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Sometimes you think you've heard it all, but then something comes along to let you know that there's even more.

This was clearly the case on January 31, 2010, when Cuban drummer Ignacio Berroa and his quartet (Ben Wendel from Los Angeles, California on sax; Otmaro Ruiz from Venezuela on piano; and Rene Camacho from Mexico on acoustic bass) performed at the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay. Jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie best defined Ignacio as "the only Latin drummer in the world, in the history of American music, that intimately knows both worlds: his native Afro-Cuban music as well as jazz."

The quartet had been advertised as a Latin Jazz Quartet, and for those of us who did not know Ignacio's breadth, we expected the usual: congas, heavy on percussion, and that Latin beat... but surprisingly there was almost none of that style. Instead, the quartet rose to the occasion by giving us one of the most impressive straight-ahead jazz concerts laced with bits of Latin to grace the Douglas Beach House in a long time.

With the opening number, "Matrix," from his Grammy nominated album "Codes," it immediately became obvious that Berroa is the master of his trap set and knows well its place within the overall band. At first he clicked out a rhythm on the rim of his snare drum, giving the tune a Latin flavor before morphing into straight-ahead, high-energy jazz bolstered by Ruiz on piano and Camacho on bass.

As the tune developed, Wendel ran through the notes, ripping up and down, pumping his big tenor sax, obviously consumed by the music and not the notes. All the while, Ignacio's drums could be heard laying down the grove in the background, holding everything else in place. At times Berroa brought to light his drum's overtones, adding significance to the music.

By the time the fourth tune, "Obsession," began, the band had warmed up to both the music and the audience. This tune had more of an overall Latin beat to it than earlier numbers. Camacho and his acoustic bass were featured on this one, and he took it away with a singular intensity that filled the venue. Right alongside of him and playing back and forth was Wendel on his soprano sax. At places during the performance, pianist Ruiz ran up and down the keyboard and it felt as though he made the piano sparkle.

When Berroa concluded the first set of the evening, the audience gave his band an extraordinarily rare standing ovation. Longtime jazz photographer Peter Buranzon said, “I was... impressed with the music and the talent of all the players. There are many great drummers out there, but he blew me away with his fluidity and style: never overpowering, never too loud and very sympathetic, a true master that I am grateful to have seen.”

His sentiments were shared by many. Linda Goetz, who co-produces the concerts at the Douglas Beach House, said, "It was one of those moments that you hope for in a live show. I think Pete (Douglas) agreed when I reminded him of a quote of his that I'll paraphrase: Maybe presenting live music is an addiction... always hoping for that next rush of 'it doesn't get any better than this' and being able to share it with an audience that also 'gets it'. For me it was one of those moments, making it all worthwhile."

And in the second set, the music took the audience up another notch in their appreciation of the quartet and drum master Berroa. On that Sunday afternoon and into the evening, we were treated to an earful of beautiful, stirringly performed jazz the way it's supposed to be played. The audience rose to their feet at the final note of "Woodyn' You," also from the album "Codes." The applause was nothing less than heartfelt gratitude from all. As Buranzon said, "a true master that I am grateful to have seen."