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Friday, 01 July 2005 17:00

It's a pretty well-known fact in the jazz world that the length of time a musician has been in the business is directly proportional to the amount of respect he receives. Jazz remains one of the few genres of music that still places the highest value on the quality of musicianship and passion of the artist, and in the complex art of jazz creation, these two elements only improve with time. After over 40 years in the business, Arturo Sandoval is a perfect example of this in the recent release of Live at the Blue Note, a CD and DVD set of his June 2004 performance in New York. With past recognitions, such as Grammy Awards, six Billboard Awards for "Best Latin Jazz Album," and an eight-year streak of being voted Cuba's best instrumentalist, it should not come as a surprise when this album rocks your socks off.

There's something about jazz with a Latin feel that makes you want to wiggle. The first track, "The Real McBop," a Sandoval original (as are a majority of the songs on the album), rocks to a Cuban groove, with Tomas Cruz and Alexis Arce providing authentic-sounding percussion and drums. Add to that an upbeat, swinging tune and burning solos and you're bound to be wowed.

Most of the other tracks on the album are also marked by Sandoval's Cuban origins, but he showcases jazz styles from across the spectrum. There's the Dizzy Gillespie-inspired fast swing of "The Real McBop," the Latin groove of "Eso Es Lo Que Hay," in which the entire band chants the title repeatedly throughout the song for a party-like mood, and "Eastern Blues," which, despite the title, is reminiscent of Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" combined with a hint of fusion. "Blues for Diz" has five minutes' worth of some pretty interesting scatting followed by a long drum solo. In the ballad "A Lovely One," Paul Magallanes on piano demonstrates a beautiful sense of musicality and technique; you would think Bill Evans was alive again. When Sandoval comes in following Magallanes' intro, the effect is heart wrenching. Then, if that wasn't enough, the song finishes with a stride-piano-like blues. Also included on the album is Sandoval's rendition of the Alicia Keys song "If I Ain't Got You," which will please those more comfortable in the land of traditional pop and smooth jazz.

The DVD of the performance gives an entirely new perspective of the music. You can see the look of passion and enjoyment on the musicians' faces, and it allows you to appreciate the quality of all the musicians, not just Sandoval, as they are movin' and groovin' up on stage as they play. You feel like you're part of the audience, not just a CD consumer.

Whether you're a jazz connoisseur or just interested in exploring the genre, Live at the Blue Note has something for every taste, while demonstrating the quality of musicianship only attained by the masters. | Michelle Blumsack