Sanchez Uses Full Orchestra on Next CD

Latin-jazz minded saxophonist David Sanchez (pictured) will release his seventh album, Coral, on Columbia Records on August 3, 2004. Coral is Sanchez’s first recording with an orchestra and features the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

The nine-track release includes works by Brazil’s Heitor Villa-Lobos and Argentina’s Alberto Ginastera, as well as two classical-inspired works by Brazilian bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim. The album also features two original compositions by Sanchez himself and one by the session’s string-arranger and conductor Carlos Franzetti.

Coral, which has been two years in the making, blends symphonic, Latin American and jazz elements. Sanchez is excited about this impressive undertaking.

“This recording is the first time I’ve ever recorded the more obscure work of these composers with a large orchestra,” Sanchez stated in a press release. “The result of these months of getting the project ready, listening to different styles of music, and learning about all of these composers has already influenced the way I hear music. I have learned an incredible amount of stuff.”

Sanchez, who first appeared on the U.S. jazz scene in the mid-1990s with his debut album The Departure, has plenty of solid jazz experience under his belt. Sanchez has been nominated for both Grammys and Latin Grammys and has performed with Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra, pianist Eddie Palmieri, bassist Charlie Haden, trombonist Steve Turre and many others.

Sanchez currently performs with his sextet, which recently welcomed the addition of a second saxophonist, fellow Puerto Rico native Miguel Zenon.

For more information on Sanchez and his upcoming release, visit www.columbiarecords.com or www.sonymusic.com/artists/davidsanchez.

Originally Published May 28, 2004