Jazz experiment leads to encore show

Maestas, a guitarist, said he and the bass-playing Barreras had the idea for the nine-member ensemble for a long time.

“When it finally came, it was a big success. We got so much great feedback from the people in the audience that Tom (Guralnick) asked if we wanted to do a spring date,” Maestas said.

Guralnick is the director of the Outpost. That date will be Thursday, April 11 at the Outpost.

“I enjoy composing and arranging for a larger ensemble but all the guys have contributed a tune or two,” Barreras said.

Barreras and Maestas started playing duo gigs about three years ago. That grew to a quartet for about 18 months.

	John Maestas-Asher Barreras Nonet WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11 WHERE: Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale SE HOW MUCH: $20 general public, $15 students and Outpost members in advance at the Outpost, by calling 268-0044 or at the door

But those performances have been put on hold. Maestas moved from Albuquerque to New Orleans in September, a month after the nonet’s debut.

“I want to challenge myself musically,” Maestas said of the reason for his move. “I felt I wanted to soak up the roots where jazz, soul music are coming from.”

He’s already playing in a couple of jazz ensembles there.

He said the idea for the nonet was inspired by the Miles Davis Nonet, which is heard on the influential “Birth of the Cool” album.

“It’s a challenge to write for something that’s not quite a big band but has the characteristics of a small group, for something between those worlds and make it work,” Maestas said.

The other members of the Maestas-Barreras Nonet are Glenn Kostur on alto sax, Kanoa Kaluhiwa and Aaron Lovato play tenor sax, Paul Gonzales and JQ Whitcomb on trumpet, Ben Finberg on trombone, and Paul Palmer III on drums.

And, Albuquerque poet laureate Hakim Bellamy is guest vocalist.