Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » David Sanchez: Coral

327

David Sanchez: Coral

By

View read count
David Sanchez: Coral
With Coral , explosive tenor saxophonist David Sanchez records with a symphony orchestra, playing Carlos Franzetti arrangements of "Latin classical" pieces by composers as diverse as Villa-Lobos and Jobim. Alongside the plush strings, Sanchez has banked his fires a bit, but he does take some typically vigorous workouts here.

Sanchez continues to develop and refine a personal sound and style. He's always played exciting music, but his sound has gotten lighter, more transparent, and he's become more lyrical. His lyricism stands out on these performances, as on "Punambi," where he is wrapped in a lovely Franzetti arrangement, or on the title tune, a Villa-Lobos composition in which the strings become a bit cloying but the tenor man rises above them. The orchestra sound is always pretty, but it's those overly lush, albeit intermittent moments that keep this album from soaring consistently.

Yet despite its occaisional inconsistencies, Coral offers much good listening. When the extraordinary young alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon joins the ensemble, the music reaches the levels of intensity we've come to expect from Sanchez. The two saxophonists really burn on "The Elements II," and Sanchez is in top form on "Archipelago," which closes the album in fine style. The tenor man also takes a well-paced, typically excellent, improvisation on "Matita Pere."

In addition, Coral benefits from a tight, together rhythm section. Pianist Edsel Gomez takes several inventive solos and is strong in the section. The bassists and percussionists are also noteworthy.

In 2000, Sanchez recorded Melaza , which also featured Zenon and is one of Sanchez's strongest albums. It was a relentlessly intense recording that codified Sanchez's style and approach to Latin jazz. Coral represents something different for Sanchez in both scope and intent. While it doesn't always reach the inspired heights of Melaza , Coral is a lot more than just David Sanchez with strings. It represents the continuing growth of a dynamic talent.

Track Listing

Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar, Matita Pere, Vidala, Coral, Punambi, The Elements II, Vexilla Regis, Cancion Del Canaveral, Archipelago.

Personnel

David Sanchez
saxophone, tenor

David Sanchez, tenor saxophone; Miguel Zenon, alto saxophone; Edsel Gomez, piano; Ben Street or John Benitez, bass; Adam Cruz, drums; Pernell Saturnino, percussion; City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Album information

Title: Coral | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Columbia Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



David Sanchez Concerts


Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.