So I went to a concert this past Friday night. Mind you, I haven’t been to a concert of any sort in, um, 13 years almost. That was the Go-Gos for $7 at UD back in 1993. This time it was Salsamba, a Latin jazz group from Pittsburgh. Only $5 for students ($12 for faculty/staff, and $15 for everyone else). This was by far the best entertainment I’ve had in years.
I like jazz in general, though I think I’d tire of sitting for 2 hours with regular jazz. Latin jazz is quite another story. This is “feel good music,” and digs deep into your mind and soul. The drums soothe and uplift all at once! You tell me the last time any of the industry whores (e.g. Beyonce, Sean Puff Daddy P Diddy Can’t Even Decide His Name Combs) did that!
Anyway, the Salsamba guys are GREAT and really enjoy what they do, which makes all the difference. They like good music and pleasing the crowd, not fame or fortune. If you know me, you know I’m so disgusted with art having been replaced with ego and greed. The American “free market” has viciously raped art and turned it into nothing more than another profit source. So it’s always great to have access to real art and talent through the University’s “Performing Arts Series.”
Salsamba can be found here, but there’s not too much there. They don’t list upcoming shows yet, and I only see a few sound clips on this page. However, if you ever see a jazz festival where they play, or even a show in a club, check them out. One older CD is listed on Rhapsody, so I suspect some of their stuff may be on I-Tunes or Sony Connect. They are a great group making great music. It doesn’t hurt that they are genuinely nice guys–they came out front to personally sign/sell their CDs and you could sense their passion about music. Very refreshing in a world of pompous mediocrity!