PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts presents Tony Vacca and Fusion Nomads with special guest Massamba Diop on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m., at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney, Vt. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. The concert is part of Next Stage’s Local & Global Performance Series.
Led by innovative percussionist and balafon player Tony Vacca, Fusion Nomads brings together musicians whose individual paths through jazz, global traditions, and improvisation create a richly textured, boundary-crossing sound. The ensemble features Jo Sallins on electric bass and percussion, Charles Langford on saxophone, and John Sheldon on harp-guitar.
Joining the group is Massamba Diop, a master of the Senegalese tama, or talking drum, and longtime member of Baaba Maal’s internationally renowned band. Diop’s distinctive percussion can also be heard on the soundtracks for “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Drawing on Vacca’s decades of work in jazz and world music, including extensive study and performance in West Africa, Fusion Nomads moves freely across borders, rhythms, and styles, weaving tradition and innovation into an expansive, dynamic musical conversation.
Tickets and more information are available at www.nextstagearts.org.