Jstop Latin Soul

Jstop Latin Soul closes out the Oak City Salsa Social season at Dorothea Dix Park on Wednesday, October 14. It's a free show, so you can just show up and dance.

If you haven't come across them before, Jstop Latin Soul is an Afro-Cuban jazz and dance band that started in the Blue Ridge mountains of Roanoke, Virginia. They describe themselves as being fueled by an obsession with Afro-Cuban rhythms, and you can hear that in the way they build their sound. They draw on legends like Irékere, Papo Vázquez, and Jerry González & the Fort Apache Band, and they blend Latin grooves with blazing jazz and gritty soul. It's the kind of music that works just as well for listening as it does for dancing, which fits right in with the salsa social crowd.

Since this is the season closer for the Oak City Salsa Social, it's a good chance to catch them in a setting that's built around dancing. The band's whole thing is that Afro-Cuban foundation, and the social atmosphere of the event lets that side of the music take center stage. If you're into Latin jazz or just want to spend a Wednesday evening dancing outdoors, this is a solid way to wrap up the season.

The show is at 6 PM at Dorothea Dix Park, 2105 Umstead Dr, and it's free.