• Genre :: Jazz
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Duende Quartet is devoted to playing Latin jazz in the style of Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader and Willie Bobo with a taste of the legendary Blue Note Records sound of the 60s. In a unique small group setting Duende Quartet captures the vibe of the jazz combo, with piano as the lead instrument, while using the rhythms of a Cuban conjunto. The group has a vast repertoire ranging from traditional Cuban songs to modern jazz compositions. Duende, a word of Andalusian origin literally meaning goblin or imp, is sometimes described as the indefinable, magical power of creativity that results in a work of art, or more simply defined, soul. Duende is a musical value that has inspired the quartet.

Harry Appelman (piano) was a finalist in both the 1987 and 1988 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competitions and the 1989 Great American Jazz Piano Competition. He participated in a U.S. State Department program in Central and South America in 2002 and has toured the United States and Canada with the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Mr. Appelman currently performs in the Washington D.C. area.

Mark Merella (drums) is a drummer/percussionist currently working in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. His professional career spans over 25 years and covers a wide range of styles. He has performed with many artists in the jazz and Latin fields, including Fred Foss, Steve Turre, Steve Berrios and many others. Mr. Merella is also an avid educator and currently co-leads the group Mosaic.

Josh Schwartzman (bass) plays acoustic bass, Ampeg Baby bass and piano in a variety of musical settings. He studied at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York and privately with the late Dr. Asher Zlotnik, alumnus of the Peabody Institute of Music. Mr. Schwartzman is founder, bassist and contributing composer/arranger for the popular Latin jazz band Rumba Club and has played with such musical greats as Tito Puente, Giovanni Hidalgo and Jon Faddis.

Sam Turner (drums), a highly-esteemed percussionist from New York City, has worked nationally and internationally with such legends as Machito, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, and many others. He may be best known for his 15-year stint as sideman with Lionel Hampton and for his genre-defining boogaloo recordings with Monguito Santamaría in the 1970s. He is a recipient of the United Nations Peace Award and presently performs and teaches in the Washington D.C. area.