Thursday, Dec. 06, 2012

Music, dancing from around the globe

James Robinson Trio dazzles Falasco crowd

As the lights dimmed and the audience grew silent, the Ted Falasco Arts Center came alive with music from halfway around the globe.

The James Robinson Trio played two hours of its brand of world-fusion jazz, which encompassed instrumentals from Iran, Peru, Turkey and other parts of the world.

Robinson, who stood with an acoustic guitar most of the night, was flanked by guitarist Danny Yarritu and Turkish musician Yuecel Karabulut, who played the doumbek. Robinson has admitted to being fond of working with various artists.

Dancer Suzi Humbert performed with the group, sometimes venturing into the audience and providing close-ups of her performance.

Humbert said she's performed with the trio for five years and has been doing "the dancey thing" since childhood.

Trained in classical piano, Robinson moved on to the guitar at 12 and was influenced early on by Jimi Hendrix, the Isley Brothers and Delta blues. His decision to create a band that makes music so different than anything that appears on American record charts comes from his desire to broaden musical repertoire.

"There's always some cool music going on somewhere, and I never want to stop learning," Robinson told the Enterprise last month.

The James Robinson Trio played some of its original music with a few cover tunes by international artists mixed in. The audience clapped along to the beat of the up-tempo songs and sat attentive during ballads and while Robinson performed solo.

Robinson teaches a variety of skill levels at Santa Cruz-based Pearl Alley Music School.

Reporter Thaddeus Miller contributed to this article.

Reporter Thaddeus Miller contributed to this article.