he Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley presents legendary trumpeter Arturo Sandoval for four nights, touring in support of his brand new release Rumba Palace (05/07). Band members include Javier Concepcion (piano), Armando Gola (bass), Tomas Cruz (percussion), Ed Calle (saxophone) and Alexis Arce (drums). Set times Thursday through Saturday are at 7:30pm and 9:30pm and set time on Sunday is at 7:30pm.
His most recent release Rumba Palace (5/07) “…may be a taste of Sandoval at his best.” – Allaboutjazz.com
Sandoval, a Cuban ex-pat who was a founding member of Irakere, one of Havana’s most legendary jazz bands, has so far won four Grammy’s, six Billboard Awards, and even an Emmy (for the soundtrack to For Love Of Country -- The Arturo Sandoval Story). His trumpet style, with its soaring improvisational pyrotechnics and sometimes blustery but always sonorous tone, has influenced an entire generation of young Latin players. Now a tenured professor at Florida International University and proud owner of Miami’s Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club but still a working musician, he has performed with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Michel Legrand to Tony Bennett to Patti Labelle.
Granted political asylum in 1990 and US citizenship in 1999, Sandoval and his family now call Miami, Florida home. A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in a small town, Artemisa, just outside of Havana, Cuba. He began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it did not take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. Today, Sandoval’s versatility can be heard on recordings with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Stan Getz and Bill Conti to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys amongst others.