This past week we’ve had two examples of how Latin music essentially saved jazz and modern music. At a time when today’s sounds seemingly desire to self destruct by inaccessible cacophony or cerebral naval gazing, last week’s show of Eliane Elias bringing Brazil’s samba to LA and Friday’s event of Poncho Sanchez at The Lobero with East LA cruising sounds reminded our souls that music was essentially created for dancing (and worship). And dancing there was in the aisles Friday night in Santa Barbara, as even my 72 year old wife couldn’t resist getting out of her chair and doing some salsa steps. When’s the last time you saw that at a concert by…well, let’s not name names.
The embodiment of Afro Cuban jazz, Poncho Sanchez has taken the baton from his mentor Cal Tjader and created his own personal sound, mixing elements of bebop with the heart of Latin America. The multi-Grammy winner brought in a rhythm team of Ross Schodek/b, Jose Perez/timbales/ Giancarlo Anderson/bongos and Andy Langham/p that was tighter than Jay Lo’s jumpsuit, and the horn section of Franceisco Torres/tb, Ron Blake/tp and Tom Luer/wwinds was bolder and brighter than Elton John’s jackets.
The 2 hour show (with a 30 minute intermission) had the Sanchez simmering on the congas, contributing to the percolating undercurrent of bebopping themes such as “Yesterdays” or “Promendade”, with quotes from Dizzy and Bird brought out from the horn section. Luer’s tenor and alto saxes were bouncing to Langham’s suavecito chords, on these tunes, while Torres was as bold and beautiful as the grill of a 49 Buick as he seared through the double timed sprint of “Guajira” and Blake grooved through a Willie Bobo medley.
Sanchez was able to switch roles from a master soloist as on the dark modal “Night Dream”(with it’s thunderous hand work to that of a crooner, letting Anderson hit the skins as he transitioned to guiro and cowbell, and more cowbell, swinging with earthy passion on the luscious bolero “Queres Volver” , Ven Pa Bailar” and the peppy “Batiri Cha Cha”.
But, as stated before, the name of the game is getting up and moving, so it was when the band popped the clutch into overdrive and revved up classics like the irresistible “Watermelon Man” and fluty fluttering “Soul Sauce” that Sanchez and company reminded that music is one of the few things that demonstrates man being made in God’s image. What else on God’s green earth put worship and dancing to rhythm and melody? Sanchez pointed the packed house why we’re on earth, to celebrate the fact that we are here to enjoy our time under the sun.
Upcoming shows at The Lobero include Journey USA 07.05, Our House 06/10, ALO and Donovan Frankenreiter 07/24 and Mercedes De Cordoba 08/02