News
8.31.2023
BIG THINGS HAPPENING!
-The Latin Jazz Collective is performing a the 66th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival (Garden Stage) on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023!
We'll also be playing some pre-festival parties at the Monterey Marriott on the days leading up to it: Tues and Wed, and then hosting MJF artists and national HBCU contest winners the Houston All Star Combo and North Carolina Centeral University Jazz Combo!
Kevin will also be giving a piano/keyboard clinic at Wise Music in Salinas on Wednesday from 5-7PM! A drawing for a free Casio keyboard and swag will be given away as well! Come hang!
Check out the calendar page for more info!
7.5.2023
The Latin Jazz Collective is playing the Monterey Jazz Festival on Sept 22nd!
Click the banner to get your tickets!
The Moonraker 7 is the new and improved iteration of Kevin's longtime project which performs fresh arrangements of Bond themes and other jazz, swing, surf, salsa, cha cha cha, etc from spy flicks, cop dramas, film noir, with a pinch of "va va voom!"
With Kevin on keys, the lovely Jem Moonbeam providing powerful and sultry vocals, Doug Pohorski laying down bass, Bria Alexander keeping us in check on drums, and Dr. Russell Zimmer providing that icing on the cake on trumpet and flugelhorn, the Moonraker 7 is ready for launch!
GIve your next party a fun, sexy, twist!
1.10.2018
10.20.2017
New Years Eve
at the Hotel De Anza Hedley Club with the Dirty Downtown Jazz Syndicate!
10.1.2017
The Latin Jazz Collective rocked it at the Monterey Jazz Festival last September. - We christened - and got a standing ovation playing the newly revamped Pacific Jazz Cafe stage - a venue which holds 500 people - and which there was standing room only! It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Check the photos page for some pictures (with more to come as they trickle in, I'm sure.
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We also just had the privilege of giving another master class at CSU Monterey Bay about Afro-Cuban/Latin Jazz, improvisation, arranging, composing, etc!
The only other bit of new news is that after about 10 years of playing with Salsón, I've decided to part ways with the band. I'm grateful for all the experiences and people I've met along the way and wish them the best of luck.
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Thanks for reading!
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-Kevin
9.11.2017
It's been a busy few weeks! ...which is funny because that's how I began the last new entry back in June. But so much has happened; here's the low down!
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The Latin Jazz Collective's debut album made it past round 1 of the Grammy nominations!!! We're all SO excited - please keep us in mind for your consideration!
Also, this coming Friday Sept. 15, we (the LJC) play at the Monterey Jazz Festival! 7:30PM at the Pacific Jazz Cafe Stage!
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The Dirty Downtown Jazz Syndicate put out our 2nd album last August and it sounds killer! Too much going on so I haven't figured out when to do a proper release show, but we will.
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I started teaching elementary school music for the Oak Grove School District. I love it! Even though getting up early is a drag, I hosnestly don't mind, as look forward to every day! I do miss staying up late, though, but worth it to get sleep!
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Lastly, I bought a town house in Morgan Hill, and left the house I'd been renting for the last 10 years in downtown San Jose. Things are moving slowly on that front, since I'm teaching full time as well as gigging (though not as much - only the ones I really want to do).
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And lastly, after close to 10 years, I decided to leave Salsón.
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Thanks for reading, and hope to see you out!
- Kevin
6.25.2017
It's been a busy few weeks! I taught at the M.I.S. Jazz Camp the last 2 weeks, (and am teaching for the ARJ camp in July as well). We had a FANTASTIC recording session with all the musicians who played my arrangements of composer/singer/guitarist, Sadot Y. Canseco's songs (that we did for Las Tres Culturas concert a few months ago)! It was myself, Doug Pohorski on bass, Stu Reynolds on saxes, and Dillon Vado on drums and Údu! I can't wait to hear how they turn out after all the guitar and vocals are laid down by Sadot and his lovely and equally talented fiancé, Sonia Shell!
The final mixing begins Tuesday for all the Dirty Downtown Jazz Syndicate tunes we've been recording. It's been a long process, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Excited for all my gigs coming up this summer, leading up to playing at the Monterrey Jazz Festival in September! Check out my calendar and then mark yours up!
2.4.2017
The Latin Jazz Collective's CD release last night was phenomenal! So many great people and compliments, CD's sold, and of course the group was in full swing! We all had a blast, and it was evident that our audience did as well - which created a vibrant exhange of energy! What a privlege and a blessing!
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You can get a taste of it here (Thanks to Kevin Armstead for video taping and to James Chang for taking pictures (yet to be released)!
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Talk to me or visit www.latinjazz-collective.com to pick up your copy of our debut CD!
12.17.2016
The L.J.C's debut full length album is finished and will be out January 2017 (officially released Feb. 3)! We're all super proud of this accomplishment - an album with a mix of standard Latin jazz and jazz standards, originals, and a not-so well know tunes - all with our own spin! The members of the group constantly inspire my playing and arranging, and we think you'll enjoy this collection of tunes by the LJC!
11.17.2016
The Latin Jazz Collective Album is done and should be arriving soon! We're all excited!
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Latin Jazz Collective ALBUM RELEASE:
Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 @ Planet Gemini 2110 N. Fremont St. Monterey, CA 93940 8PM-11PM
