Sandoval Scales Musical Peaks

Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval could be a model for at least a couple of elements in the Olympic creed: faster and higher. Sunday afternoon in a Chamber Music in Historic Places concert at Union Station, he played more notes, more quickly, than some jazz artists deliver in a month.

Fortunately, and to the Cuban-born Sandoval’s credit, his often astonishing virtuosity was usually matched by his imaginative improvising and a powerful sense of swing. On numbers ranging from a high-speed romp through the chords of “Cherokee” to a lovely flugelhorn rendering of “Here’s That Rainy Day,” Sandoval was a technical wonder, a sheer master of his instrument. And, like his musical idol, Dizzy Gillespie, he tempered his rapid-note displays with a witty sense of humor and--if a bit too rarely--a clear understanding of the value of melody.

As if that wasn’t enough, Sandoval also took a solo turn at the piano, playing with enough skill and inventiveness to have a career on that instrument alone. He then added some fiery timbales playing, a bit of synthesizer keyboards and some astounding wordless vocalizing. All in all, an impressive display of talent.

Sandoval’s pace was matched by tenor saxophonist Charles McNeill, who soloed with easygoing fluency. The pair were superbly supported by pianist Doug Bickel, bassist Dennis Marks, drummer Ernesto Simpson and percussionist Manuel Castrillo. The group was joined by trumpeter Bobby Rodriguez for a climactic, battling horns version of Gillespie’s “Night in Tunisia.”