Submitted photo Pavel & Direct Contact will be in concert in downtown Columbus today.
Though it may be fall now, the latest JazzIN Columbus concert will take you straight to the warmth of the Caribbean and Latin America.
This Thursday, be ready to dance to the energetic tunes of Latin jazz and salsa group Pavel & Direct Contact. The free concert starts at 6 p.m. at 400 Washington St.
Pianist Pavel Polanco-Safadit comes from the Dominican Republic, coming to the United States on a scholarship. He studied across the country in Arkansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin and eventually moved to New York and then Europe, but he now resides in Carmel.
Polanco-Safadit has taken his music international, having performed throughout North America, South America, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe. He appeared as a guest conductor with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and serves on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and Indy Jazz Fest.
About 20 years ago, the band Pavel & Direct Contact formed initially as a trio, but that has since evolved over the years to a nine piece, sometimes 10-piece ensemble, said Polanco-Safadit. Instruments include bass guitar, drums, congas, bongos, trumpet, trombone, saxophone and piano.
Singer Leah Crane also joins them on vocals. Polanco-Safadit said they play Latin and Caribbean jazz, salsa and American pop songs infused with Latin rhythms.
“We play a lot of festivals in town and out of town and sometimes even out of the country,” Polanco-Safadit said. “And our thing is just to excite people and inject energy in them with great music.”
The group has released around six albums, consisting of both original music and covers. This year, they collaborated with Grammy-winning Dominican singer and songwriter Pavel Nunez to release an album titled “De Pavel a Pavel.” The album was also sponsored by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation.
Pavel & Direct Contact performed during last year’s JazzIN Columbus season and Polanco-Safadit said he absolutely loved it. Both he and Crane said the audience was very engaged in their music, and Crane said many got up and danced.
Audience members can look forward to hearing pop songs they know played in salsa arrangements, as well as original Pavel & Direct Contact songs and classic salsa tunes, according to Crane.
“And everything is super energetic,” Polanco-Safadit said.
