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"Conga Caliente"
Poncho Sanchez
Saturday, March 17 • 8pm
$65
$45
$37
$25
“As Elvis is to rock…Poncho is to salsa.” – Los Angeles Times
Program Notes
Even for the most talented musicians, it takes years of patience, persistence, and a few lucky breaks to launch a career. Poncho Sanchez had his share of each. Growing up in Los Angeles, Sanchez was steeped in both Afro-Cuban music and Rhythm & Blues. An aspiring guitarist, Sanchez tried out for a garage band across the street. The audition turned out to be a mixed blessing: he couldn't cut it on the six strings, but the band needed a vocalist. After a few verses, Poncho became their lead singer on the spot.
But the first time he set his hands on congas, it was a natural fit. With the money he earned singing, he bought his own congas and spent his free time practicing along with Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, and Cal Tjader recordings. Soon enough the 23-year-old self-taught conguero (who also had taught himself the flute, drums, and timbales before reaching high school) had filled the chair in Tjader's band. He would tour with the vibraphonist's Latin jazz ensemble until Tjader's premature death in 1982, after which he signed with Concord Records, a fruitful affiliation that continues to this day.
On his many recordings for Concord, Sanchez displays his mastery of soulful Latin grooves and the legacy of bebop improvisations. Latin Soul, a 1999 live recording, earned Sanchez his first Grammy Award, after multiple nominations. And his latest album, Do It!, finds Sanchez reuniting with a number of his musical idols, including Oakland's brass-knuckled Tower of Power and legendary South African flugelhorn and cornet player Hugh Masekela. This continues a long tradition of Sanchez recording with his idols, includingthe aforementioned Puente and Santamaria, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Eddie Harris, and Ray Charles.
Now a legend in his own right, Sanchez continues to nail that fine musical balance between expanding his horizons and maintaining the propulsive rhythms and top-notch musicianship for which he is renowned. Expect a little bit of both, and a heavy dose of Latin soul, in tonight's performance.
Personnel:
- Poncho Sanchez, congas
- George Ortiz, timbales
- Tony Banda, bass
- Ron Blake, trumpet
- Javier Vergara, sax, alto and tenor
- Francisco Torres, trombone
- Joseph DeLeon, bongo, percussion
- David Torres, piano
Progressive Investment Management Company, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Thurman V. White, Jr.
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