Four-time Latin Grammy nominees John Santos and his Machete Ensemble have been at the forefront of Latin jazz in the Bay Area for more than 20 years. His 11-piece ensemble has explored the boundaries of the genre, incorporating elements of experimental, Afro-Caribbean folk and Latin dance music as well as the blues.
Over the years, the Machete Ensemble has developed a loyal and critical audience appreciative of music that doesn’t fit into simple categories. But economic factors have not been kind to large ensembles, and with reduced bookings, the ensemble has decided to end its two-decade tenure with a farewell concert closing the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Spark follows Santos as he prepares for both the concert and the journey into the next phase of his music career, with the John Santos Quintet.
With family roots in Cape Verde and Puerto Rico, Santos was inspired by his musically talented family and the burgeoning music scene of San Francisco’s Mission District. He started out playing Latin percussion instruments, including the bongos and the conga drums. But it was upon the introduction in the 1960s of the funky Latin fusion music of Carlos Santana that Santos became truly inspired by the possibilities of merging traditional Latin music with modern forms.
After a brief experience as a percussionist in Santana’s band, Santos dedicated himself to a lifetime of study and practice, and today he is one of the foremost authorities on Latin jazz and Latin folk music traditions. After many years as an educator, a historian, a recording artist and a performer, Santos has made it part of his mission to educate the public on Latin music traditions and its strong influence on the development of not just jazz, but all popular American music.
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