Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Arturo Sandoval: Rumba Palace

265

Arturo Sandoval: Rumba Palace

By

Sign in to view read count
Arturo Sandoval: Rumba Palace
The influence of Latin jazz on adult contemporary and smooth jazz composition and recording cannot be over estimated. It is unfortunate that, more often than not, contemporary and smooth jazz fails to treat the Latin element with the necessary respect. It takes a sharply recorded example like Rumba Palace to bring the listener back into the fold of true Latin jazz in its entire splendor.

Promotional concerns depict Rumba Palace as Cuban expatriate trumpeter Arturo Sandoval showing his "Latin side. Sandoval is equally capable in all subclasses of jazz as well as classical music, but it could be suggested that his "Latin side is his most pronounced, making such rhetoric redundant. Sandoval met and toured with Dizzy Gillespie eventually seeking asylum in the United States and as a result, we are better for it.

"El Huracan Del Caribe is typical of the recording with that funky, sexy descending piano and Spanish vocal. Sandoval shows off his own chops and those of his sharp, brass-heavy band. His charts are razor sharp and his use of solo and chorus vocals comes off famously, leaving the listener wanting much more of this music.

If Rhumba Palace has any problems it is because it is a wee bit too slickly produced. It captures perfect the humid, infectious Latin rhythms, but it captures them perhaps too perfectly. That rhythm, that rhythm, is the piquant ingredient that increases the music's communicability toward radioactivity. The appeal of this music is the same as that of Shakira's Spanish language recordings. The crossover appeal is that potent.

Track Listing

A Gozar; Guarachando; El Huracan Del Caribe; 21st Century; Sexy Lady; Peaceful; Having Fun; Arranca De Nuevo; Rumba Palace; Nouveau Cha Cha.

Personnel

Arturo Sandoval: bass trumpet; Felipe Lamoglia: saxophone; Jason Carder: trumpet; Dante Luciani: trombone; Dana Teboe: trombone; Tony Perez: keyboard; Armando Gola: bass instrument; Alexis 'Pututi' Arce: bata; Tomas Cruz: bata; Cheito Quinones, Sr.: background vocals.

Album information

Title: Rumba Palace | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Telarc Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.