In the current Philadelphia Weekly:
Marlon Simon and the Nagual Spirits
Sat., Sep. 5, 8-11:30pm. $20. Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com
In Marlon Simon’s Nagual Spirits one hears plenty of Afro-Latin jazz heritage, but also a knife-edged post-bebop vocabulary that has long permeated New York and Philly, two of the drummer’s home bases since he came from Venezuela in 1987. Much like his brother, the killer pianist Edward Simon, Marlon taps into Central and South American folkloric roots to convey a unique musical-spiritual message (naguals are figures of legend who can take on animal form). He’s also got a taste for unlikely juxtapositions, such as string quartet and batá drums on the Naguals’ latest In Case You Missed It. Also worth catching: his French-Latin side project with the group Black Chantilly. — David R. Adler
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