The Knox College Winter Jazz Series showcases global artists with diverse cultural perspectives for a free concert and one-on-one experiential programming with Knox students and the Galesburg community. 

The 2022 Winter Jazz Series on Saturday, February 12, will feature drummer and composer Gustavo Cortiñas.

Cortiñas will lead a workshop at 4 p.m. in the Jay Rehearsal Hall located in the Ford Center for the Fine Arts Building on the Knox campus. He and his band will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Recital Hall, also located in the Ford Center for Fine Arts building. Both events are free and open to the public. Pandemic protocols are in effect.

Cortiñas is a Chicago-based drummer, composer, and educator who fuses his Mexican roots with his musical influences from jazz and Latin America. Following more than a decade-long musical career, Cortiñas has also accompanied and led ensembles on popular stages and festivals in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. 

He is one of the most sought-out drummers in Chicago and has played with many popular bands and artists, such as the Carla Campopiano Trio and Kitt Lyles. He has worked as a music educator in Mexico, Puerto Rico, China, and around the United States, and as an assistant conductor and guest artist for small jazz ensembles.

This year’s jazz series features Cortiñas’ powerful multimedia project, Desafío Cadente, which takes the audience on a journey through Latin America and its history of colonialism, imperialism, and neoliberalism, and is inspired by Uruguayan poet Eduardo Galeano's book The Open Veins of Latin America. It denounces the power structure that runs Latin America and continues to prey on its people today while celebrating the resilience, spirit, and creativity of its diverse communities.

This live performance of Desafío Cadente will feature Cortiñas’ six-piece band, video by videographer Zack Sievers, and readings of Galeano’s work by Knox students Kari Quintana, Jaime Lam, Jenn Garcia, and Eric Espinoza. 

The Winter Jazz Series is co-sponsored by the Knox Jazz Year, the Galesburg Community Foundation, the Knox College Cultural Events Committee, Greig-Post Adventure in Arts Fund, Knox College’s Departments of Music, English, and Modern Languages; and the Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies. Guests attending the concert must wear a medical-grade mask (N95, KN95, or three-ply surgical masks) and must be fully vaccinated, including any boosters for which they are eligible. Attendees must show proof of full vaccination, a Knox ID, or a Knox recurring visitor lanyard.  

This Winter Jazz Series is part of the Knox Jazz Year, a series of performances and workshops encompassing all three academic terms at Knox College. Past guest artists for the Knox Winter Jazz Series include the Black Diamond Band, the Luciano Antonio Brazilian Quartet, and CALJE (Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble).