Jazz harp virtuoso to play at QC memorial concert

Polyrhythms’ Third Sunday Jazz Series will present a special memorial concert to honor its cherished and fearless leader, the late Nate Lawrence, this Sunday in Bettendorf.

Lawrence, of East Moline, led Polyrhythms from 2005 until his unexpected passing on Aug. 15, 2023 at age 80. The event 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rivermont Collegiate (1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf) will celebrate Lawrence’s life. “His tireless work to enrich the Quad Cities will be felt for many years to come,” Polyrhythms posted on its Facebook page.

The memorial concert, starting 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25, will feature the Polyrhythms Trio and special guests Billy Branch, Semenya McCord, and Hal Reed, followed by the headliner performance featuring the Edmar Castaneda Quartet.

The Polyrhythms Trio features Corey Kendrick on piano, Ronald Wilson on bass, and Manuel Lopez III on drums.

The 6 p.m.-8 p.m. concert will feature Edmar Castaneda on harp, Andrea Tierra on vocals, Yotam Ben on harmonica, and Pablo Bencid on drums.

“I was born to play the harp. It is a gift from God and like every gift from God, it has a purpose,” Edmar Castañeda said in the event release. “The purpose of my music it to worship Him and bring his presence and unconditional love to people.”

Upon arriving in the United States in 1994, Colombian-born Castañeda has made a name for himself as the preeminent jazz harp virtuoso. Castañeda brings forth a brilliance that beautifully merges the jazz tradition with a diverse set of styles and genres while bringing unbridled attention to a somewhat unfamiliar instrument: the harp, the Polyrhythms release says.

“Singlehandedly, Castañeda has cemented the harp’s place in jazz with innovative technique and heartfelt creativity from a wealth of formidable collaborations with music titans such as Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Bela Fleck, John Scofield, Ricki Lee Jones, Hiromi, Pedrito Martinez, Marcus Miller, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ivan Lins, The Yellowjackets, Paco De Lucia, and Paquito D’Rivera.

“In the same breath as the Yo-Yo Mas of the world, Castañeda fearlessly stuns audiences, musicians, and critics alike with his incredible talents as a player and composer,” the release says.

NPR’s “Fresh Air” touts: “…his technique is the real astonishment. Castañeda juggles lead, rhythm and bass lines, using a variety of hard and soft string attacks to keep those voices distinct — all without giving up the groove…His amazing technique…raises the bar for every harpist.”

The New York Times wrote: “Castaneda… engage[s] modern jazz in ways that honor…cultural origins, and [he has] the capacity to astonish by virtue of [his] fingerstyle technique.” Moses Sumney highlights his “5 Favorite NPR “Tiny Desk Concerts” and says, “My brain cracked open when I first saw this. Some classical instruments are so ingrained in our heads for sounding one way; Edmar restructures what we know of harp, defiantly expanding the bounds of the instrument.”

Castañeda released his latest studio album, “Viento Sur,” featuring his World Ensemble on May 5, 2023, with a nine-person ensemble of acclaimed global musicians from Switzerland, Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Chile, U.S., Argentina, and Colombia.

“The Colombian plays the harp like hardly anyone else on earth. His hands, seemingly powered by two different people, produce a totally unique, symphonic fullness of sound, a rapid-fire of chords, balance of melodic figures and drive, served with euphoric Latin American rhythms, and the improvisatory freedom of a trained jazz musician…captivating virtuosity, but in no way only virtuosity for its own sake,” says Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

This Sunday’s concert has general admission of $20 (no reserved seating) with free admission for children, K-12 students, and college students (ID required). Doors will open for a social gathering at 4 p.m.

For more information, visit the Polyrhythms website HERE.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.