Henry Cole, a Puerto Rican native who plays drums in Zenón’s band but has recently released an Afro-beat inspired album called Roots Before Branches, met Jerry when he came to see him play at the Nuyorican Café in San Juan.

“He would come up onstage and play with us quite a bit,” said Cole. “He would invite me to his mother’s house and make me watch videos of straight-ahead jazz players for hours. Then, when I moved to New York I met [his brother] Andy playing in a big band at Birdland. Steve Berríos, who plays drums for them, had a big influence on a younger player named Adam Cruz.”

Henry Cole is at the forefront of a new wave of Latin jazz musicians.

“I’m glad to be in touch with young cats who are making a move in a direction that’s identifiable to us,” added Gonzalez, thinking about one nation spanning from the Bronx to San Juan. “We’re part of this whole history of jazz here, going back to Machito. Just don’t block us out—if you do, you’re doing a disservice to history.”

Henry Cole and the Afrobeat Collective will be playing 92Y Tribeca in New York May 30at 8 p.m.