Poncho Sanchez
LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD—Concord Piccante
341110. 100 North Crescent Dr., Suite 275, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Web: concordmusicgroup. com. Promenade; Poncho Sanchez Medley; At the Mambo Inn/On Green Dolphin Street; Crosscut Saw; Intro; Morning; A Ti Nama; Afro Blue; Son Son Charari
PERSONNEL: Poncho Sanchez, congas, percussion, lead vocals, producer; Francisco Torres, trombone, music director, vocals, producer; Ron Francis Blake, trumpet, flugelhorn; Bob Hardt, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, piccolo flute; Andy Langham, acoustic piano, organ; Rene Camacho, acoustic bass, vocals; Jose “Papo” Rodriguez, bongos, vocals, percussion; Angel Rodriguez, timbales; George Dez, electric guitar, vocals; John Burk, producer, executive producer; Ivory Daniel, executive producer; George Acuña, Jr., engineer; Larry Sanchez, engineer; Seth Presant, engineer; Julian Sanchez, photography; Devin Dehaven, photography; George Horn, mastering; Albert J. Roman, graphic design
By Alex Henderson
Poncho Sanchez, arguably, has had something that the majority of musicians can only dream about: job security (assuming there is such a thing in the highly volatile music industry). The veteran bandleader/percussionist, who turned 60 in 2011, signed with Concord’s Latin-oriented Picante label in 1982—and 30 years later, he’s still recording for Concord. The fact that Sanchez has been so reliable hasn’t hurt; fans know that they can count on him to provide quality Latin jazz, which is what he continues to do on Live in Hollywood.
Sanchez has never been an innovator. Following in the stylistic footsteps of Afro-Cuban greats like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto, Tito Rodriguez and his mentor Cal Tjader, Sanchez is a classic example of someone who has excelled by sticking with the tried and proven. He has demonstrated that if you’re going to be derivative, it’s best to be damn good at it. And that work ethic is evident on this live recording from July 2012, which follows the usual Sanchez recipe: a heavy emphasis on instrumental Afro-Cuban jazz, with some detours into vocal-oriented salsa.
The vocal-oriented salsa performances on Live in Hollywood include a brief version of “A Ti Nama” and a passionate nine-minute delivery of “Son Son Charari.” If Sanchez had chosen to make vocal-oriented salsa his main focus, it’s quite possible that he could have become a major salsa star. He certainly knows his cha-cha, his son, his mambo and his guaguancó. But most of the time, Sanchez has applied his mastery of Afro-Cuban rhythms to instrumental acoustic jazz. And salsa has been an appealing side dish on his albums, not the main course; Live in Hollywood is no exception. Afro-Cuban jazz instrumentals are the album’s main course, and Sanchez’ band lets loose on inspired instrumental performances of Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue” and the Clare Fischer cha-cha “Morning.” The Afro-Cuban touch also yields pleasing results on an instrumental medley that includes “At the Mambo Inn” and the Bronislaw Kaper standard “On Green Dolphin Street.”
Occasionally, Sanchez has embraced 1960s-like soul-jazz. And on Live in Hollywood, he does that with the vocal offering “Crosscut Saw” (a humorous, R&B-influenced blues). But “Crosscut Saw” doesn’t detract from the CD’s Afro-Cuban appeal. Sanchez and his sideman perform the tune in a way that recalls Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, a band that combined soul-jazz and Afro-Cuban jazz in the 1960s. “Crosscut Saw” adds to the festive, celebratory mood that defines Live in Hollywood.
People who don’t know a lot about jazz tend to stereotype it as ultra-intellectual music that is beyond the comprehension of anyone who doesn’t have an advanced music degree, but Sanchez doesn’t fit that stereotype at all. True to form, Sanchez favors accessibility on this release. Live in Hollywood falls short of essential. Nonetheless, it’s a solid effort and does nothing to harm Sanchez’ reputation as one of the most dependable and hard-swinging figures in Afro- Cuban jazz.
