PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts’ Local & Global Performance Series presents Tony Vacca and Fusion Nomads, with special guest Massamba Diop, on Saturday, October 17 at 6:00 p.m. at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
Led by innovative percussionist and balafon player Tony Vacca, Fusion Nomads brings together musicians whose paths through jazz, global traditions, and improvisation create a richly textured, boundary-crossing sound. The ensemble features Jo Sallins on electric bass and percussion, Charles Langford on saxophone, and John Sheldon on harp-guitar.
Joining the group is Massamba Diop, a master of the Senegalese tama, or talking drum, and a longtime member of Baaba Maal’s internationally celebrated band. Diop has also appeared on the soundtracks for Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Drawing on Vacca’s decades of work in jazz and world music—including extensive study and performance in West Africa—Fusion Nomads moves freely across borders, rhythms, and styles. The concert promises an evening shaped by deep musical traditions, adventurous collaboration, and the pulse of live improvisation.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, or $10 for the livestream. Tickets and more information are available at nextstagearts.org.
This performance is part of Next Stage’s Local & Global Series, made possible by a 2026 Music in Action grant from Live Music Society.
Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies.
