Adelante to Perform at the Nazareth Center for the Arts

Adelante means “to move ahead” in Spanish, which is a seemingly appropriate name for a modern jazz band influenced by trance, electronica, funk and ambient music.

Adelante will be performing at the Nazareth Center for the Arts from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. The three-man band, which formed in 1984, has released one album and received national and international acclaim, particularly in Japan and in Central and South America.

The band consists of Paul “Woz” Woznicki on keyboards, who has also created musical scores for films; Steve Testa on bass, formerly of the 70s jazz group New Ghost; and J. Jody Janetta on drums and percussion, who played alongside contemporary jazz musicians Catherine Marie Charlton and Hassan Abdullah.

The musicians all hail from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and play venues all over the northeast, as far north as Maine. This is their first appearance in Nazareth, and in the Lehigh Valley.

“We heard about the [the Nazareth Center for the Arts], and that they were very musician-friendly and into creativity,” Janetta said.

The band has been compared to Weather Report, The Bad Plus and Medeski-Martin and Wood, among others. They are currently in the process of recording their second wide-release album. Their first album is no longer in print, and three other albums are available only through live performances.

“We’re no spring chickens,” Janetta joked, but promises a worthwhile show. “[Jazz] is not the type of music where age matters, it really doesn’t. The older you get, the more respect you get.”

Tickets are $10 and are available through the online box office or at the door on the day of the concert.

For more information on the band, visit www.jjodyjanetta.com.