Poncho Sanchez has done it again!
Robert T. Mckenna | 09/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It was just luck I tuned into our local jazz station while they were playing the knockout tune and finding out it was Poncho's rendition of Herby Hancock's Cantaloupe Island. Lucky in the surprise in learning that conguero Poncho Sanchez just had a new release.
Hearing the rest of Psychedelic Blues, I've got to say it IS already one of my best. Amongst Poncho's many excellent albums, this one ranks up there with Latin Soul as a favorite.
You won't get as much of the vocals we're grown to love on his recent albums. Gotta love his guest vocalists doing R & B flavored tracks lately.
But in this album we do get treated to Poncho's own spunky and energetic vocals on Willie Bobo Medley and Con Sabor Latino. The rest is just Latin Jazz at its very very best. With arrangements by trombonist Fransisco Torres and pianist David Torres, every tune is a thing of beauty. There's great trumpet by Ron Blake and saxophonist Javier Vergara throughout, particularly on Grand Central. Piano is not so prominent but really nice in Silver's Serenade. I sure like the trombone soloing in Delifonse. Guest musician Arturo Sandoval treats us with his amazing trumpet in Freddy Hubbard's Crisis. All throughout you get that unforgettable interplay of percussion with Joey De Léon on bongos, George Ortiz on timbales and of course bandleader Poncho on congas.
Most notable to me however is the jazz guitar work of guest musician Andrew Synowiec and his bluesy-jazzy riffs in Cantaloupe Island and the "Fried Neckbones" segment of Willie Bobo Medley. You know, one doesn't hear jazz guitar often in Latin Jazz genre. But with these refreshing arrangements his sound fits quite well and perhaps we ought to hear it more often.
Bravo to Poncho for another great album!!"