Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Poncho Sanchez: Out Of Sight

Poncho Sanchez: Out Of Sight

By Norman Weinstein
November 2, 2003
View read count

Latin jazz drummer and band leader Pancho Sanchez can always be counted upon to record solidly entertaining Latin jazz albums, and Out of Sight keeps his proud reputation alive. This has more of a '60s retro-soul feel than any of his previous twenty one albums, with guest shots by Ray Charles (on a funky latin version of "Mary Ann") and horn men Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley from the old James Brown band.

But the big name guests are really just icing on the cake. This is essentially a primo dance album glued together by the ferociously danceable grooves established by Sanchez's eight-man band. The leader executes some gruff vocals and drums his heart out. The session has a delightfully playful feel, maintaining a fusion of cha cha cha, boogaloo and R&B that is seriously catchy without the musicians taking themselves too seriously. Yet the moving final cut, "El Tambor Del Mondo," seems to come out of a different state of mind: a kind of ambituously conceived mini- concerto grosso for drums and brassy band, a reminder how Sanchez is always an evolving artist worth hearing seriously.

Track Listing

One Mint Julep; El Shing-a-Ling; Hitch it to the Horse; Saints & Sinners; Mary Ann; Not Necessarily; Conmigo; JB

Personnel

Poncho Sanchez

bongos

Poncho Sanchez- congas, percussion, lead vocals; David Torres- piano, Hammond B3 organ; Tony Banda- bass, background vocals; George Ortiz- timbales; Sal Vasquez- bongos, congas, percussion, background vocals, tres; Serafin Aguilar- trumpet, flugelhorn; Scott Martin- alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute; Francisco Torres- trombone, background vocals; Guests: Pee Wee Ellis- tenor saxophone; Fred Wesley- trombone; Ray Charles- vocals on

Album information

Title: Out Of Sight | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Concord Music Group

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Threads
< Previous

Charles Lloyd: Forest Flower
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.