Saxophonist Ivan Renta to join Seeley for event

When Holton native Jim Seeley takes the stage for the fourth-annual Jazz and Blues on the Square event on Saturday, Sept. 12, he’ll be joined by acclaimed saxophonist Ivan Renta, it has been reported.

Like Seeley, Renta is a member of the Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, which has a regular Sunday gig at the legendary Birdland nightclub in New York City, it was reported. They’ll be bringing their sound to the annual Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce event, along with Kansas City-based blues vocalist Kelley Hunt.

A native of Puerto Rico, Renta has established himself as one of the premiere saxophonists in the genres of jazz, Latin jazz and Latin music with an ability to adapt to any musical situation. He began playing alto saxophone at the age of 13, but when he was introduced by a friend and teacher to the work of Miles Davis, “I knew this was what I wanted to do,” he said.

Renta moved to New York City to attend the New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, and in 2000, he was invited to participate on “Obra Maestra/Masterpiece,” an album by Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri that won multiple Grammys and was Puente’s last album. He would go on to play with Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Ensemble and Salsa Band before accepting an invitation from O’Farrill to join the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Renta’s credentials include performances with artists such as Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colon, Ron Carter, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Heath, Ray Barretto, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Bebo Valdez. He has also collaborated on three Grammy Award-winning recordings, and he is also an active music educator and clinician.

Tickets for Jazz and Blues on the Square are available at $30 per person for the concert and five samplings of wine or craft beers, or $75 per person for a VIP package that includes an extra wine or beer sampling, reserved concert seating and an invitation to a private “meet and greet” with performing groups.

For more information, call the Holton Chamber of Commerce at 364-3963 or visit www.exploreholton.com