EXERPT from NPR
After 24 albums in 27 years, percussionist and bandleader Poncho Sanchez has rarely strayed from his tried-and-true sound, which he calls "straight-ahead" Latin jazz. That generally takes the form of post-WWII bebop and jazz standards set to Afro-Cuban mambo, cha cha cha and Santeria-influenced rhythms. New York may be a hotbed of Latin jazz, but the California-based Sanchez has had an extraordinary impact on the spread of its influence worldwide.
Sanchez's musical lineage can be traced back to Latin jazz masters Tito Puente and vibraphonist Cal Tjader (with whom Sanchez played until Tjader's death in 1982), who mixed jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms. His technique and sound on the congas combines an echo of conga master Mongo Santamaria and his own sense of groove and melodic adventure.
