By Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
September 18, 2003

Jazz Promo Notes: "The arrival of celebrated trumpet player Arturo Sandoval has been joyfully applauded throughout the jazz and classical music communities. Granted political asylum in July 1990, Sandoval, his wife, and teenage son made their new home in Miami, Florida. A protégé of the legendary jazz master, Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949."

"Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn't take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world's most acknowledged jazz trumpet and flugelhorn players. He was presented as guest artist with the BBC Symphony, the Leningrad Symphony, the National Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, London Symphony, Oklahoma Symphony, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras. Currently, he serves with a full professorship at Florida International University, and maintains one of the most extensive educational programs in the industry with approximately one hundred performances and lectures in universities and colleges."

"Mr. Sandoval was a featured artist in the acclaimed Dizzy Gillespie United Nations Orchestra, as well as the orchestra's 1992 Grammy Award-winning album, Live at Royal Festival Hall. He has performed with Billy Cobham, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Herbie Hancock, Michel Legrand, Bill Conti, Stan Getz, Celine Dione at the Oscars, John Williams at the Boston Pops, and in the Superbowl with Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle. His playing also can be heard on Dave Grusin's soundtrack for Havana, in the Mambo Kings soundtrack with his Grammy nominated composition Mambo Caliente. His diverse style and versatility can be heard on albums by the GRP All Star Big Band, and Gloria Estefan's Into the Light and Mi Tierra, as well as on other albums by Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Anka amongst others. Since his arrival to the U.S.A., Arturo Sandoval has recorded seven albums as a soloist, six of which are jazz, Latin jazz, and one classical album. In 2000, HBO produced a movie about his life with Andy Garcia in the role of Mr. Sandoval entitled For Love or Country. Arturo won an Emmy for his music in the film."(Jazz Promo Notes)

Arturo Sandoval was an imposing presence onstage, as he opened the second set in a triumphant trumpet solo, with the sparest percussion in the background. He was fully in charge, and, while Robert Rodriguez' piano softly evoked tunes of standards, Arturo complemented Robert with alternating passages, on and off key. Arturo then tore into a duet with Felipe Lamoglia on saxophone, solo and abstract, as if the entire first half of this piece had been a warm-up. Arturo took the lead once again, with his powerful and possessed trumpet, as Robert played the theme on piano, adding a staccato effect on the higher reaches of his keyboard.

Here's That Rainy Day was taken to the lowest depths with Arturo on mournful flugelhorn. Arturo is a rare bandleader, who literally claps onstage for his musicians, as he did here for Felipe. After bonding with his fans, Arturo turned to the keyboard, with warmth and contemporary sound, and imitated his group's melody, with backup on bass and brushes. Finally, the band showed its Latin origins, and, with a clave beat, they created a nice Salsa, with Samuel Torres on bongos and congas, dynamic and relaxed, and Arturo at the keyboard, proficient and professional.

Arturo Sandoval humbly repeated to his fans his desire to please, and, as a result, took many requests, which, I felt, did not allow for enough Latin sound. Because of the many requests for American Jazz favorites, expertly rendered by this sensational Sextet, they did not, however, play enough Latin music for my expectations. One request, Summertime, brought this group into an amazing blaze of sound, as Arturo, first on full, clear trumpet, with added, chord-like effects, then switched to a synthesizer and created some of the most vibrant, wild sounds imaginable. These musicians were on key and full of excitement and energy.

You Are Everything To Me, another request, found Arturo back at the keyboard in solo passages, with joy and total mastery of an obvious, favorite of the musicians. Arturo played a song in every note, prior to Dennis Marks' turn at solo bass, which generated chords of extra proportion. The two notes for You Are were repeated multiple times with various instruments, alone and in combinations, and finally on the steel percussion in a finale of wild cacophony.

Just as I was craving one more Latin piece, Arturo traveled South, featuring full Latin percussion and bongos, and Felipe accompanied on natural, Latin instruments. This was a wild, Cuban finale, and Arturo remained at the keyboard. Watch for Arturo Sandoval and his musicians, as they often appear in New York Jazz Clubs. They are not to be missed.

Arturo Sandoval on Trumpet and Felipe Lamoglia on Saxophone
Photo courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

Felipe and Arturo at Leisure
Photo courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

Samuel Torres and Robert Rodriguez at Leisure
Photo courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower