Applause Performances: Sammy DeLeon And Jackie Warren

As the nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, two of Cleveland's top Latin jazz performers got the "Applause Performances" spotlight for our October edition - pianist  Jackie Warren and percussionist and bandleader Sammy DeLeon.

They have played together for close to three decades with the popular Latin group from the 1990s, Impacto Nuevo, to the current Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta.

David C. Barnett, Jackie Warren and Sammy DeLeon [Jean-Marie Papoi]

But since Mid-March that Latin orchestra of more than 10 players has not been able to rehearse due to the pandemic. 

And with the exception of a couple outdoor and socially-distanced drive-in concerts, the band's gig calender is pretty much blank. 

Sammy and Jackie explained how they're staying afloat, in the wake of the pandemic and shared new music they composed for the show.