Carib
Ropeadope/Stretch, 2019
8/10
A Grammy Award winning saxophonist with a penchant for rhythm and groove, David Sanchez’s new album, Carib, draws inspiration from the sounds of the Afro Puerto Rican and Haiitan Traditions where he pays tribute to the Afro dependent communities, as well as his late father and wife, who all shaped his art.
“Morning Mist” starts the affair with playful horns before setting into a nice jazz groove, and “Wave Under Silk” leads with keys across an elegant, melodic 7+ minutes of beautiful interplay between the noisemakers.
Although Sanchez makes full use of longer tunes- most hovering around the 6-7 minute mark- the brief “Prelude To Canto” is a sparse offering of warm guitars while the short lived “Iwa (Contemplation)” offers tumbling percussion and cozy brass.
Of the fuller tracks, “Mirage” is exceptionally radiant, as acrobatic percussion contrasts against the restraint of the rest of the tune, and “Iwa (Spirit Going Back Home)” brings countless ideas to the table on a busy journey of cautious musicianship and timeless melody. The album exits on “A Thousand Yesterdays”, where soft keys build into a quick tempo of sublime beauty.
A listen that is very much suited to the islands in which Sanchez draws influence, his tenor playing is top notch here, and with his esteemed band helping the tunes flow in and out of each other with Latin and World Fusion nods, it’s quite clear that after two and a half decades, David Sanchez’s work sounds better than ever.
Travels well with: Paul Austerlitz- Dr. Merengue; William Cepeda- My Roots & Beyond