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."

Jim Self and The Tricky Lix Latin Jazz Band !Yo!

Jim Self and The Tricky Lix Latin Jazz Band
!Yo!
Basset Hound Music

What a wonderful new release by tuba player Jim Self and The Tricky Lix Latin Jazz Band. The title "!Yo!" is a translation of self, and the release is a terrific latin jazz recording unusually anchored by Self's Tuba (and on two selections the Fluba, a big tuba sized flugelhorn). Self is a long-time studio musician who can be heard on over 1500 movie scores (his tuba projected those galactic tones as the Voice of Mothership in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”). he has also done a variety of projects and this release is his 13th album. For this, he has brought together a “who’s who” of young West Coast Latin Jazz Musicians (most of whom are on the great Poncho Sanchez Band). Foremost is trombonist/composer/arranger Francisco Torres who produced, wrote or arranged much of the music. The other players (mostly from the great Poncho Sanchez band) are Ron Blake: Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Rob Hardt: Tenor and Soprano Saxes/Flute; Andy Langham: Piano; Rene Camacho: String Bass; Joey De Leon: Timbales, Batá, Shekere; Giancarlo Anderson: Congas and George Ortiz: Bongos.

Evident on the opening mambo by Eddie Cano "Cal's Pals," dedicated to the great Cal Tjader, is the marvelous arrangements that are fluently played with marvelous solos from trumpeter Blake, Self on tuba, Hardt on tenor sax and De Leon on Timbales. The music is bright, lively and bouncy resulting in an infectious performance that is characteristic of the entire recording. The classic "Poinciana," has the ensemble's seamless rendering of Curt Berg's arrangement to frame the leader's solo. In addition to the warmth of the horns, the mix of rhythm with the horns lends such a relaxed feel to this very charming performance. Even when the groove is kicked up a notch, as on Torres' mambo, "For Charlie," there is an relaxed, yet exhilarating quality as Torres on trombone and Self on tuba play a duet before each solos. Self's own "Encognito," is a slow cha-cha with Blake's trumpet solo followed by Self on fluba.

Torres' "Sweetest Blue" is a spicy Afro-Cuban number with a delightful tropical groove, with a choice soprano sax solo from Hardt, an intricate piano solo from Langham and a Batá solo by De Leon and followed by the calmness of his lovely "Quiero Liegar," with Self playing the melody before some gorgeous trombone and piano. Self composed the title track which is a cheerful, and lovely, cha cha. An invigorating interpretation of Tito Puente's "Old Arrival," with a robust trombone solo and the three percussionists trading eights is followed by the closing track, Clare Fischer's "Morning," with an arrangement by Bill Cunliffe and solos by Rob Hardt on flute and Self on Fluba, after which Stanley the Bassett Hound howls to end this latest Basset Hound recording.

"!Yo!" is a complete listening delight. Like New Orleans Brass bands, and Howard Johnson and Gravity (also known as the horns of Taj Mahal's Tuba Band), Jim Self's performances on tuba exhibit imagination and fluidity that far transcend any novelty, and with the superb ensemble and arrangements here, has provided an album of Latin jazz easy to listen to and full of joy.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared originally in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369). Here is a track from "!Yo!"