"Sánchez está tocando mejor que nunca. Más dueño de sí, más pleno en su expresión y alejado de clichés y frases repetitivas.” El Nuevo Dia

David Sanchez © Devin DeHaven

Critically-acclaimed and Grammy award winning saxophonist David Sánchez will appear at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Monday, March 9th, and then at Yoshi's at Jack London Square in Oakland on Tuesaday, March 10th and Wednesday, March 11th. Unquestionably among the finest saxophonists of his generation, David Sánchez cut his teeth performing Latin jazz with Paquito D’Rivera and Dizzy Gillespie. But his instantly recognizable sound transcends any such categorization. Acclaimed jazz critic Howard Reich once said it best- “technically, tonally and creatively, he seems to have it all.” Perhaps that explains how a young player with scarcely fifteen years in the business has already earned nomination for eight Grammy awards and landed two of them. Guitarist Lage Lund (the winner of the Thelonious Monk Guitar Competition in 2005), bassist Orlando LeFleming and drummer Henry Cole.

In 1986 Sánchez enrolled at the Universidad de Puerto Rico in Rio Píedras, but the pull of New York was irresistible. By 1988 he had auditioned for and won a music scholarship at Rutgers University in New Jersey. With such close proximity to New York City, Sánchez quickly became a member of its swirling jazz scene. He gigged with piano giant Eddie Palmieri and trumpeter Claudio Roditi who, along with master saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, brought Sánchez to the attention of Jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie. In 1991, Gillespie invited the young saxophonist to join his “Live the Future” tour with Miriam Makeba.

The Departure, his 1995 debut for Columbia, gained critical kudos as did the disc's successors Sketches of Dreams, and Street Scenes. Meanwhile, David had begun touring with various jazz greats such as Kenny Barron, Roy Haynes and legendary drummer Elvin Jones, recording with Barron and Haynes respectively. When he returned to the studio for his next project, the results were sterling. Produced by Branford Marsalis, Obsesión would garner the saxophonist his first Grammy nomination. He would follow that album with the Grammy-nominated (and Latin Grammy-nominated) Melaza. In 2001, Sánchez appeared on high-profile recordings with bassist Charlie Haden (Nocturne) and trombonist Steve Turre (TNT [Trombone-N-Tenor]) before issuing another Grammy-nominated release on Columbia, Travesía, which also garnered rave reviews.

Sánchez’ last recording for Columbia, Coral, earned the saxophonist his fourth Grammy nomination and won a Latin Grammy after being voted “Best Instrumental Album” of 2005 by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Coral is the most ambitious manifestation to date of his continuing expansion of the frontiers of mainstream jazz to incorporate Afro-Latin influences. In the project, recorded in Prague, Czech Republic, and placing his jazz sextet against the backdrop of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, he explores obscure works composed by giants of the Latin American classical genre: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Alberto Ginastera and Heitor Villa-Lobos. In addition, he juxtaposes classical structure with jazz improvisation in two of his original tunes as well as in a composition by Carlos Franzetti (arranger and conductor for all tracks on the album).

Released in 2007, Cultural Survival is the latest album from critically-acclaimed and Grammy award winning saxophonist David Sánchez.  With this, his 8th overall album and Concord Picante debut, Sánchez continued to fuse his fierce, straight ahead jazz sound with African, Afro-Cuban and Caribbean influences.  The 8-song album also features a new direction for Sánchez as he debuts a piano-less quartet on all but three of the eight songs and the inclusion of guitar. For the choice of guitarist David recruited Lage Lund.

Whether with Gillespie, Palmieri, Haden and his other jazz mentors, or under his own name, Sánchez has continued to tour extensively, bringing his mix of mainstream jazz with Afro-Latin influences to delighted audiences throughout the globe. In 2003 he partnered with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba for a world tour, which took the two artists to France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Russia, Germany, Portugal, Holland, Denmark, South Korea, Hong Kong and Australia before Sánchez took his own band to perform at the Newport Festival at Madarao, Japan. Later that year, he led his sextet in a triumphal tour through Spain, followed by a week of performances by his quartet in Athens, Greece and Fort-de-France, Martinique. In 2004 David collaborated with Dee Dee Bridgewater on the “Latin Landscapes” world tour. And, performance highlights in 2005 included an extensive U.S. tour with Pat Metheny, as well as touring with his own jazz quartet and trio throughout the U.S., Brazil, Canada and Europe, extending up to the present.

Yoshi's in Oakland is at Jack London Square. Visit www.yoshis.com for ticket information .

The Kuumbwa Jazz Center is located at 320-2 Cedar Street in Santa Cruz. Contact: (831) 427-2227 and www.kuumbwajazz.org

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites