The University of Iowa School of Music will present a free concert by the Latin Jazz Ensemble (LJE), with special guests from the UI Afro-Cuban Drum and Dance Ensemble, at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21, in Riverside Recital Hall on the UI campus.

“This performance will combine the folkloric roots of the music with Latin jazz from the entire spectrum of its existence,” says James Dreier, director of the Latin Jazz Ensemble.

The Latin Jazz Ensemble is a group ranging from 10 to 15 members dedicated to playing the music of the Caribbean and South America. Its programs each semester are often centered around one country or region, and regularly feature an expanded rhythm section. Dreier is a founding member of Orquesta Alto Maiz and is widely regarded as a resource for Afro-Cuban drum styles.

Current members of LJE are Taylor Matuszeski, trumpet and flugal; Chris Thompson, trumpet and flugal; Brooke Handricks, saxophones and flute; Johnny Cohen, guitar; Jacob Stanbro, bass; Michael Jarvey, piano; Joe Verstraete, drums and percussion; Chris Reichmeier, percussion; and Marcelo Cardoso, drums and percussion.

The UI Afro-Cuban Drum and Dance Ensemble is led by Dreier, Paul Cunliffe from the UI Department of Dance, and well-known folkloric dancer and Latin dance instructor Modei Akyea of University Communication and Marketing.

In March 2003, with support from the UI Division of Performing Arts, International Programs, and the Department of Dance, Cunliffe and Dreier organized a study abroad trip for UI dance and music students. The group traveled to Matanzas, Cuba, to study Afro-Cuban folkloric dance, drumming, and songs with the world-renowned folkloric ensembles Los Munequitos and Afrocuba de Matanzas. On returning, the UI Afro-Cuban Drum and Dance Ensemble was formed by Cunliffe, Dreier, and former UI Department of Dance visiting professor Daniel Stark.

Through the UI outreach program Arts Share, the UI Afro-Cuban Drum and Dance Ensemble has performed concerts and lecture/demonstrations on campus and in public schools and colleges throughout Iowa.

The School of Music and the Department of Dance are part of the Division of Performing Arts in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact the School of Music in advance at 319-335-1603.

For a UI arts calendar and details about upcoming events visit the new Arts Iowa website.