Conjunto Legend Flaco Jiménez Teams Up with Max Baca at Skirball's Sunset Concerts Tonight

Tonight, August 14, 2014, at 8:00 p.m., the Skirball Cultural Center's eighteenth annual Sunset Concerts continue with legendary accordionist Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez, who has led the way in bringing conjunto music from his community in San Antonio, Texas, to audiences around the world.

Throughout his nearly seven-decade career, Jiménez has introduced the traditional conjunto sound to mainstream pop, rock, and country listeners through collaborations with Dwight Yoakam and the Mavericks, Carlos Santana, and the Rolling Stones. In particular, his contributions to Ry Cooder's landmark album Chicken Skin Music garnered international praise. Jiménez has received five Grammy awards, and in 1999 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard magazine. He has been inducted into the National Hispanic Music Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

At the Skirball, Jiménez joins forces with acclaimed conjunto group Max Baca & Los Texmaniacs. Each the heir to a musical legacy, Jiménez and Baca recently teamed up for the February 2014 release Flaco & Max: Legends & Legacies, which features the duo's interpretations of the best of the conjunto repertoire. Baca was seven when he met Jiménez at a concert; twenty years later, he became his bajo sexto player. Jiménez brought Baca into the Texas Tornados, whose combination of country, rock, and conjunto inspired Baca's Los Texmaniacs. Borders y Bailes, Los Texmaniacs' 2009 album, went on to win a Grammy, and their 2012 release, Texas Towns & Tex-Mex Sounds, received a Latin Grammy nomination.

Before the artists take the stage, Betto Arcos, of KPFK's "Global Village," will present a DJ set starting at 7:00 p.m.

The Skirball's free concert series, Sunset Concerts, features an eclectic mix of traditions and styles. The six Thursday evenings are presented in the Skirball's picturesque central courtyard, where music fans of all ages sing along, dance in the aisles, and gather at the foot of the stage. A popular choice for a group outing, family-friendly fun, or a romantic date night, Sunset Concerts also invite Angelenos and out-of-towners alike to dine al fresco, visit the Museum galleries, and explore the Skirball's distinctive architecture and hillside setting.

The full schedule of the 2014 Sunset Concerts is as follows: the California debut of Noura Mint Seymali (July 24); the California debut of Conjunto Chappottín y Sus Estrellas (July 31); The Haden Triplets (August 7); Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca & Los Texmaniacs (August 14); Yiddish Tango Club (August 21); and Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys (August 28). All concerts begin at 8:00 p.m.; doors open at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, visit skirball.org.

Photo Credit: Tom Pich

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