Grammy-nominated percussionist Pedrito Martinez brings his acclaimed quartet to Uptown Charlotte for four sets across two nights, part of a Hispanic Heritage Month engagement that pairs an internationally celebrated Afro-Cuban master with a rapidly growing local Latino community. The Pedrito Martinez Group performs on Friday and Saturday at the Booth Playhouse inside Charlotte's Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
The concert is part of JazzArts Charlotte's JAZZ ROOM series, as reported by WFAE. The venue setup offers a casual, intimate listening room with tables and a full bar, and tickets range from $35 for gallery seating to $50 for cabaret seats, with $45 upper orchestra seats and $100 tables also available. The event is supported by JazzArts Charlotte, the City of Charlotte, the North Carolina Arts Council, the Akers Foundation, and O's Place Jazz.
A Career Built on Cross-Genre Collaboration
Martinez, born in Havana's Cayo Hueso neighborhood in 1973, developed his Afro-Cuban percussion and sacred batá drumming skills growing up in Cuba before winning first place at the Thelonious Monk International Afro-Latin Hand Drum Competition in 2000, according to Carnegie Hall. He moved to the United States in 1998 and later co-founded the Latin fusion group Yerba Buena. Per WFAE's event listing, Martinez has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Sting, and Eric Clapton over the course of his career.
That collaborative range extends into his recording catalog. The Pedrito Martinez Group's self-titled debut, released on Motéma Music in October 2013, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album and was produced by drummer Steve Gadd with guest appearances from Wynton Marsalis and John Scofield, per AllMusic. In 2019, Martinez recorded a reimagined version of “My Father's Eyes” with Eric Clapton, according to Zildjian.
Bridging Havana and the American Jazz Scene
The band's follow-up, 2016's “Habana Dreams,” was recorded partially at Havana's historic Egrem Studios following the renewal of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations, according to Afropop Worldwide. The album featured guest appearances by Rubén Blades and Angélique Kidjo. WFAE's listing describes the Pedrito Martinez Group's sound as a blend of Afro-Cuban traditions with jazz, a fusion that has defined the band's identity since its formation.
The Booth Playhouse itself is a 434-seat courtyard-style proscenium theater tucked inside Uptown Charlotte's Founders Hall, according to Blumenthal Arts, and it can be configured for either traditional orchestra seating or cabaret-style tables. That intimate scale means even the venue's largest capacity puts audience members close to a percussionist whose reputation was built on hand-drum mastery.
A Local Institution Rooted in Displacement
JazzArts Charlotte's 2026-27 season is organized around the theme “Jazz Lives Here” and spans eight weekend engagements at the Booth Playhouse and Stage Door Theater from September 2026 through May 2027, according to JazzArts Charlotte. The season opened in September 2026 with saxophonist Joe Lovano and closes in May 2027 with pianist Emmet Cohen.
JazzArts Charlotte, originally named the Jazz Arts Initiative, traces its founding to a very different kind of displacement. The organization notes that husband-and-wife musicians Lonnie and Ocie Davis established it in 2009 after relocating to North Carolina following Hurricane Katrina's destruction of New Orleans in 2005.
Timed to Charlotte's Growing Latino Community
The October engagement falls within National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Attendees can reach JazzArts Charlotte directly at 704-372-1000 or [email protected] for ticketing questions ahead of the two-day run.
