A spirited set spans continents

Latin jazz simmered through an unlikely area of the Southland on Monday when the all-star ensemble Latin Crossings opened the first season of music at Moorpark’s renovated Theatre on High Street. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of music already happening in the Simi Valley-Moorpark area, but a performance by a world-class ensemble has to be considered a special event. And the new venue, with its good acoustics and intimate sight lines, has a schedule of similarly attractive acts in place.

The name Latin Crossings was selected to reflect the ensemble’s blend of musical cultures. It was a good choice, given the lineup: singer Katia Moraes (Brazil), saxophonist-flutist Justo Almario (Colombia), trombonist Arturo Velasco (U.S.), pianist Otmaro Ruiz (Venezuela), bassist Oskar Cartaya (a New York-born Puerto Rican), drummer Alex Acuna (Peru) and percussionist Richie Garcia (Puerto Rico).

The presence of Acuna and Almario added some distinct references to their own ensemble, Tolu -- especially when they offered the briskly swinging “Salvation Army” from the Tolu book. But a broader emphasis on the pan-American aspects of Latin music dominated most of the evening.

Moraes, always an irrepressibly effervescent performer, demonstrated her growing versatility with a poignant rendering of the Jobim classic “Dindi,” followed by a bring-the-crowd-to-its-feet romp through Milton Nascimento’s “Cancao do Sal.” Cartaya led the way through a rhythmic take on “Come Together,” and spirited soloing was offered throughout by Velasco, Almario and Ruiz.

Holding everything together, the brilliant percussion team of Acuna and Garcia moved through each rhythmic permutation with ease, from salsa to samba, from pagode to straight-ahead jazz.