TIEMPO LIBRE Brings Their Latin Interpretations of Bach to the Edison Theatre on 3/26

Johann Sebastian Bach never wrote a conga, or a bolero, or a cha-cha-cha. Fortunately this oversight has now been rectified by Tiempo Libre, one the hottest Latin jazz bands working today. In recent years the Miami-based ensemble has earned national attention for its high-voltage interpretations of many of the composer's best-loved works.

At 8 p.m. Friday, March 26, Tiempo Libre will bring its infectious mash-up of Cuban rhythms and classical melodies to Washington University as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS Series.

Tickets are $32; $28 seniors and Washington University faculty and staff; and $20 for students and children. Tickets are available at the Edison Theatre Box Office and through all MetroTix outlets. Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd.

For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or visit edisontheatre.wustl.edu.

Tiempo Libre is directed by pianist Jorge Gomez, a classically trained Cuban expatriate who settled in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood in 2000. There he discovered a loose-knit group of fellow expat musicians, all of whom had studied, like himself, at La Escuela Nacional de Arte, Cuba's premiere conservatory, or at the prestigious Instituto Superior del Arte.

Though all seven musicians were regularly touring and recording with major Latin artists - including Albita, Cachao, Arturo Sandoval, NG La Banda, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Isaac Delgado - in 2001 they began performing together as Tiempo Libre (Spanish for "Free Time"), the first authentic all-Cuban timba band in the United States.

In the years since Tiempo Libre has won critical praise for reinterpreting and reinvigorating traditional Cuban music. In 2008 the Miami New Times declared them the city's "Best Latin Band." At the same time, the group has recorded a string of acclaimed albums, including the Grammy-nominated Arroz con Mango (2006), Lo Que Esperabas (2007) and, most recently, Bach in Havana (2009).

Released by Sony Classical, Bach in Havana finds Tiempo Libre returning to its conservatory roots - with a twist. Each of Bach's compositions, including many of his most beloved works, are rendered in a distinctive style of Cuban jazz.

Thus, the iconic "Air on a G String," from the Orchestral Suite No.3, becomes a romantic Bolero. Tu Conga Bach is Conga party music inspired by the Prelude in C from the Well-tempered Clavier, Book 1. Baquetto con Bajo is a dancehall danzón based on the Prelude from the Cello Suite No.1 in G.

"From Maine to Minnesota, the conservatory-trained Miami-based musicians of Tiempo Libre are bringing orchestral audiences out of their seats - and onto the dance floor," notes Symphony magazine.

"This is nothing short of miraculous," adds Latin Jazz Network, noting that Bach in Havana "is a landmark recording in the sense that Miles Davis's Kind of Blue was approximately 50 years ago."

Founded in 1973, the Edison Theatre OVATIONS Series serves both Washington University and the St. Louis community by providing the highest caliber national and International Artists in music, dance and theater, performing new works as well as innovative interpretations of classical material not otherwise seen in St. Louis.

Edison Theatre programs are made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis; and private contributors. The OVATIONS Season is supported by The Mid-America Arts Alliance with generous underwriting by the National Endowment for the Arts and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.