ALBUM REVIEWS

PONCHO SANCHEZ

“Soul Sauce: Memories of Cal Tjader”

Concord Picante

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Vibraphonist-percussionist Cal Tjader, who died in 1982, influenced a generation of Latin-jazz musicians, especially on the West Coast. And no one better epitomizes those influences than conguero Poncho Sanchez.

Like Tjader, Sanchez is making his greatest impact as a bandleader, despite impressive skills on his instrument of choice. The core of the Sanchez band--pianist David Torres, bassist Tony Banda, percussionists Ramon Banda and Jose “Papo” Rodriguez--has been together a number of years now, making for a tight, rhythmic weave, both in live performance and on this recording. It’s this experienced percussive engine that powers “Soul Sauce,” giving it an infectious danceable quality.

Fittingly, Sanchez has added vibraphonist Ruben Estrada for this date, and the ringing, rhythmic sound he adds fits more easily into the group’s sound than previous Sanchez recordings that featured such guests as saxophonist Eddie Harris and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.

Tjader is represented by a trio of his own songs, the smooth swinging “I Showed Them,” the mysterious “Song For Pat,” and the ballad “Liz-Anne” that features Torres’ probing piano work blending celestially with the vibes.

The three-piece sax-trombone-trumpet section plays second fiddle to the vibraphone, often laying out all together. Sanchez’s own “Song For Cal,” co-written with his former musical director, Charles Otwell, has an appropriately distinguished feel, while featuring the smooth-as-glass trumpet lines of Stan Martin.

Sanchez’s conga play is central to the proceedings, as he tags rippling accents behind the soloists, or just plain cooks along with polyrhythmic delight. “Soul Sauce” has a softer overall sound than Sanchez’ previous Concord albums, and is also his most realized. No doubt Cal Tjader himself would have approved.

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