Jose Miguel Yamal Latin Jazz Quartet

Da Camera kicks off A Little Day Music, its annual series of free lunchtime concerts, with a performance by the José-Miguel Yamal Latin Jazz Quartet, a Houston favorite. The Chilean-American pianist was studying classical guitar at HSPVA when he made the jump to jazz and keys. Later, a few trips to Latin America convinced Yamal that his jazz needed a little spice, so he added some bossa nova, samba and salsa, not to mention a little funk and soul, and the Latin Jazz Quartet was born. Yamal (who is also a Ph.D. in statistics) has performed at several local music festivals, including the Corpus Christi Jazz Festival and the Kemah Jazz Festival, as well as the internationally renowned Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He's shared the stage with jazz and salsa greats including Hubert Laws, Milt Hinton and Ismael Miranda. You can expect to hear some of Yamal's original tunes plus some classic Latin jazz standards during today's concert. Noon. Wortham Theater Center lobby, 500 Texas. For information, call 713-524-5050 or visit www.dacamera.com. Free.
Wed., Oct. 1, noon, 2008