March 31-April 6, 2005

musicpicks

Danilo Pérez Group

Take the Col'train series curator Danilo Pérez gives himself the lead spot for this stop in his native Panama. John Coltrane was a tireless seeker of new sounds to assimilate into his playing; the Kimmel's series has focused on his Latin and Afro-Cuban influences, forsaking the soul-searching inherent to Trane's own style in favor of a celebration of the man and his music. And Pérez, whose heritage emerges through the vivacious rhythms he pounds out on the keys, brings along all the right ingredients for a great party. He is joined by two Panamian folk dancers, 8-year-old percussion prodigy Milagros Blades and guest saxophonist Donny McCaslin, a former prodigy himself and an increasingly interesting experimentalist. For all his gifts as a composer and interpreter of others' music, Pérez excels in a live setting, and like Coltrane, truly explores the possibilities world music elements offer to his own playing, rather than being caged by their stylistic demands.

Sat., April 2, 7:30 p.m., $35-$40, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.

—Shaun Brady

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