Poncho Sanchez--Poncho at Montreux (DVD) (Concord Picante 2004)

Latin Jazz giant Poncho Sanchez is a uniter, not a divider. As a child, he reveled in the dual influences of '60s groove soul (Ray Charles) and the giants of mambo music (Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Tito Puente). His trademark big conga sound owes much to Santamaria, whom Sanchez always refers to as "The Great Mongo Santamaria," but in recent years his writing and arranging has incorporated more of the soul, funk, and blues he grew up on. This DVD is proof that in the right hands, the pairing is wildly successful.

On the concert DVD Poncho at Montreux, the bearded conguero and his band tear through seven wildly diverse tracks that range from traditional salsa to a James Brown workout in a style Sanchez dubs "Funky cha cha cha." The selections are a showcase of his influences and first loves, including songs by Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Cal Tjader, and Eddie Palmieri.

But what does Poncho Sanchez sound like? If you are familiar with the inside-out clave of "Oye Como Va," (dah dah... dit dah...dit dah dah) or with the complex in-the-cracks dance grooves that are the specialty of Jesus Alemañy's great Cuban band ¡Cubanismo!, you are halfway to understanding the Poncho Sanchez sound. The rhythm is carried by keyboards and percussion, leaving the bass to play everywhere in the measure except the downbeats. Sanchez and timbalist George Ortiz decorate the big picture with accents and speedy fills, and the horns provides the hooks. All this makes for a sound that is difficult for novice listeners to get a handle on, but as with learning to listen for the upbeat in bebop, once you get your head around the sound it doesn't let go. (I recently reviewed the best of Poncho comp Instant Party here at Blogcritics. This is a very fine place to start your learnin'.)

However, Latin rhythms are only half the story. Imagine "Oye Como Va" as played by Booker T. and the MGs, or Tito Puente backed up by James Brown's JBs, and you start to get the picture. The sideways rhythms of salsa and son get a dash of Memphis hot sauce, leading to a final result that is neither Latin nor soul but totally entertaining. Luckily, Sanchez has assembled a tight, professional band that can handle all these demands and more.

The DVD kicks off with a cha-cha-cha version of the Ray Charles hit "One Mint Julep" that showcases both the Cuban and soul sides of Poncho's sound to good effect. Keyboardist and music director David Torres plays a little heavily at first, but soon settles down into the groove. The next selection, the Sanchez original "El Shing-a-Ling" continues in the same vein with some nice flute work and a complex, melodic, swinging conga solo from Sanchez.

The traditional "Guaripumpe" is next, allowing the band to open up the Latin side of their sound to full effect. Outstanding solos from flute player Scott Martin, trombonist Francisco Torres, and especially timbalist George Ortiz are highlights, and the band's command of dynamics and arrangements are on full display.

Sanchez mixes it up on the fourth selection, a selection by his mentor, Cal Tjader titled "I Showed Them." Sanchez' laid-back ultra-smooth 70s style arrangement depends on a totally different set of skills than the Salsa inflections of the first three songs, and it is a tribute to Sanchez' skill as a bandleader (and his band's chops) that he can bring it off so totally. Smooth Philly soul soul relies on a totally different sense of space than Afro-Cuban/Latin music, and to fit the two together takes skill, talent, and funk.