‘On the Road with Aretha’ Raises Money for Kids with Live Music Performances and a Very Talented Canine

Aretha on the set in Albuquerque

Producer John Nichols is deeply passionate about (at least) three things: live music; raising money for New Day Youth and Family Services; and his dog, Aretha. Clever guy that he is, he’s found a way to combine all three. In February, the four-part series On the Road with Aretha, 10th Annual New Day Benefit will stream video of live performances featuring local artists in five cities—Albuquerque/Tucson, Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville. Music fans can enjoy terrific music and the sterling personality of canine hostess Aretha—voiced by vocalist Hillary Smith, a soulful force of nature—while helping young people in difficult straits.

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Gabriel Alegría’s Afro-Peruvian Sextet Takes on the Pandemic and Racial Injustice

Gabriel Alegría’s Afro-Peruvian Sextet: Hugo Alcázar, Freddy “Huevito” Lobatón, Alegría, Yuri Juárez, Mario Cuba, and Laura Andrea Leguía.

Virtuoso trumpeter/composer Gabriel Alegría’s latest release with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Social Distancing, chronicles a raging pandemic and the justified rage over racial injustice, and it offers uplift without ignoring the harsh reality of these difficult times.

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‘El Arte del Bolero’—Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo Take a Romantic Turn

  • Miguel Zenón. Photo by Noah Shaye.
  • Luis Perdomo. Photo by Nick Carter.

If you’re in a romantic mood or wish to be, you’re well advised to put on the new release from alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Luis Perdomo, El Arte del Bolero, turn down the lights, and . . . Well, you know what to do, right?

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Dafnis Prieto Sextet Delivers on Clear Intentions with ‘Transparency’

Dafnis Prieto Sextet: Román Filiú, Alex Brown, Prieto, Alex Norris, Peter Apfelbaum, and Johannes Weidenmueller. Photo by David Garten.

Grammy-winning Dafnis Prieto is universally acknowledged to be a drummer of prodigious skill. His sextet’s superb new recording, Transparency, makes it abundantly clear that his skills as a composer and arranger are on the same plane as his drumming.

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