Raíces Latin Jazz Quintet

About

Raíces (Roots) pays homage to the originators of Latin Jazz and performs original music in the same style. The release of their debut, self-titled album was well received and earned this exciting quintet a featured spot at the 2023 Chicago Latin Jazz Festival. Raíces was modeled on the famous Cal Tjader Quintet of the 1950’s & 60’s by the late Chicago percussionist Rubén Alvarez and is now led by vibraphonist Joe Sonnefeldt . They played to a standing room only crowd at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase in July, 2026 to mark Cal Tjader’s Centennial. Raíces includes Stuart Seale on piano, Cuban-born bassist Eric Ferrer , Chicago stalwart Bobby Delgado on timbales, and Jorge Leal on congas. Raíces’ concerts are always rousing as they put their modern, Chicago-influenced stamp on the Latin Jazz classics of artists like Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera and others. Their original compositions blend seamlessly with the standards they perform.