Arturo Sandoval Music

On this GRP selection of 11 Afro-cuban jazz classics, Arturo and his excellent band (El Tren Latino or Latin train) are in dazzling form. The tracks range from slow ballads to up tempo scorchers such as track 2 (La Guarapachanga) on which the legendary Cuban singer, Celia Cruz duets with Oscar D'Leon. In El Tren Latino, Arturo has the perfect vehicle to showcase his awesome, high note hitting, Dizzy Gillespie-inspired trumpet technique. El Tren Latino consist of Kenny Anderson (saxophones), Otmaro Ruiz (piano), Aaron Serfaty (drums), Manuel "Egui" Castrillo (percussion) and David Enos (bass). For those fans who know what Arturo is capable of and who perhaps were disappointed (as I was) by other Sandoval offerings such as "Best of Arturo Sandoval" (Milan Latino, 1997), this effort should not disappoint. Prepare to be amazed.

I'm not sure which is more of a crime: Kenny G's successful career in music, or Tammy La Gorce's review of this album. The word "genius" has really come to be thrown around more and more in recent history than I can stand. It seems to be misused particularly when people who have either zero or minimal understanding of the arts are speaking of the arts. For Tammy La Gorce to call virtually any album she reviews "genius" is just blatantly uninformed and unintelligent (particularly in Kenny G's case).

In the even that one is unaware of the jazz community's utter hatred for Kenny G, he or she should search the Internet for Pat Metheny's highly-praised (and thorough) article on why Kenny G is utter blasphemy to music. Another option would be talk to students and/or professors from some of the country's leading schools for saxophone performance (including Northwestern University, Indiana University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Minnesota, Louisiana State University, and the Eastman School of Music). They will all tell you the same thing: Kenny G has a very elementary understanding of jazz, which is demonstrated through his immature phrasing, sound quality, "improvisational skills", vibrato, and ability to play in-tune. He has managed to become a household name simply because most people in this country are uninformed when it comes to musical artistry. In an ideal world only the people would know better, and Kenny G wouldn't even be capable of getting a record deal. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and there are many jazz artists in the world who are far more developed, far more musically educated, and, in short, far more deserving of the fame and fortune Kenny G has acquired. Some of these people end up having to quit music (which, at one point, was the absolute center of their entire being) and taking on jobs they despise just to prevent because they respect the performing arts, their previous mentors, and their predecessors too much to sell out like Kenny G.

As if La Gorce's completely idiotic praising of this album weren't enough, she put the nail in her credibility coffin by finishing off her review stating that, based on her preference for Chaka Khan's interpretation of "Beautiful", Khan should have been the original artist behind the song. If she and Christina Aguilera both find it to be a moving song they believe in, both of them have the right to perform it. Besides, Linda Perry (not Tammy La Gorce) is the one who wrote the song, and she gladly allowed Aguilera to use it and interpret it for her album. Perhaps La Gorce is to be trusted as a music critic even less than Kenny G is to be trusted as a true musician--and that's saying something.

When I purchased this CD I really was only interested in one song, I Believe I Could Fly. Now I cannot seem to stop listening to it.

You know it's sad when someone has to put down another person just to make them feel bigger. I found this album was a fresh change to doing cover songs - face it, everyone in the industry is doing covers, but I really liked the different feel to them. There are some not so great Duet albums out there, unfortunately I have even bought a few, but I feel this one is a good buy...

Kenny G is excellent in this duets CD. Him along with other greats make for very enjoyable listening.

Please noone buy this cd. It is a waste of your time, and the fact that so many people buy this cd goes along with how humans are getting more idiotic as we destroy the planet and continue to rise conflicts in other countries that could amount to a bigger picture. Kenny G is a horrible saxophonist, and all he plays are simplistic lines that people can wrap their heads around easily. If you want to listen to a great saxophonist, listen to Kenny Garret. Or Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Joshua Redman, Wayne Shorter. If you like smooth jazz, Gerald Albright is an excellent saxophonist to listen to.

This CD defintely showcases the talent and versatility of Arturo Sandoval. He is one great trumpet maestro. Considering that Maynard Ferguson, Dizzie Gillespie, and other trumpet masters have heaped praises on Sandoval, what more can I say?

You might suppose that the Rafael Mendez track makes him the Supreme Trumpet Artist - but it's Sandoval playing it!

