In 1997, percussionist Bobby Torres organized members of Portland’s drum and percussion community for a project called “Convergence.”  The 20+ minute piece featured some of Portland’s most well-known drummers.  Watch and see how many you can find.

Los Angeles-based Latin percussionist Luis Conte will be in Portland this weekend for two shows where he will be the featured guest with two Portland-based groups.

First, on Friday, February 12th, Conte will join the Portland Jazz Orchestra for a concert at the First United Methodist Church (1838 SW Jefferson St) for a concert called “El Rey del Timbal” where the big band will explore the music of Tito Puente.  Don’t miss this chance to see Conte with some of Portland’s best jazz musicians, including Darrell Grant, Alan Jones, Farnell Newton, and more.  Also, Portland’s own Latin-jazz king Bobby Torres will be joining the group on percussion for this special event.

Then, on Saturday, February 13th, Conte will join the Bobby Torres Ensemble at Jimmy Mak’s for another evening of hot Latin jazz.  You won’t find another percussion section like this in Portland again in 2010: Bobby Torres, Carmello Torres (Bobby’s son), and Luis Conte.

Bobby Torres discusses his career as a percussionist.

This week, The Cave presents:

• Wednesday, 11/19 – Nancy King
• Thursday, 11/20 – Bobby Torres Band: Bobby Torres percussion, Grant Richards piano, Ed Bennett bass, Willie Matheis tenor
• Friday, 11/21 - Geof Bradfield Quartet: Geof Bradfield, saxophones, Darrell Grant piano, Eric Gruber bass, Matt Jorgensen drums 
• Saturday, 11/22 - David Friesen Trio: David Friesen bass, John Gross tenor, Greg Goebel piano

The Cave is located at 636 SW Jackson, beneath the Green Onion restaurant near PSU.  Music starts at 8 PM for a $5 cover.

This week, The Cave presents the following artists:

• 8/27 – Nancy King with Dave Speranza and Dan Gaynor
• 8/28 – Ron Steen with Rick Green and Dave Speranza
• 8/29 – Bobby Torres (with James Travers, Tom Kay, and Brian Ward)
• 8/30 – Dan Schulte’s Strange Pilgrims (John Nastos, Tim Willcox, John Moak, David Goldblatt, Todd Strait)

Bobby Torres brings his ensemble to Wilf’s Restaurant.  Music starts at 8 PM for a $5 cover.

On Saturday, May 10th, the 2008 Silverton Wine and Jazz Festival will take place, showcasing many Portland musicians in venues all over Silverton.  Performers include Dave Frishberg, Darrell Grant, Randy Porter, Dan Schulte, Mel Brown, and many more.  The music takes place from noon until 9 PM, with a late set by Bobby Torres finishing out the evening.  Find more information at the festival’s website.