Great lineup for Valentines Day Concert this Friday nite @California Ballroom Oakland

This Friday, February 11th, Montuno Productions is presenting the 2nd Annual Valentine’s Day Concert-Dance as part of the Bay Area Latin Jazz Festival Concert Series starting at 8 pm at the classic Art Deco themed California Ballroom, 1736 Franklin Street in Oakland. Opening up the show will be Cuban Jazz vocalist Jessy Diaz who will be accompanied by four time Grammy Award winner Oscar Hernandez of Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Diaz who now resides in South Florida is originally from Matanzas. She grew up in the renowned home of the Rumba and starting singing at the age of 8 influenced by her singing mother. She is an accomplished percussionist and has a degree as a Musicology. Her demo has impressed me with her sublime voice on gorgeous songs such as “Elegua Quiere Tambo” and “Hoy De Habana“. I had the opportunity to interview Jessy on my program, Con Sabor on KPFA. She is someone with a bright future ahead of her.

The concert-dance will also feature the popular vocalist/conguero Edgardo Cambon and Candela who will follow Diaz. Edgardo and Candela will be performing original material as well as crowd favorites. The show will conclude with the anticipated set of The MP All Star Salsa Project directed by pianist/record producer Israel “Izzy” Tannenbaum who has performed with Grupo Niche and other notable performers in Puerto Rico and Latin America. He has recently worked with local sonero/bassist Carlos Ramirez on his own label Latinbaum Records. Tannenbaum has been the featured pianist of the previous versions of the MP All Stars who are comprised of stellar musicians from the SF Bay Area. I will be the Master of Ceremonies and the DJ in-between the sets for the evening. Cuban Food will be provided by Yaqueline Y Su Sabor Cubano for hungry folks attending the show.

Tickets to attend the live concert-dance will be available at montunoproductions.com or bayarealatinjazzfestival.com. If you can’t make it in person, the concert will also be live-streamed at conjuntomusic.com for a nominal charge. Either way that you attend the show, it promises to be a fine evening of music!

That’s all for this time. Ciao 4 now!!