April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and WBGO is celebrating by showcasing some of the talent from local programs.
The Jersey City University Afro-Peruvian Connection is led by trumpeter and composer Gabriel Alegría, more or less in the mold of his own sextet.
"Afro-Peruvian music is the basis, really, of my life's work," he told Bill Daughtry on Afternoon Jazz. "It's just kind of finding this conversation that is both musical but also, it's a way of life." He sees his work with the students at Jersey City University as a form of outreach and service.
"It's a place where the opportunity was to build something different, to build something new, with a vision for what jazz means for the entire world."