If your're a trumpeter or trumpet enthusiast you will love this collection.I think Arturo did a wonderful job, you get a little info on the artiste who did the original pieces.This is great, dizzy,maynard great compilation.

Cuban born Floridian Arturo Sandoval is one of the most nimble jazz trumpeters to be playing in the modern day. In the 1970s Sandoval befriended the legendary Dizzy Gillespie and toured Cuba and Europe with him. In the 1980s Sandoval sought political asylum from Castro's Cuba at the United Stated Embassy in Rome. This album of tributes is a wonderful bargain, featuring a wide spectrum of styles and standards played by a real master.

I love Sandoval's version of "Round' Midnight" to Miles Davis, inflecting that bluesy Davis sound with ghostlike precision. Nineteen tracks make this disc an unusually generous one, with superb sound quality and musical execution. A nice CD to own, to be sure.

Arturo shines in this recording that pays homage to great trumpeters of days gone by. Sandoval demonstrates his flexibility and musical knowledge in this recording - and does an amazing job of imitating those great trumpeters, while lending just enough of his own style and artistry to make each piece his own.

A wonderful addition to the trumpeter, or trumpet fan's collection.

I highly recommend this to anyone that likes smooth jazz and wants mood music for Christmas gatherings. Would also make a great stocking stuffer... I have all the GRP Christmas collections and use them every year. They make Christmas parties seem more festive.

Like the famous Mannheim Steamroller Christmas series, the GRP collections quickly become holiday traditions for all who hear them. The 13 tracks in this second collection demonstrate variety and creativity similar to the original volume. My favorite instrumentals include: "Let It Snow" with Nelson Rangell on piccolo, a great opener for the album; Arturo Sandoval's "O Come All Ye Faithful," which starts out sounding very traditional but then kicks into some of the trumpet master's characteristic bursts of energy; and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from Spyro Gyra, featuring the band's signature blend of alto sax and vibes. My top picks for vocals: a wonderful rendition of "Christmas Time Is Here" by Patti Austin, Voyceboxing's version of "Let There Be Peace on Earth," and "I Wonder As I Wander" by the New York Voices.
Less impressive are Laima's vocal on "Blue Christmas," which she sings like she's bored with it, and Don Grusin's "Angels We Have Heard on High," which is rather repetitive and uses a children's chorus that makes it reminiscent of some of the music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Not that these are bad tracks - they just seem less interesting (to my taste, anyway) than the rest of this great collection.
Overall, highly recommended for your enjoyment across many Christmases.

I have plenty of Christmas music, more than I can usually play during the season but this one I never can do without. If you like jazz in the smooth jazz vein, soulful renditions of classics, improvised interpretations, than you'll be in heaven with this disc. There are several tracks that wouldn't be Christmas without hearing every year.Don Grusin leads the way with memorable tracks with his choir infused version of "Angels We Have Heard On High." The melodic yet innovative "The First Noel" by George Howard is reminiscent of John Coltrane in his phrasing at times, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Spyro Gyra is a rocking jumping good time, Arturo Sandoval sheds his latin jazz image for a brief moment on Bb trumpet and piccolo trumpet for a classical music introduction that soon transcends into blistering jazz solos than back into classical melodies on "O Come All Ye Faithful," the soulful voices of Carl Anderson and Patti Austin respectively on "O Holy Night" and "Christmas Time is Here" give the disc part of it's R&B edge. The absolute most sublime songs you can ever hear during the season are on this disc. You must hear "I Wonder as I Wander" by the New York Voices which mesh so beautifully with jazz arrangements and horns that will knock your socks off. Another soulful track is "Let There Be Peace on Earth" by Voyceboxing which features some remarkable female singing. The disc closes out with an amazing performance on harp by Deborah Henson- Conant who gives a Middle Eastern meets Western sensibilities to the otherworldly "We Three Kings of Orient Are." Great music for the holidays that you will enjoy year after year as I have since the early 90's.

No compilation on the market any better than this! I'd buy THIS cd for Spyro Gyra's "I'll Be Home For Christmas" alone!
All 3 GRP CDs are great. And if you can get your hands on it, try a compilation CD titled "Jazzy Wonderland"

I wrote a general review of the GRP Christmas Collections CD's on the vol. I page. My faves on this one are Blue Christmas , which is a new song to me, and Christmas Time is Here. There's also fresh, jazzy treatments of standards. I Wonder as I Wander really comes alive. Highly recommend this CD and the other two volumes.

