Bill O’connell Featuring Andrea Brachfeld And (a.c.e.) Afro-caribbean Ensemble at Hostos Center For The Arts And Culture

On Saturday, April 6, Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture presents a double bill of Latin jazz with a Tribute to Dave Valentin, featuring a quintet led by the late flutist’s musical director, pianist Bill O’Connell with virtuoso flutist Andrea Brachfeld, then following with the debut of Bill O’Connell’s most recent project A.C.E. (Afro-Caribbean Ensemble) featuring a nonet comprised of some of New York’s top jazz and Latin jazz artists.

The concert will be in the Repertory Theater at Hostos Community College, beginning at 7:30 PM.
Tickets are $20, with student tickets at $5, and can be purchased online at www.hostoscenter.org or by calling (718) 518-4455. The box office is open Monday to Friday, 1 PM to 4 PM and will be open two hours prior to performance....

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On Saturday, April 6, Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture presents a double bill of Latin jazz with a Tribute to Dave Valentin, featuring a quintet led by the late flutist’s musical director, pianist Bill O’Connell with virtuoso flutist Andrea Brachfeld, then following with the debut of Bill O’Connell’s most recent project A.C.E. (Afro-Caribbean Ensemble) featuring a nonet comprised of some of New York’s top jazz and Latin jazz artists.

The concert will be in the Repertory Theater at Hostos Community College, beginning at 7:30 PM.
Tickets are $20, with student tickets at $5, and can be purchased online at www.hostoscenter.org or by calling (718) 518-4455. The box office is open Monday to Friday, 1 PM to 4 PM and will be open two hours prior to performance.

In addition to O’Connell, the quintet includes original Dave Valentin Quartet members -- bassist Lincoln Goines and drummer Robby Ameen. Percussionist Román Díaz has been added to the group, and in the title role will be flutist Andrea Brachfeld, well-known for her musical abilities in jazz and Latin Jazz. Valentin said of Brachfeld, “with all due respect, she plays her buns off; one of the first ladies to disprove the concept that only men can deal with the real deal…” The original quartet with Brachfeld have performed tributes to Valentin in different venues in New York and repeat engagements at the Blue Note in Tokyo.

For the second half of the program, O’Connell, who has had a long career as a Latin jazz artist, beginning in the mid-70s as pianist for the percussion legend Mongo Santamaria, has assembled some of New York’s top jazz musicians who will debut music from his new project ACE (Afro-Caribbean Ensemble) just prior to recording. In addition to O’Connell, Brachfeld, Goines, Ameen, and Díaz, the nonet includes Craig Handy (alto saxophone), Ralph Bowen (tenor saxophone), Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone), Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), and Adam Machaskee (trombone).

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