Poncho Sanchez — North Sea Jazz Festival, The Hague, 1996

Live concert filmed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague in 1996, this full concert captures American conga player and bandleader Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band at the height of their powers. An heir to Cal Tjader and a major figure of Latin jazz, Sanchez unfolds a repertoire where hard bop meets Afro-Cuban rhythms: blazing montunos, tight brass sections and long stretches of conga-driven improvisation. Captured by the archives of the Dutch festival, one of the world’s premier jazz events, this live concert conveys the power of a Latin big band in full flight before a captivated audience. Four years before his Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album, the orchestra already displays remarkable cohesion and swing. This filmed live concert stands as a reference document on the 1990s Latin jazz scene, precious for lovers of descargas and salsa jazz. A multi-song live capture to savor for the warmth of its groove and the virtuosity of its soloists.