NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State University Jazz Orchestra will perform on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Those attending are asked to wear a mask, but they are not required. A livestream will be available at capa.nsula.edu/livestream.
The special guest for the concert is drummer/percussionist Victor Rendon, a highly respected educator, author, and veteran of the New York City Latin music scene. The Jazz Orchestra will perform several Rendon compositions.
The program includes “Mambo Boulevard” by Joe Mannozzi with Juan Arrietta on trumpet, Mario Orellana and David Berrocal Barrios on piano and Hendy Pineda on timbales, “Nueces River” by Rendon and arranged by Mannozzi featuring Daniel Scott on flute, Taylor Pettus on alto saxophone and Barrios, “Chega de Saudade” by Antonio Carlos Jobim and arranged by Mark Taylor featuring vocalist Virginia Tudor and Pettus, “When I Fall in Love” by Victor Young and Edward Heyman and arranged by Dave Wolpe featuring Tudor, and “Europa” by Carlos Santana and Tom Coster with Chakota Clinton and Scott on tenor saxophone.
The Jazz Orchestra will play three other compositions by Rendon, “Chale” featuring Clinton and Angel Andres M. Murillo on timbales, “Biwa Lake” featuring Scott and Mannozzi’s arrangement of “El Chocante: featuring Clinton, Ivan L. Camargo on trumpet and Jonathan Chaparro Romero on bass. The concert concludes with “Mami Me Gusyto” by Arsenio Rodriguez and arranged by Mannozzi with Douglas Flores on vocals and Barrios and Romero on coro.
Rendon studied intensively for many years with Jimmy Ramirez, Dr. Rosemary Small, Louie Bauzo, John Almendra, “Little” Ray Romero, Frankie Malabe, Mike Collazo Sr., Pablo Rosario, Changuito, Roberto Borrell, John Amira, Morris “Arnie” Lang, as well as jazz drummers Paul Guerrero, Henry Okstel, & Charli Persip among others. He has worked as a side man with Mongo Santamaria, Chico O’Farrill, Carlos “Patato” Valdés, Ray Santos Orchestra, Grupo Caribe, Latin Jazz Coalition, The “New” Xavier Cugat Orchestra, Grupo Latin Vibe, Los Mas Valientes, Rudy Calzado and many others.
As an author/transcriber, his work has appeared in Modern Drummer, Percussive Notes, LP Newsletter, Music in Motion Films, DCI Music Video, Drum! Magazine, and Warner Bros. Publications. He is author of “The Art of Playing Timbales” distributed by Alfred Publishing. For several years Victor also published his own semi-annual magazine, Latin Percussionist. Rendón, who holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in education from Hunter College, has had a lengthy career teaching instrumental music and Latin percussion in the New York City Public Schools.
Formerly co-leader of the Rodríguez/Rendón Latin Jazz Orchestra, he now leads the Bronx Conexión Latin Jazz Big Band and the percussion group: Co-Tim-Bó. Currently, he teaches and directs the Percussion Ensemble and also the Latin-Jazz Ensemble at Lehman College in the Bronx. A successful clinician, he conducts workshops in Latin percussion styles.