It's been a long time since I've actually had fun listening to a CD. As I was listening to this CD with headphones, those around me noted how much they saw me enjoying it. I caught myself falling back in to traditional phrases, saying things like "go cat go." at one time I actually laughed out loud with delight. So I guess I could best describe this CD as "delightful," and a lot of fun.

Let's face it, Arturo's just the man. He's a diverse player who truly appreciates music. This CD is a live recording of Arturo flexing his muscles. I highly recommend it. It has him playing in different styles and although it may not be quite as pollished as his non-live albums, it's obviouse that he loves playing for an audience. If you're an Arturo fan, this is a "must buy" item.

This CD defintely showcases the talent and versatility of Arturo Sandoval. He is one great trumpet maestro. Considering that Maynard Ferguson, Dizzie Gillespie, and other trumpet masters have heaped praises on Sandoval, what more can I say?

You might suppose that the Rafael Mendez track makes him the Supreme Trumpet Artist - but it's Sandoval playing it!

If your're a trumpeter or trumpet enthusiast you will love this collection.I think Arturo did a wonderful job, you get a little info on the artiste who did the original pieces.This is great, dizzy,maynard great compilation.

Cuban born Floridian Arturo Sandoval is one of the most nimble jazz trumpeters to be playing in the modern day. In the 1970s Sandoval befriended the legendary Dizzy Gillespie and toured Cuba and Europe with him. In the 1980s Sandoval sought political asylum from Castro's Cuba at the United Stated Embassy in Rome. This album of tributes is a wonderful bargain, featuring a wide spectrum of styles and standards played by a real master.

I love Sandoval's version of "Round' Midnight" to Miles Davis, inflecting that bluesy Davis sound with ghostlike precision. Nineteen tracks make this disc an unusually generous one, with superb sound quality and musical execution. A nice CD to own, to be sure.

Arturo shines in this recording that pays homage to great trumpeters of days gone by. Sandoval demonstrates his flexibility and musical knowledge in this recording - and does an amazing job of imitating those great trumpeters, while lending just enough of his own style and artistry to make each piece his own.

A wonderful addition to the trumpeter, or trumpet fan's collection.

I am a classical trumpet player who was considering playing jazz. Once I heard this CD, I was hooked. Arturo has inspired me to add Jazz to my repertoire. His range is the largest I've ever heard. At the end of "A Night in Tunisia," Arturo has a dual with an electric guitar (and wins). He goes up and beyond anything I imagined possible with the trumpet, as well as low. The very last not that he plays in "A Night in Tunisia" is so low that it sounds more like an electric bass than a trumpet. While he does have the bright tone of a Jazz player, Arturo also has a rich dark sound in "Maria." I don't think I've ever heard a song with more feeling put into than when Arturo plays "Maria." He simply breaks the physics of trumpet playing.

Arturo is an outstanding trumpet percussion and piano player!!!!! He can Blaze Thru afro-cuban music classical straight ahead jazz and acid jazz. He is such a well rounded musician. and almost everyone can agree with me when I say Hes TOO HOT TO TOUCH!!!

If you saw his movie (For Love Or Country-great movie) and you like jazz music with an awesome trumpet player than you will love this C.D. There is very little vocal, instead the trumpet is the lead singer. There are many other outstanding musicians and instruments that make this a great C.D. I bought the soundtrack from Love Or Country and was very dissapointed, but this C.D. more than made up for it. If you want more big band jazz/trumpet music than my second recommendation would be Cubanismo by Jesus Alemany

Simply put, Arturo Sandoval is one of the most amazing musicians of our time. This CD puts together some of his best work, although several tracks lack the Cuban "essence" that go with most of his songs. It is truly outstanding none the less. During Sandovals' cadenza on "A Night in Tunisia", you can hear someone in the audience yell out "Damn!" after one of his famed high notes... well put. This is one CD that's absolutely worth buying.

This is one of the top jazz trumpets I have ever heard! Sandoval's technial ability and his range just topples me! He is much better than Maynard Feguson, I believe Sandoval has an octave above Ferguson. You can really hear his ability in the song A Night in Tunisia. Sandoval takes one lick and plays it i 3 DIFFERENT OCTAVES!!! His skill is beyond anything else i have ever heard. I hope to see him live soon.