By Andrew Gilbert

Italian drummer Peppe Merolla is determined to bring a dose of hard-hitting New York jazz to the South Bay. The premise might sound strange, but the Neapolitan native spent a dozen years plying his trade in the Big Apple, and he's been embraced by many of New York's elite players.

Since settling with his wife and two daughters in Menlo Park last year, he's spent much of his time on the road. Now that he's home for the holidays, Merolla is making sure that he continues to keep impressive company. He opens a three-night run at Café Stritch tonight with New York saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Matt Clark and bassist Michael Zisman.

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Source: http://www.mercurynews.com