Lionel Loueke Trio April 24, 2009

"Seamlessly blends West African harmonies and rhythms with jazz for a fresh and energetic sound."—Planet

Downbeat calls guitarist Lionel Loueke "a new Afro-jazz star who clearly will be with us for a long while." Blessed with deep roots in the African music he heard in his homeland of Benin, he’s equally well schooled in sophisticated jazz. In the sound he crafts from these sources you'll hear strong jazz phrasing and rippling African overtones that have impressed critics, listeners, and fellow musicians alike. Both Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter are enthusiastic fans who have invited Loueke to play in their own bands and contributed to his Blue Note label debut, Karibu (which means "welcome" in Swahili).

In his trio, Loueke receives exquisite support from the rhythm section of Massimo Biolcati on bass and Ferenc Nemeth on drums, cohorts he enlisted from among his classmates at Boston's famed Berkelee School of Music.

Official Website: http://www.wexarts.org/pa/index.php?eventid=3549