Gilbert Castellanos & The New Latin Jazz Sextet

Gilbert Castellanos brings The New Latin Jazz Sextet to Lou Lou's Jungle Room on Thursday, October 15, for a night of Latin jazz in North Park. The set starts at 7 PM, and the room is set up for bar seating.

Castellanos is a trumpet player with a long history in the jazz world. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised in Fresno, California, he's the son of Gilbert Sr., a touring Cumbia band leader, singer, and arranger. That family connection to Cumbia, along with his father's appreciation for classical composers and big-band jazz, helped shape his own path. He picked up the trumpet at age 6, was playing professionally by 11, and by 15 he was performing with his mentor and icon, Dizzy Gillespie, at the Monterrey Jazz Festival.

Beyond the stage, he's spent years teaching. He served as an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies at USC's Thornton School of Music from 2001 to 2013, and later as Artistic Director of the International Academy of Jazz San Diego from 2014 to 2016. In 2016, he founded the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory here in San Diego, which provides scholarships and weekly ensemble performances for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

On the 15th, he'll be leading The New Latin Jazz Sextet, so you'll hear him on trumpet backed by a full six-piece ensemble. The show is at Lou Lou's Jungle Room, 2223 El Cajon Blvd in North Park, starting at 7 PM with bar seating. Tickets are $124.