Pancho Sanchez is without question one of the
top Latin bandleaders on the scene, with a band that is versatile
and always busy recording and playing live dates. His longetivity
mirrors that of his mentor Cal Tjader, and together Sanchez
and Tjader represent a melding of Latin music, jazz, soul,
R&B, and pop that presaged the fusionary music of Carlos
Santana. On his latest release, Out of Sight! Sanchez revisits
some of the African-American music that influenced him as
a teenager in Norwalk, California.
Anchored by musical director David Torres on keyboards and
longtime bassist Tony Banda along with Sanchez, the group
offers up some funky Latin-based music that first appeared
on the scene during the swinging sixties. The opener, a soulful
rendition of “One Mint Julep” takes a Latin beat
and punchy horn arrangements and layers accents from guests
such as Ray Charles, tenor saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, trombonist
Fred Westley, and Billy Preston at the Hammond B-3. The results
are like slipping into a warm bath, or hitting the beach down
in Acapulco—smooth, relaxed, and happy. Sanchez’
own composition “El Shing-A-Ling” recalls the
boogaloo craze, and Pancho delivers lead vocals that are spot-on
perfect. He also sings on the soul cover “Hitch It To
The Horse,” a duet with R&B vocalist Sam Moore,
and the James Brown cover “Out of Sight.” In Jesse
“Chuy” Varela’s excellent liner notes we
discover that Sanchez was originally a singer in a local band
called the Halos in Norwalk, performing covers of James Brown,
Otis Redding, and other soul giants.
This kind of cross-pollination can take on a forced feeling
in the wrong hands, but Sanchez has only the best possible
help on board, and there’s not a single misstep on this
recording. Both Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Westley played with
James Brown. Sam Moore offers the authentic sound of Memphis
soul, while Ray Charles has demonstrated throughout his career
that he can play and sing virtually any style with authority.
On the Latin side, you’ve got the best living conguero
with a tight horn section and a hot rhythm section. It’s
all the formula for a perfect party album, and that’s
exactly what you get. On the other hand, if there’s
no party going and you just want to listen, there’s
plenty of musical substance here to sustain you.
Besides the guest and soul-influenced numbers, there are
some fine Latin charts here as well, penned by David Torres
and by band trombonist Francisco Torres. David’s “Saints
and Sinners” is a catchy chart that mixes a layered
horn sound with some great Hammond touches from Torres. Francisco’s
“Not Necessarily” offers a swinging sound that
is somewhat reminiscent of Cal Tjader’s work. The group
also tackles Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta chart “Conmigo”
with satisfying results.
Two of the album’s great moments are Ray Charles’
work on a Latin version of his hit “Mary Ann,”
with Ellis taking the tenor solo and David Spalding providing
some down home harmonica, and the final track, “El Tambor
Del Mongo,” a tribute to the late, great bandleader
Mongo Santamaria. This Afro-Cuban number provides a slower,
easy ending to an album is perfection from beginning to end.
Francisco Aguabella guests on bata drums, and Pancho provides
a nice solo tribute to Santamaria, another graduate of Cal
Tjader’s bands.
Poncho Sanchez’ recorded work is so consistent, it
would be difficult to name an album of his that wouldn’t
be an enjoyable listen, but if you like your Latin jazz tinged
with some soul and R&B, the Out of Sight! will certainly
rock your world.
