SMF devotees always anticipate our “Piano Showdown” concerts, one-time-only original productions that take place every few years and feature some of the finest jazz pianists in the world. In a memorable Library of Congress interview with folklorist Alan Lomax, Jelly Roll Morton described the “Spanish tinge” as tresillo and habanera rhythms of Afro-Cuban music that were an essential ingredient to jazz music. This special concert brings together three distinctive pianists to explore that phenomenon in solo and duet performances. Pianist, composer, educator and SMF Associate Artistic Director Marcus Roberts adores and understands Jelly Roll Morton’s music. He is joined by renowned Cuban bandleader Chucho Valdés, who at long last makes his Savannah debut, and acclaimed Panamanian pianist Danilo Pérez, an educator, composer and longtime member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, who played SMF in 2004. Expect fireworks for this only-in-Savannah event!