Simon Rowe, director of the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific, was in Cuba this past December when Barack Obama announced the United States will resume diplomatic relations with the Caribbean nation more than fifty years after severing ties. Rowe was with a group of jazz musicians attending the 30^th International Jazz Festival of Havana. Jazz has deep roots in Latin American countries and Rowe joins us to talk more about jazz in the Caribbean. Besides directing the Brubeck Institute, Rowe regularly performs with his band “The Simon Rowe Latin Project” at the Take 5 Jazz Club at the Brew in Stockton.    

More on the Havana Jazz Festival: http://www.apassion4jazz.net/havana.html

The Brubeck Institute website: http://www.pacific.edu/Brubeck-Home.html

Jazz Education Network: https://jazzednet.org/.