David Sánchez (musician)

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David Sánchez
Sánchez with Ricardo Rodriguez on double bass
Background information
Born	(1968-09-09) September 9, 1968 (age 52) Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Saxophone

David Sánchez (born 9 September 1968 in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) is a Grammy-winning jazz tenor saxophonist from Puerto Rico.

Early life[]

Sanchez took up the conga when he was eight and started playing tenor saxophone at age 12. His earliest influences were Afro-Caribbean and danza but also European and Latin classical. At 12 Sanchez attended , which emphasized formal musical studies and classical European styles^[1] and was much taken with a Miles Davis album, Basic Miles, featuring John Coltrane, as well as Lady in Satin, a 1958 album by Billie Holiday with strings, arranged and conducted by Ray Ellis. Sanchez considered a college career in psychology but auditioned at Berklee and Rutgers University. Sanchez chose Rutgers because he got a better scholarship and was near New York which was Sanchez' goal. While at Rutgers, Sanchez studied with Kenny Barron, Ted Dunbar, and John Purcell.

Career takes off[]

Sanchez joined Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra in 1990 and Dizzy became Sanchez' mentor. Dizzy's group toured 27 countries, and 100 U.S. cities in 31 states, and also saw other notable musicians (Flora Purim for example, another Grammy Award nominee). After the United Nation Orchestra, Sanchez continued to play with Dizzy until Dizzy died in 1993, mainly in Dizzy's Trio with Mike Longo. Since then he has toured with the , recorded with Slide Hampton and his Jazz Masters, , Roy Hargrove, Kenny Drew, Jr., Ryan Kisor, Danilo Perez, Rachel Z, and Hilton Ruiz, and headed his own sessions for Columbia Records.

Lead musician[]

After joining Columbia Records, Sanchez released seven albums. In 2005 Sanchez won the Grammy award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Coral, which was two years in the making. Recorded in The Czech Republic with The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Coral features a sextet: alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, pianist Edsel Gomez, bassists and Ben Street, drummer Adam Cruz, and percussionist Pernell Saturnino.

Discography[]

As leader[]

• The Departure (Columbia, 1994)
• Sketches of Dreams (Columbia, 1995)
• Street Scenes (Columbia, 1996)
• Obsesion (Columbia, 1998)
• Melaza (Columbia, 2000)
• Travesia (Columbia, 2001)
• Coral (Columbia, 2004)
• Cultural Survival (Concord Picante, 2008)
• Carib (Ropeadope, 2019)

As sideman[]

• Claudia Acuna, Wind from the South (Verve, 2000)
• Ray Barretto, Standards Rican-ditioned (Zoho, 2006)
• Kenny Barron, Spirit Song (Verve, 2000)
• Ignacio Berroa, Codes (Blue Note, 2006)
• Jimmy Bosch, Salsa Dura (Ryko, 1999)
• Randy Brecker, Randy Pop! (Piloo, 2015)
• Duduka Da Fonseca, Samba Jazz Fantasia (Art Music, 2002)
• Santi Debriano, Panamaniacs (Free Lance, 1994)
• Barbara Dennerlein, Junkanoo (Verve, 1997)
• Kenny Drew Jr., A Look Inside (Antilles, 1993)
• Kyle Eastwood, From There to Here (Columbia, 1998)
• Dizzy Gillespie, To Bird with Love (Telarc, 1992)
• Dizzy Gillespie, Bird Songs: The Final Recordings (Telarc, 1997)
• Edsel Gomez, Cubist Music (Zoho, 2006)
• Charlie Haden, Nocturne (Verve, 2001)
• Slide Hampton, Dedicated to Diz (Telarc, 1993)
• Kip Hanrahan, Exotica (American Clave, 1992)
• Roy Hargrove, Habana (Verve, 1997)
• Tom Harrell, The Art of Rhythm (RCA Victor, 1998)
• Stefon Harris, Ninety Miles (Concord Picante, 2011)
• Roy Haynes, Praise (Dreyfus, 1998)
• Roy Haynes, A Life in Time (Dreyfus, 2007)
• Giovanni Hidalgo, Villa Hidalgo (Messidor, 1992)
• La India, Llego la India Via Eddie Palmieri (Acid Jazz, 1992)
• Jonny King, The Meltdown (Enja, 1997)
• Ryan Kisor, On the One (Columbia, 1993)
• Mike Longo, I Miss You John (Consolidated Artists, 1995)
• Harold Lopez-Nussa, El Pais De Las Maravillas (World Village, 2011)
• Jason Miles, Miles to Miles (Narada, 2005)
• Mingus Big Band, Que Viva Mingus! (Dreyfus, 1997)
• Michael Philip Mossman, Springdance (Claves, 1995)
• Andy Narell, Tatoom (Heads Up, 2006)
• Nuyorican Soul, Nuyorican Soul (Talkin' Loud/Giant Step, 1997)
• Eddie Palmieri, Listen Here! (Concord Picante, 2005)
• Leon Parker, Above & Below (Epicure, 1994)
• Daniel Ponce, Chango Te Llama (Mango, 1991)
• Rachel Z, Trust the Universe (Columbia, 1993)
• Tony Reedus, People Get Ready (Sweet Basil, 1998)
• Claudio Roditi, Jazz Turns Samba (Groovin' High, 1994)
• Roberto Roena, Regreso (UP, 1987)
• Hilton Ruiz, Manhattan Mambo (Telarc, 1992)
• Hilton Ruiz, Heroes (Telarc, 1994)
• Hilton Ruiz, Hands On Percussion (RMM, 1995)
• Dave Samuels, Tjaderized (Verve, 1998)
• Antonio Sánchez, Migration (CAM Jazz, 2007)
• Antonio Sanchez, Live in New York at Jazz Standard (CAM Jazz, 2010)
• Arturo Sandoval, I Remember Clifford (GRP, 1992)
• Lalo Schifrin, Latin Jazz Suite (Aleph, 1999)
• Lalo Schifrin, Intersections (Aleph, 2001)
• SFJAZZ Collective, Live: SFJAZZ Center 2013 (SFJAZZ, 2013)
• SFJAZZ Collective, 10th Anniversary (SFJAZZ, 2014)
• SFJAZZ Collective, Music of Miles Davis & Original Compositions (SFJAZZ, 2017)
• Steve Turre, TNT (Telarc, 2001)
• Dave Valentin, Tropic Heat (GRP, 1994)
• Gabriel Vicéns, Days (Inner Circle Music, 2015)
• Kenny Werner, Democracy Live at the Blue Note (Half Note, 2006)
• Kenny Werner, Balloons (Half Note, 2011)
• Miguel Zenon, Looking Forward (Fresh Sound, 2001)

References[]

External links[]

• David Sanchez Official Site
• Artist profile at Concord Records
• David Sanchez and His Universe – Interview Published: March 1, 2004, By R.J. DeLuke, All About Jazz.com
• "In Conversation with David Sánchez" by Ted Panken (Jazz.com)