Photos: Downtown Bloomington dances as Latin jazz big band takes over Blockhouse Bar

On Friday (Dec. 12), Blockhouse Bar on College Avenue in downtown Bloomington hosted a high-octane Latin jazz dance party featuring a 20-piece live big band. The dance floor remained full throughout the night.

The event was led by Vick Luna, a Chicago-area native whose trombone style draws from Salsa Dura, hard bop, soul, and funk, blending his Chicano heritage with deep influences from Black American musical traditions.

Luna is currently studying at the Jacobs School of Music while performing regularly throughout the Midwest. He has appeared at venues including The Jazz Kitchen, The Chatterbox, The Palladium and Navy Pier, and has performed at festivals such as Carmel Jazz, Indy Jazz, and the Bitter Jester Festival.

A member of several ensembles—including Pavel & Direct Contact, Sleepy Richard Floyd’s Explorations in Afrobeat, IU Soul Revue, and 317 Proyecto—Luna has shared the stage with artists such as Rob Dixon, Marlin McKay, Angel Subero, Steve Dokken, Steve Davis, Michael Dease, Tadd Robinson, and the Los Adolescentes Orchestra. Luna has studied with Grammy-nominated trombonist and arranger Wayne Wallace and distinguished trombonist and arranger Freddie Mendoza.

In Bloomington, he has also been a catalyst in the local music scene, spending a year directing MOONROOF, a house venue dedicated to showcasing emerging young musicians.

For upcoming performances, follow @vickmoone or visit vickluna.com.