In 1972 percussionist extraordinaire Kahil El'Zabar traveled from his home in Chicago to the University of Ghana. He returned with a mission: to fuse aspects of Black American music with traditional African music. El'Zabar, who was already a force on Chicago's vibrant jazz scene, formed the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Since then he's branched out to record and tour with Stevie Wonder and work with Julie Taymor and Garth Fagan on "The Lion King," but he's never left the EHE. When the ensemble takes the stage at Lovin' Cup, El'Zabar will be joined by two of the brightest stars in the Chicago pantheon: saxophonist Ernest Khabeer Dawkins and the trumpeter Corey Wilkes who, on his last visit to Rochester, expertly played two trumpets at once.

The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble plays Wednesday, February 6, 8:30 p.m. at Lovin' Cup, 300 Park Point Drive. $18-$20. lovincup.com.