Poncho Sanchez: Trane's Delight

After a seven-year hiatus Poncho Sanchez pushes through with a passion project and a meaningful tribute to one of his mentors, saxophonist John Coltrane, on Trane's Delight. The feeling of jazz comes together beautifully in this tribute to Coltrane as well as in the remake of the Duke Ellington classic "The Feeling Of Jazz."

Sanchez and his award-winning band succeed with a very smooth and classy salsa sound. The horn section blows splendidly on the melody, along with trombone and bass solos. On "Trane's Delight," the trumpet solo leads over a steady salsa beat. Sanchez rips on congas as well as the percussion section in the last two minutes of the song. Together they are delightful.

Jazz Crusaders 1967 "Soul Bourgeoise" is another favorite of Sanchez. Opening the album, he creates a winning rendition with an explosive intro and an attention-grabbng horn section that definitely mixes up chile con soul. Sanchez picks up the tempo on "Liberia" and brings forth an awesome salsa intro while the trumpet section holds persistent with the classic melody. Latin percussion comes in nicely blended with a hot piano solo.

Sanchez takes superb leaps on "Giant Steps" with an encouraging pace, and a soft piano intro. The piano takes the lead solo followed by an alto saxophone improvisation. Horns are playing wonderfully and delicately. On "Blue Trane," the rhythm is a bit slower, with a Latin twist yet the tempo stays consistent with Coltrane's smooth saxophone riffs. The two-minute conga solo towards the end of the song puts a special touch on Trane's Delight. On classic tunes such as "Si Te Dicen," "Sube," and "Todo Termino," Sanchez reconnects with old friends and musical roots to bring forth a sentimental tribute to Coltrane.