Jimmy Bosch, hailed as the best trombonista in Salsa and Latin Jazz today, will present his "Salsa Dura" Dance Party at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. A "Learn to Dance Salsa" lesson is available for a limited number before the performance and a post-show Salsa Party will take place in the lobby.

A fiery exponent of the progressive sound he calls "Salsa Dura" (Hard Salsa), Bosch's landmark recordings have placed him at the center of the Latin music movement. He describes "Salsa Dura" as "tropical dance music played correctly, aggressively, with an edge, and with a lot of passion."

Born in Jersey City to Puerto Rican parents and raised in Hoboken, Bosch says music was always in his life. His journey to Salsa Dura is both a testament to and an evolution of Puerto Rican musical traditions. Bosch continuously re-invents the music of a culture with roots in Africa and Spain, by drawing upon an eclectic repertoire: the plenas of an agrarian Puerto Rico, the Afro-Cuban mambo, the Beatles, American folk tunes, and the New York Salsa of the '70s informed by straight-ahead jazz and contemporary rock.

Not bad for the fifth-grader who really wanted a saxophone when his school gave him the opportunity to play a musical instrument. He was offered a trombone instead and recalls, "The thing was bigger than I was!" It didn't take him long to fall in love with the trombone and by age 13 he was playing with local Latin bands.

He had the daring to take his trombone case to New York clubs, stand in front of the stage and ask the bandleader if he could play a solo. Several bands gave him the opportunity and by his late teens he was a seasoned musician and began touring with Manny Oquendo and the Orquesta Libre. Throughout his career he has worked with artists such as Cachao, Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, the Caiman All Stars, Tito Puente and Roberto Torres, among others.

In 1996 he assembled his own band and a year later was signed by the RykoLatino label. His first solo production was the dynamic "Soneando Trombon," followed by the dazzling "Salsa Dura." He describes his band's style as "the New York City experience, the New York style. Urban and aggressive, born in the main melting pot of the world, New York City."

Invited in 1998 and 1999 Bosch and his band were invited to the most prestigious national and international Jazz and World Music festivals. They have appeared at Lincoln Center, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy and the Sidney Festival in Australia. Bosch has also appeared on national television with Jay Leno, David Sanborn, and "All My children."

Tickets to the performance are $20, with discounts available for seniors, students and groups. A limited number of sign-ups are available for the "Learn to Dance Salsa" from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For reservations or more information, call the box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396, or visit the website at www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 01-25-2002 09:01 AM

Volume: 34 Number: 135