscovery of the power of the drum, along with the power of music to build global common ground. Due to his unique approach to playing the balafon, a West African xylophone, and his depth of knowledge regarding African and American traditions, he has recorded and/or performed with a wide range of musicians including Sting, Senegalese Afro-pop star Baaba Maal, jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, and poet Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets.
In World Rhythms Vacca performs with balafon, gongs, percussion, and spoken word, with Tim Moran on saxophones, Joe Sallins on electric bass and percussion, Steve Leicach on percussion, and Derrik Jordan on electric violin, percussion, and voice.
Animus is an instrumental group of culturally diverse musical concepts and traditions featuring Greek, Blues, Middle Eastern, Jazz, Spanish, Funk, Latin, Rock, Indian, Jewish Klezmer, African music. The unorthodox instrumentation and original compositions present a variety of grooves and tribal rhythms, coupled with spontaneous, passionate improvisation,
Ray Rodriguez & Swing Sabroso presents a hot salsa sound. The group’s distinctive style is the result of the extensive musical backgrounds of the band’s individual members, who have performed and recorded with some of the most recognizable names in Latin music before joining together to integrate Swing Sabroso.
Chuck Staab, who began playing music a child by banging away on lamps and desks while listening to his father’s records, has studied with percussionists Jeff Ballard, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ralph Peterson, and David Jackson. He also studied composition with such composers as Anthony D.J. Branker, Dan Trueman, and Barbara White.
MIMA Music Spin Jazz Session offers an audience participation jam session during each set change. Audience members of all ages are encouraged to bring their own instrument to the performance. Music making experience is not needed.
The full program is at www.westwindsorarts.org. The program will be held under the tent rain or shine.
Power of Percussion, West Windsor Arts Council, Nassau Park Pavilion, West Windsor, 609-919-1982. www.westwindsorarts.org Rain or shine. Free. Saturday, July 28, 1 to 6 p.m.
