Ah Hum! – Cocinando Con Latin Jazz – Adelaide Fringe Review

The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Aurora Spiegeltent, Sun Mar 2 The roots of this music and some of the musicians are directly from South America, but the band also includes Nepalese, Japanese and Australians, as well as a solid South American contingent. Organising rehearsals must be very difficult (except that in fact this is a local Adelaide band…)! At times the music was direct from the Buena Vista Social Club songbook, with driving percussionists (3 percussionists with serious kit and more percussion accompaniment as well) and plenty of brass. Did I mention the brass? Sharing centre-stage was a very accomplished vocalist – dressed in sultry black, and the showman of the brass section, resplendent in a Cuban style white suit and hat (Nick Vladcoff). That’s not to downplay the other players – who all featured through various songs with solo parts, both rehearsed and at times improvised. There was a solid sound basis of keys and bass throughout the set, with vocals and brass decorating the songs and percussion keeping us all grooving along. Many were up and dancing their own versions of Samba, Rumba and Cha Cha. This is a band I will be looking out for through the year – accomplished, infectious and a whole lot of Latin fun! Clayton Werner