La Lucha plus one

Ona Kirei

 

 

The last time La Lucha played Port Charlotte FL, on June 14, 2019, the Tampa Bay-area jazz trio tore up the house, so to speak, at JD's Bistro. Since then, the restaurant has changed ownership and its name, but its commitment to music excellence continues.

On Thursday, May 6, La Lucha returned to the venue, now the Grill at 1951, with a special guest in tow. Pianist John O'Leary. bassist Alejandro Arenas and drummer Mark Feinman were joined by Barcelona-born singer Ona Kirei. She works with La Lucha on a semi-regular basis - either as a group, or in collaboration with individual members as the need arises.

Their simpatico was on full display through a wide range of jazz and Latin jazz material.

Here are some images from the night's performance. 

John O'Leary

 

John O'Leary, Alejandro Arenas, Ona Kirei, Mark Feinman

La Lucha is a trio not to be missed in any context. They were the house rhythm section for the 2019 Sarasota Jazz Festival and were scheduled for the same duty in 2020, until the Jazz Club of Sarasota pulled the plug on that year's concerts due to the pandemic.