LIVE: Chembo Corniel Quintet @ Shepard Park (Jazz at the Lake), 09/16/2022

For Nippertown-area jazz fans, the weekend after Labor Day marks the end of the summer concert season, with the temperature dropping and autumn in the air. This fall is no different,as the 2022 Lake George “Jazz at the Lake” weekend kicked off on the evening of September 16 with Grammy-nominated Nuyorican Chembo Corniel and his quintet. The quintet is well represented by Latin America and its diaspora, with members also hailing from Venezuela and Cuba. They entertained the audience with a solid set of Latin Jazz, including rhythm-laden tunes such as “Descendants” and more slowly paced “Paris Cha”. The chacha, cumbia, and mambo were among the rhythms represented.

The quintet was joined on stage by poet David Gonzalez, who recited two of his poems, one inspired by a hike in the Adirondacks, the other by the life and rhythms of his New York City home. 

A grand start to this annual festival that got its start back in 1984. Look for more coverage of days two and three here.

Band members

• Chembo Corniel – congas, percussion
• Hery Paz – tenor sax, flute
• Carlos Cuevas – piano
• Diego Lopez – drums
• Alex ”Apolo” Ayala – bass

Photo Gallery by Rudy Lu