SPOLETO 2026
BLACK GOLD: Quentin E. Baxter Celebrates Moacir Santos. Featuring Chico Pinheiro
May 30 at 8pm
Charleston native and Grammy-winning drummer-composer Quentin E. Baxter joins Brazilian guitar virtuoso Chico Pinheiro in a celebration of Moacir Santos—the visionary Brazilian composer whose album Ouro Negro (Black Gold) reshaped the sound of jazz across the Americas. Baxter, a founding member of Ranky Tanky and a steward of the Gullah musical tradition, and Pinheiro, who was born and raised in São Paulo, infuse their performances with personal histories and improvisational flair. Together with their ensemble, they reinterpret Santos’ music in a transcendent evening of rhythm, melody, and cross-cultural dialogue. This rare collaboration is a vibrant celebration of innovation, heritage, and artistry—not to be missed.
Bassist Rodney Jordan Releases Memphis Blue On Baxter Music Enterprises
Rodney Jordan, born and raised in the city known as the “Home of the Blues,” rightly channels that heritage on Memphis Blue, his personal tribute to the “soulful people of Memphis,” due to release March 14th on Baxter Music Enterprises. Now based in Tallahassee, Florida, Jordan is joined by his fellow Memphian, trumpeter Melvin Jones, as well as a group of first-rank collaborators who evoke the full spectrum of the South: Atlantan pianist Louis Heriveaux, Charleston-based saxophonist Mark Sterbank, and native Charlestonian Quentin E. Baxter on drums.
