Sparta resident recently performed on a three-week tour of Europe

SPARTA-Sparta resident Karl Latham recently performed on a three-week tour of Europe with the Wolfgang Lackerschmid International Quartet featuring international jazz legend Randy Brecker. Other members of the Wolfgang Lackerschmid Quartet include renowned bassist Cameron Brown and Enja recording artist Bob Degen. The 16-date tour included concerts in Rostock, Frankfurt, Munich, Augsburg, Weimar, Munster, Gottingen and other European cities. Latha, has been performing since 1993 in various groups led by Wolfgang Lackerschmid. One featured show was a "Night of Film" including the quartet's arrangements of German film and television music. The show was broadcast live on the Bayerischen Rundfunks, the German equivalent of the United States' National Public Radio. The top German film scorer and composer Klaus Doldinger ("Das Boot") performed with the BR Orchestra and the group. Latham returned to Europe for a 10-day tour in November with Freiburg Germany composer/pianist Johannes Mossinger and bassist Arie Volinez from Tel Aviv, Israel. Tour dates included Stuttgart, Cologne, Freiburg, Frankfurt and other cities. Karl Latham was born in Trenton and spent his formative years in Sussex County attending Fredon School and Kittatinny High School. He has performed with a wide spectrum of performers such as Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, The John Lee Quartet, Jon Faddis, The Fantasy Band (including Dave Samuels, Chuck Loeb, Marion Meadows, George Jinda, John Lee, Dave Valentin, Noel Pointer, Larry Coryell, Roy Ayers, Victor Bailey, and Cornell Dupree), Johnny and Edgar Winter, the Shirelles, and Arturo O'Farrell (leader of the Lincoln Center Latin Jazz Orchestra). He performs stateside with the John Lee Quartet, and at Bula World Cuisine in Newton, and in Montclair in the 18-piece Richie Cecere Orchestra. He is the chairman of the Sparta Cultural Affairs Committee and is an adjunct faculty instructor at Ramapo College and Passaic County Community College.