Poncho Sanchez Trane's Delight

Poncho Sanchez
Trane's Delight
Concord Picante

With his first recording in seven years, Latin Jazz Legend Poncho Sanchez celebrates the life and music of John Coltrane. Included are several reimaginings of Coltrane classics, some new songs composed in his honor and several other Latin jazz pieces. Sanchez stated, "I've always loved John Coltrane ever since I was a kid and first learned about jazz. I've recorded tributes to a lot of my heroes in life — Mongo Santamaria, Tiro Puente, Cal Tjader — so I thought it was definitely time to do a tribute to the great John Coltrane."

This CD is his 20th album for Concord Picante for which he has recorded for 30 years (His relationship with Concord itself extends 37 years and now includes 27 albums). This album features the conguero's longtime band of trombonist and musical director Francisco Torres, trumpet and flugelhorn master Ron Blake, saxophonist Robert Hardt, pianist Andy Langham, bassists Rene Camacho and Ross Schodek, and percussionists Joey DeLeon and Giancarlo Anderson. It is a fabulous band whether the very original reworking of Coltrane's "Giant Steps," or the closing performance of Bobby Manrique's hot salsa, "Toro Termino," with an exquisite vocal from Norell Thompson of Los Angeles' salsa scene and some brilliant sizzling trumpet from Blake.

As to the aforementioned "Giant Steps," one has to admire how this quartet piece is orchestrated for Sanchez's larger ensemble with its harmonious setting. The melodic theme implicit in this composition becomes visible in a performance that does not focus on Trane's still startling 'sheets of sound' virtuosity." Made into a rumba, it opens with Langham's a scintillating piano solo over the heated percussion, Hardt takes a tenor solo that showcases his command of the tenor sax with attractive rhythmic accents before Sanchez, and the percussionists take the spotlight supported by a vamp laid down by Langham. There is a marvelous rendering of "Duke Ellington's "The Feeling of Jazz" with a lovely arrangement and piano Langham before Torres takes the first solo with his gritty, tailgate tone followed by Camacho's robust bass solo.

Other Coltrane compositions include "Liberia" from "Coltrane's Sound" and the track to the classic "Blue Train." This latter number is taken as a relaxed cha-cha-chá with solos Torres and Hardt on soprano saxophone before Langham vamps a bass motif for the percussionists. Sanchez and Torres contributed two originals, including the high-spirited title track with Blake's fiery trumpet. A bolero, "Si Te Decen," slows the groove down with Sanchez delivering a heartfelt vocal on a revival of Joe Cuba's 1966 recording.

This album is a welcome return to the recording world by Poncho Sanchez. "Trane's Delight" is a superb musical tribute as well as a fabulous Latin Jazz recording by one of our living masters.

I received my review copy from Concord Records. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386). Here is a performance by Poncho Sanchez of "The Feeling of Jazz."

For Andrew Neu Big Band Jazz Is A Catwalk

Andrew Neu
Catwalk
CGN Records

This new release is subtitled "The Big Band Side of Andrew Neu," who according to his website "is one of the most exciting, multi-genre musicians today. He is well respected throughout the industry for his work as a saxophonist, woodwind player, arranger, composer, educator and recording artist." About this he says, "After rehearsing for years with these veteran LA studio musicians I'm thrilled to finally release this exciting and fun collection of modern big band music." He has some special guests to enliven the bright, brassy music here including trumpeters Randy Brecker, Rick Braun and Wayne Bergeron, saxophonists Bob Mintzer, Eric Marienthal and Gordon Goodwin, and bassist Brian Bromberg.

This is a strong, tight, swinging band whom play with nuance and heat. The opening "Juggernaut" has a jaunty rhythm, displays the crisp, buoyant quality of the band and the freshness of the arrangements. There are strong solos from trombonist Andrew Lippmann along with Neu's husky tenor sax. The rhythm section of pianist Andy Langham, guitarist Matt Hornbeck, bassist David Hughes and Jamey Tate provide a strong foundation with Tate also taking a solo here. The spicy "Zebrano," is a number that would seem to have get a Latin Dance floor full with Brecker featured with a fiery solo here along with Neu and Tate. Craig Fundyga guests on vibraphone on the title track with a prancing groove and muted trumpet in the opening choruses. It has a driving muted trumpet solo from Michael Stever preceding Fundyga's vibes solo with the horns framing his solo.

Neu's arrangement of "Body and Soul" is striking as it opens for a couple choruses at a ballad tempo before Langham's piano leads it into an Afro-Cuban mode and his solo is followed by Mintzer who sounds quite strong. Neu's lovely ballad, "My Neu" is a feature for Eric Marienthal's lovely alto sax solo, while Neu provides a wonderful orchestration for a lively performance of Cole Porter classic, "What Is This Thing Called Love," with memorable solos from Dan Kaneyuki on alto sax, trumpeter Stever and Neu. "Wasamba" is highlighted by Wayne Bergeron's adept trumpet, along with Brian Bromberg's fleet fingered piccolo bass.

The tenor sax of Gordon Goodwin is featured on a crisply played "Too Much of a Good Thing," while Rick Braun's mix of lyricism and heat is heard on Ennio Morricone's marvelous "Cinema Paradiso" on which Neu is also heard. After a lively "Blue Sesame" with a heated muted trumpet solo from Jeff Jarvis, there is a spirited "Alpha Dog," with Brian Bromberg adding a funky electric bass solo, along nice high register work from Anthony Bonsera on trumpet and Tate's drum solo to close this recording. Neu's compositions, arrangements and the strong ensemble work behind the excellent soloists result in a terrific, hard swinging big band recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 377). His website is https://www.andrewneu.com/.  Here is
"Juggernaut" from the album.

Ron King Triumph

Ron King
Triumph
Perseverance Distribution

While classically trained, Ron King has taken his brass chops to a variety of settings working with such artists as George Benson, Ricki Lee Jones, and Marvin Gaye, performing with the Tonight Show Orchestra as well as with Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and others, while doing studio work for films and the like. Currently he leads a quartet as well as a big band, and now has a new album with a variety of grooves and the like with him overdubbing on a variety of instruments while joined by Jeff Lorber and others on this.

The title track opens things up with its tuneful (if programmed) backing and lyrical trumpet along with wordless vocal backing. He switches to flugelhorn on "Luv Vibe" and displays impressive facility and invention. Support on this includes Jeff Lorber on piano (who solos), Bennett Brandeis on guitar and Preston Shepard on French Horn with a easy listening veneer. With full band and strings, "Celtic Horizons," sports lovely flugelhorn along with pianist Andy Langham's solo and Bob Sheppard's flute with the strings adding sweetening. "A Long Way Home," with King on trumpet, Bob Sheppard on tenor sax and Lenny Castro on congas is spicy, straight-ahead latin jazz (with the bass riff akin to that of Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca") with some of King's most exciting playing here as his trumpet blazes into the upper register followed by some very fervent tenor sax and then Langham in a highly charged manner before some hot percussion from drummer Gary Novak and Castro on congas on a standout performance. The closing "Peace and Love" takes us back to the smooth jazz feel of several selections with programmed rhythm and synthesized strings in support his lovely trumpet.

Ron King plays trumpet and flugelhorn with lyricism and invention although this album mixes a straight-ahead performance with others more in an smooth jazz vein, making for some wonderful playing and relaxing listening.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371).