La Timbistica Plays 32nd Freihofer's Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs

La Timbistica will be performing at the 32nd Freihofer's Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, New York, an annual event featuring 20 hours of live jazz on two stages over two days. The group, composed of some of the brightest scholarship talent from Berklee College of Music, will share the Gazebo Stage with Dred Scott Trio, Wallace Roney Quintet, and more. Artists appearing on the festival's Main Stage that day include Patti LaBelle; SMV—Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten—the Thunder Tour; Gary Burton Quartet Revisited with Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, and Antonio Sanchez; and Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Freihofer's Jazz Festival takes place June 27-28 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, New York. La Timbistica performs on the Gazebo Stage, Saturday, June 27 at noon. For tickets and information, visit spac.org.

La Timbistica, who also perform as the Berklee Latin Jazz All-Stars, is led by conguero and Berklee student Paulo Stagnaro; and includes students, drummer Marcos Lopez and bassist Juan Maldonado; trombonist Nick Noonan and saxophonist Godwin Louis, both Berklee alumni; and pianist Alex Brown, a student at New England Conservatory. The Berklee Latin Jazz All-Stars won the 2008 Down Beat Student Music Award for Best Jazz Band, and recently lit-up the stage at the Duke Ellington and Monterey jazz festivals, two of the largest and most prestigious festivals in the U.S.

La Timbistica's Latin jazz repertoire ranges from Afro-Cuban and Brazilian classics to some of its own modern original compositions. The group also performs contemporary salsa and timba by artists like Isaac Delgado, Marc Anthony, and Victor Manuelle. La Timbistica has quickly become a mainstay in the Boston music scene, making regular appearances at Havana Club, Mojito's Lounge, and Wally's Jazz Café, and at various music festivals in the area. Its members have performed and recorded with some of the Latin music industry's most prominent musicians, including Paquito D'Rivera, Danilo Perez, Batacumbele, Truco y Zaperoko, N'Klabe, and Tony Perez, among many others.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center's Freihofer's Jazz Festival is different. Set in SPAC's breathtaking setting in the Saratoga Spa State Park, the forested, expansive grounds are the perfect setting for enjoying world-class jazz by the biggest names. Colorful blankets and tents are "home" for fans who enjoy an extravaganza of jazz innovation. From r&b to swing, from Latin jazz to fusion, the festival celebrates the music and genius of artists from every corner of the jazz tradition. Simply put, it's a place tailor-made for hanging out.