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The nearness of Poncho Sanchez

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORMAN SEEFF

Grammy-winning conga player Poncho Sanchez will come to Taipei on Sunday for a one-off concert featuring some great Cuban beats at the National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳). The line-up of songs include jazz standards such as Night in Tunisia and The Nearness of You, plus a number of original songs such as Agua Belen and El Shingalin.

But according to Enid Chen (陳盈蓁) of New Aspect International Cultural & Educational Foundation (新象文教基金會), the program will only be loosely followed, as Sanchez and his band are known to follow the jazz tradition of improvising their sets.

The line-up of musicians is Sanchez on congas, George Ortiz on timbales, Francisco Torres on the trombone, Ron Blake on the saxophone, David Torres on piano, Tony Banda on bass and Joseph DeLeon Jr. on the bongos and percussion.

Hailed as one of the hardest-working men in Latin jazz by Drummerworld magazine, Sanchez was born the youngest of 11 children in Laredo, Texas. He grew up watching his sisters dancing to Machito, Tit Puente, Cal Tjader and various bands from Cuba while his brothers doo-whopped to early rhythm and blues. Both styles are clearly discernable in his later recordings.

In the sixth grade, Sanchez bought his first guitar for 50 cents in the hopes of joining a rhythm and blues outfit that jammed across the street from where he lived. But when he showed up for an audition, it became apparent that he didn't stand a chance. However, as luck would have it, the group needed a singer and, although he had never sung, he gave it a chance and became the lead vocal for the next five years.

By the time Sanchez reached high school he began drifting towards percussion instruments, to which the conga drum felt most natural. After saving up enough money from singing jobs he purchased a set and started banging away the nights in his garage to Machito and Cal Tjader records.

His incessant practicing paid off when in 1975, after a period of struggle, Sanchez had an opportunity to play with his idol, the vibraphonist Cal Tjader. After playing a song together, Tjader asked Sanchez to play the rest of the set with him and later asked if he wanted to team up with the Latin great for a gig opposite Carmen McRae at the Coconut Grove, then a major venue showcasing Latin music. Sanchez stayed on with Tjader until the vibraphonist's untimely death seven years later.

Before Tjader's passing, he convinced Carl Jefferson, founder of Concord music to sign Sanchez on to his Concord Picante label.

So began a musical journey that would see Sanchez produce over two-dozen recordings and receive many Grammy nominations, of which he won an award in the category of Latin Soul, in 1999.

According to Chen, this is the first time Sanchez has come to Taiwan. But if promotional companies are still catching up to the Latin invasion, ticket sales suggest that there are a lot of Poncho Sanchez fans on the island. All the cheaper tickets have been sold out and the rest are going fast.

What: Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Where: National Concert Hall, Taipei (國家音樂廳)
When: Sunday at 7:30pm
Tickets: NT$800 to NT$4,200 and are available through NTCH ticketing. (Note: NT$800 and NT$1,200 tickets are sold out)
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