It was a busy fall for Gabriel Espinosa ’79, associate professor of music and acclaimed jazz musician. In October, Espinosa was inducted into the Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Altoona. He was unanimously selected by the Greater Des Moines Community Jazz Center to receive the Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame award for his years of leadership in jazz music.
Espinosa also released a CD of new music, “Samba Little Samba.” He collaborated on the CD with composer and musician Hendrik Meurkens and pianist Misha Tsiganov, both of whom joined him on stage during a CD release concert Nov. 21 in the Cox-Snow Recital Hall. The evening also included a performance by the Central College Jazz Band. Chris Spector, editor and publisher of Midwest Record, called the new music “smoking stuff that’ll get the blood flowing.” The sound features a heavy Brazilian influence, along with some jazz and bolero. The concert was part of a world jazz residency at Central, celebrating the college’s yearlong theme of Global Citizenship. “Samba Little Samba” is available on iTunes and Amazon.com.
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