Bobby Sanabria is everywhere this fall. Really, he is. The drummer/percussionist has found his way onto the personnel lists of no less than seven recent recordings.
The most notable is Sanabria’s new leader effort, Bobby Sanabria & ¡Quarteto Aché!, released Oct. 22 on Khaeon. With John di Martino on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass and Jay Collins on saxophones and flutes, Sanabria’s quartet brings together Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, hard bop, funk and avant garde styles. It’ll likely satisfy the Sanabria newcomer, but die-hard Bobby fans will have to pick up all of the following discs to fix their jones:
Sanabria shows up on Salsa pianist Larry Harlow’s new Latin Jazz Encounter CD recorded live at Birdland in New York. Harlow produced and played piano for the Fania All Stars.
50 Years of Mambo, A Tribute to Mambo King Perez Prado, recorded live at New York’s Town Hall, features Sanabria powering an all star big band along with percussionists Cándido Camero and Ray Mantilla adding fuel to the fire.
Saxophonist Hilary Noble’s new work (co-produced by Sanabria) Noble Savage features our boy on drums and percussion as well as Noble on congas and tenor along with altoist Charles Neville from the Neville Brothers. John di Martino and Boris Kozlov from Quarteto Aché play on the record as well.
Legendary jazz drummer/composer Joe Chambers called on Sanabria his new CD, Urban Grooves. When Chambers plays vibes, Sanabria plays drums. When Chambers plays drums, Sanabria plays percussion. Also featured are Rufus Reid on bass, Eric Reed on piano and Gary Bartz on alto and soprano.
Sanabria puts his percussion chops to use on trombonist John Fedchock’s new big band work, No Nonsense.
Poet David Gonzalez’s new CD Poetic License also features Sanabria, on drums as well as co-producing. Gonzalez blends of Afro-Cuban, Puerto-Rican, jazz, funk, hip hop and rock with poetry about the gritty, urban Latino issues. The disc also features saxophonist Oliver Lake and Puerto Rican cuatro player Yomo Toro.
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