Cuerda y Clave

Latin jazz and global rhythms fill The Betsy Piano Bar during Cuerda y Clave, a weekly Sunday session led by pianist Edgar Pantoja and percussionist Gabriel Ramon Placido. The series takes place every Sunday through April 26 from 6 to 11 p.m., as part of Miami Beach’s longest-running live jazz program, presented seven days a week with multiple performances throughout the week.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, Pantoja is a pianist, composer and arranger whose sound bridges traditional Cuban forms such as rumba, son and timba with samba, jazz, funk and North African influences. A graduate of the Conservatorio Esteban Salas and the Conservatorio José María Ochoa, he has toured and collaborated with artists including Rubén Blades, David Murray, Angélique Kidjo and Pedrito Martinez.

Joining him is Puerto Rican percussionist Gabriel Ramon Placido, a Conservatory of Puerto Rico graduate and former member of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. Placido has performed at Carnegie Hall, toured internationally and recorded across classical and contemporary genres. Now based in Miami, he balances performance with teaching and graduate studies in jazz.

There is no cover or minimum. Guests may stop in for a cocktail in the Lobby or reserve dinner at LT Steak & Seafood while enjoying an evening of Latin fusion, improvisation and world-inflected jazz in an intimate South Beach setting.