The Pedrito Martinez Group

The Pedrito Martinez Group is a Latin jazz ensemble formed by the percussionist/singer/dancer in New York City in 2012. Its members include Cuban pianist, trumpeter, arranger, and composer Edgar Pantoja-Alema, Venezuelan percussionist Álvaro Benavides, and Peruvian bassist Jhair Sala. The group's music exists somewhere between various folk traditions, Latin jazz, and acoustic funk. Their self-titled debut album was issued by Motema in 2013. Produced by Steve Gadd, it featured guest appearances from Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Marc Quinones, and Gary Schreiner in addition to the producer. The set was nominated for a Grammy. In 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba. Enthusiastically, PMG planned sessions at Havana's historic Egrem Studios. They were joined by an international cast of vocalists and guests including Cuban singers/musicians Isaac Delgado and Descemer Bueno, rapper Telmary Diaz, percussionist Roman Diaz, Angelique Kidjo, and Ruben Blades, as well as Marsalis. Habana Dreams was released in June of 2016 and entered the digital Latin Topical and Jazz charts at number one.
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