While Juan Pastor’s cajon rhythms dominate his albums, none is quite like the others, and Memorias, another of Vijay Tellis-Nayak’s stellar recordings (with engineering by Pastor), serves as an example of a jazz-central, cross-cultured effort that should build more of a sturdy, cross-cultural audience.

Dave Koz at the 28th annual Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour! Photos by Alan Frohlichstein

City Winery Chicago hosts The Chicago Jazz Orchestra with Paul Marinaro on Dec 8 at 7:30 PM. Enjoy festive holiday jazz, big-band classics, and seasonal favorites.