The Latin Connection was created by 15 year old composer/arranger/band leader, Chase Morrin one year ago. Chase recruited talented young teenagers from South, North, and East San Diego. The band plays original Latin jazz compositions and arrangements written by Chase-fusing Latin and jazz to create new sounds. The band and members have traveled and performed at the Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival and the Reno Jazz Festival. Latin Connection won this year's national Down Beat magazine award for Best Latin Group. The award won with a recording of Chase's original "Whitos Ninos -2", the title for their first CD which will be released for the first time on July 7 at Catalina Bar and Grill. The band welcomes the LA jazz scene's support on this special night! More information on the band can be
found at
www.chasemorrin.com/latinconnection and
www.myspace.com/sdlatinconnection

The band's founder, Chase Morrin, is known as a jazz piano prodigy. He started composing and playing piano after discovering a toy keyboard at age 8. By age 12, he became the youngest recipient of the national ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) award presented to him at the Lincoln Center in New York and recognized again for another composition in 2009. His composition awards also include the Composers Today State Contest awards in 2007 and 2008 from the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) and in 2009 he is one of two new members in California inducted into the Young Composer's Guild of California. Chase was a 2009 Spotlight semi-finalist and the 2009 pianist for the Reno Jazz Festival All Star Combo. Last summer, Chase received the prestigious Herb Alpert Scholarship for emerging young artists by the faculty of the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA)-Innerspark at CalArts. This summer, Chase will attend the Berklee College of Music's five week summer program on a full scholarship. At only 15, Chase and his band gigs up to
four times a week among the professional jazz scene in San Diego.


CHASE MORRIN - PIANO www.chasemorrin.com
CHRIS BURGESS - SAXOPHONE www.chrisburgesssax.com
FERNANDO GOMEZ - PERCUSSIONIST/TIMBALE www.myspace.com/fernandogomezdrums
DANIEL FELDMAN - PERCUSSIONIST/CONGAS www.myspace.com/danielfeldman
MICHAEL VALENTINI -BASSIST www.myspace.com/michaelvalentini
 

CATALINA BAR & GRILL
6725 WEST SUNSET BLVD.L.A.
For Reservations & information call (323) 466-2210
$5.00 Cover + 2 drink minimum
All ages welcome