| David Sánchez | |
|---|---|
Sanchez and Ricardo Rodriguez on double bass |
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
David Sánchez is a 2005 Grammy-winning jazz tenor saxophonist from Guaynabo,[1] Puerto Rico, born in September 1968.[2]
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Sanchez took up the conga when he was eight and started playing tenor saxophone at age 12.[2] His earliest influences were Afro-Caribbean and danza but also European and Latin classical. At 12 Sanchez attended La Escuela Libre de Musica[2] which emphasized formal musical studies and classical European styles[3] and two years later, 1982, was much taken with a Miles Davis album, Basic Miles, featuring John Coltrane,[1] 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.
After a period freelancing in New York with many top Latin players (including Paquito D'Rivera and Claudio Roditi), Sanchez joined Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra in 1990 and Dizzy became Sanchez' mentor.[2] 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 Philip Morris SuperBand, recorded with Slide Hampton and his Jazz Masters, Charlie Sepulveda, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Drew, Jr., Ryan Kisor, Danilo Perez, Rachel Z, and Hilton Ruiz, and headed his own sessions for Columbia Records.
Since joining Columbia Records, Sanchez has released seven albums. He was much affected by 9-11 and the devastation of New York and this partly delayed his music released. But Sanchez was able to put together a very international situation for his real followup after 9-11. In 2005 Sanchez won the Grammy award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for his 2004 Coral which was two years in the making.[1] Recorded in The Czech Republic with The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Coral features a sextet: alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, pianist Edsel Gomez, bassists John Benitez and Ben Street, drummer Adam Cruz, and percussionist Pernell Saturnino.