As bandleader for his 19-person ensemble, the musician and educator Steven Oquendo’s powerful trumpet playing puts the “Big” in Big Band! At this highly danceable set of Afro-Cuban, salsa and mambo classics, Oquendo pays homage to the genre’s originators while simultaneously putting a fresh spin on tradition. Oquendo has performed on stage and in studio with legends like Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades and Eddie Palmieri. In his role as a community leader and educator, he is the music director for Pelham Preparatory Academy in the Bronx and assistant director of the All-City Latin Ensemble, where his work with students has earned him acclaim from Good Morning America as a 2022 Class Act teacher. His big band’s sophisticated use of free improvisation and creative arrangements ensures that the essence of the music continues to thrive. Prior to the concert, dance instructors will share some simple steps so that even newcomers to the Latin jazz scene will be able to keep up on The Dance Floor!

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