RoseOnVibes Quintet

Rose on Vibes Quintet focuses on swing, bebop, and Latin jazz. You will hear a variety of standards by music icons such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Milt Jackson, and Charlie Parker. And every once in a while you'll hear a contemporary R&B tune, jazzed up just a bit.

But what makes our music unique is the influence of African instrumentation and rhythms. Rose incorporates the African gyil (xylophone) and hand percussion instruments from around the world into the music. We have taken traditional African tunes and created an arrangement with jazz instrumentation, so that we perform jazz versions of traditional African music and some original compositions on the gyil with jazz back-up.

Sometimes the music is played with a kick and soul; other times played quietly . . . with dignity, grace, and style. Whether it's a jazz standard, an African tune, or Latin music, it's played with just the right feel to make you snap your fingers and tap your feet. There is often audience participation on hand percussion and full-on dancing.