Kansas Public Radio to air cellist Yo-Yo Ma's concert live Aug. 7

LAWRENCE -- On Thursday, Aug. 7, Kansas Public Radio at the University of Kansas will air a special live concert, "Yo-Yo Ma and Friends," broadcast from the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. The concert starts at 8 p.m. and is expected to run two hours. Bob Parlocha, heard on "Jazz Overnight" on KPR, will be a co-host.

Other performers in the concert will include the Assad Brothers (guitarists), Paquito D'River (saxophonist), Kathryn Stott (piano) and Cyro Babtista (percussion). Music for the evening will be Latin flavored, with works by composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, D'Rivera and the Assad Brothers, among others. The program is timed to occur with the release of cellist Yo-Yo Ma's new CD of Latin music.

Yo-Yo Ma previously has teamed with country fiddler Mark O'Connor, jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin, "Sesame Street"'s Big Bird and a range of international musicians for his ambitious Silk Road Project. The project "acts as an umbrella organization and common resource for a number of artistic, cultural and educational programs," according to Yo-Yo Ma's Web site.

Yo-Yo Ma will perform at the Lied Center of Kansas on April 17, 2004.

The new CD release on Sony Classical is called "Obrigado Brazil" and features works by composers Antonio Carlos Jobim, Villa-Lobos, Egberto Gismonti and others.