Some consider Cuenca as the cultural capital of Ecuador, which is filled with art of all types. There are visual arts galleries, weavers, quality crafts, ceramics studios, and there are also a variety of music and theater venues available every week, all year long. You can hear blues, country, pop, classical, trova, jazz, traditional Latin American, Cuban, the symphony, choral groups, opera, and more.

Most recently, we attended a jazz jam session at the Azuay Community Theater, which was part of the Humboldt Jazz Festival, sponsored by a number of German institutions. They showcased in 4 cities in Ecuador, including Quito, Loja, Guayaquil and Cuenca. Some of you may know that there is a German consulate located in Cuenca.

The audience was invited to join playing with the faculty of Taller Encuentro de Músicos en el Jazz, based in Quito, which train aspiring jazz musicians throughout Ecuador. The faculty artists included Su Terry, clarinet and saxophone, Juanpa Naula, guitar, Giovanni Bermudez, bass and Fidel Vargas, percussion. Ecuador Encuentro is a contemporary music ensemble that fuses jazz with Ecuadorian rhythms. It was originally formed in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013 to unite Ecuadorian musicians who were living there.

The first 90 minutes was a series of jazz standards and improvisations by the four faculty members, seen above. After the faculty group completed their main show, they invited members from the audience, both instrumentalists and vocalists, to jam with them. The first was a friend of Su Terry’s, Steve Ellison, who sang “Just In Time,” as heard above.

He was followed by various other members of the audience who signed up to jam with the faculty quartet. They included Ali Apca from Turkey, Cindy Benson, Jan Wallace, Christian Tenorio, bass, Martin Navarro, guitar, Isaac Neira and Jaun Pablo Galan, drummers, and other skilled students from the jazz education program. Some came with their own amplified guitars, while others used the drums and equipment donated by Paco of Paco Blues.

Jan Wallace, one of our favorite local vocalists, wrapped up the show with several songs. Above, you can hear her with Su Terry and Martín on electric guitar, singing Days of Wine and Roses.