CyberHalides Jazz » 2015 » WANG - Jane Bunnett Maqueque - 30 Oct 2015

I went into this gig not familiar with Jane or the other musicians and so not knowing what to expect, and came out with a big smile on my face, having been totally charmed by the performance. While I heard a lot of good music over the weekend this was one of the highlights for me. No soaring, searing improvised solos here, just joyous rhythms and energy. This was a visual spectacle as well as an aural one, the way that all the musicians engaged with the music, with their instruments, with each other, and with the audience. I am a sucker for those Latin rhythms, which featured in a number of gigs this year, starting with these six engaging women. [Normally I try and capture images of the whole band, but somehow Dánae got missed out, so apologies to her.]

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque (Jane Bunnett - sax, flute; Melvis Santa - vocals, dance; Magdelys Savigne - vocals, percussion; Yissy García - drums; Dánae Olano - piano, vocals; Célia Jiménez - bass) performing in the WPAC Theatre at the 2015 Wangaratta Festival of Jazz