Greg Porée Quintet

Part of the Sierra Madre Playhouse Jazz Series, curated by Greg Porée

(Greg Porée – guitar • Léo Costa – drums • Dayren Santamaria – violin • Joey de Leon – percussion • Keith Jones – bass)

Guitarist-composer Greg Porée brings a career that spans studio work with Motown legends, serving as musical director for acts like Sonny & Cher and Gladys Knight & the Pips, and later shifting into a rich compositional life rooted in classical guitar, world groove, and jazz forms. Porée grew up absorbing everything from Bach and Beatles to R&B and Brazilian rhythms, then carved a unique voice as a live performer whose ensembles stretch beyond standard jazz instrumentation. At the heart of his music is a weaving of melody and harmonic depth, from solo classical guitar textures to full-band grooves, shaped by his long experience in Los Angeles recording studios and his compositional output such as the album Phoenix.

On stage the Porée Quintet unites five players whose backgrounds converge in flexibly structured improvisation, global rhythm, and elegant ensemble interaction. Drummer Léo Costa blends samba-rooted rhythmic intelligence with jazz fusion fluency; violinist Dayren Santamaria brings a string voice that moves seamlessly between classical lyricism and jazz/Latin phrasing; percussionist Joey de Leon adds layered textures that push the groove into world-music territory; bassist Keith Jones brings decades of jazz, Latin, rock and orchestral experience to anchor the group’s momentum. Together they present music that ranges from warm acoustic guitar-driven ballads to rhythmic, electric-inflected grooves, moving freely across Latin jazz, fusion, contemporary classical and improvised interplay.

Audience members should expect a performance built on musical sophistication, tonal variety, spontaneous dialogue among the five musicians, and a structural arc that feels composed yet alive with real-time responsiveness. The mix of voices — violins, percussion, guitar, bass and drums — creates a chamber-ensemble intimacy while delivering the energy of a full jazz collective. In this program you will hear explorations of melody, layered rhythmic frameworks, shifting textures, and moments of solo virtuosity balanced by the rigour of ensemble cohesion.