The brilliant appearance by Afinidad Saturday at the Folly Theater included the second performance of a recently commissioned suite composed by Edward Simon. Its title, &ldquo;Sorrows & Triumphs,&rdquo; served as a fitting encapsulation of the evening. </p><p>The memorable music was indeed triumphant. The element of sorrow was the poor attendance. Only about 200 people were on hand to experience the extraordinary event. A disproportionate percentage of the meager audience consisted of area jazz musicians. They knew that while the seven members of Afinidad might not be the biggest names in jazz, they&rsquo;re among the idiom&rsquo;s most exceptional talents.</p><p>Simon, a precise and considered pianist, had previously appeared at the Folly Jazz Series with Kansas City&rsquo;s Bobby Watson and with trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Perhaps inspired by Simon&rsquo;s thoughtful approach, all six of his colleagues played with immaculate taste and discretion. </p><p>The lush sound field, complemented by the Folly&rsquo;s marvelous acoustics, never seemed crowded. And although they employed sheet music, the musicians weren&rsquo;t the least bit tentative. </p><p>Consisting of adventurous compositions by Simon and Afinidad co-leader David Binney, the septet&rsquo;s repertoire is alternately airy and majestic. While wholly unique, the ambitious sound sometimes evoked the most substantial works of Pat Metheny. The similarity was accentuated by the contribution of longtime Metheny associate Antonio Sanchez. Although the acclaimed drummer played prudently, his presence implies immense power. In much the same manner, Afinidad&rsquo;s music can initially seem ethereal, but just under its surface lies a vast emotional reservoir. </p><p>Afinidad emphasizes mood and composition rather than individual soloing. Even so, sought-after bassist Scott Colley managed to stand out on the wistful Binney composition &ldquo;Home.&rdquo; Fluid guitarist Adam Rogers added interesting textures to each selection. His insightful commentary on &ldquo;Twenty Four Miles To Go&rdquo; shone particularly brightly. </p><p>The furious rhythmic exposition &ldquo;El Parrendaro&rdquo; contained the evening&rsquo;s most abrasive moments. Binney&rsquo;s rough-hewn statement was preceded by a Simon solo that alluded to both Ramsey Lewis and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.</p><p>The Kansas City debut of vocalist Gretchen Parlato was delightful. She has a small but instantly compelling voice. Her delicate instrument was primarily employed to provide striking counterpoint to Binney and Rogers. The exception was her featured role on the haunting &ldquo;Sorrows.&rdquo; </p><p>&ldquo;It gives me chills to hear her sing it,&rdquo; Simon told the audience. </p><p>Her evocative reading of Simon&rsquo;s lyrics was, in fact, otherworldly. </p><p>Saturday&rsquo;s presentation wasn&rsquo;t entirely flawless. A couple of the flourishes added by percussionist Rogerio Boccato seemed gratuitous. One of Binney&rsquo;s solos overreached a bit. And Simon&rsquo;s lyrics for &ldquo;Sorrows&rdquo; verged on mundane. But those are just minor quibbles on an otherwise remarkable evening. </p><p>The performance concluded with the ecstatic minimalism of &ldquo;Triumphs.&rdquo; As with most of Afinidad&rsquo;s works, the innovative composition ventured beyond jazz. Afinidad is exploring new territory in which Latin American folk styles and classical and popular music freely intermingle. The hybrid is as welcome as it is refreshing.</p><p>It is a pity more weren&rsquo;t on hand to enjoy it. Music this artistically accomplished and spiritually uplifting merits a far wider hearing.