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Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval was born on Nov. 6, 1949, in Artemisa, Cuba. |
He was the son of an auto mechanic, and no one else in the Sandoval
family seemed to have any musical or artistic inclinations. Yet Sandoval
showed much promise when he began studying the classical trumpet at the
age of 12. Three years later, Sandoval was studying with a Russian
trumpet master at the Cuban National School of the Arts.
While the Revolution of 1959 shielded Cuba from much of the U.S. sphere of influence, jazz records did seep into the country. Sandoval recalls the first time he heard an album with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker with a friend, and being completely captivated by the be-bop sound. He continued his classical studies throughout school, but also began learning to play jazz.
In the 1970s, Sandoval helped start the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, an outfit that eventually evolved into the influential Afro-cuban band, Irakere.
Along with pianist Chucho Valdes and wind-player Paquito D'Rivera, the group's mix of jazz, rock and traditional Cuban music became a sensation both inside and outside of Cuba, as evidenced by the group's 1978 Grammy win for Best Latin Album.
Sandoval first met his idol, Dizzy Gillespie, in 1977. The two became good friends, and Gillespie asked Sandoval to join his band for concerts around the world.
Gillespie also recruited Sandoval to join him in his United Nations Orchestra. The two remained good friends and Sandoval found himself touring with Dizzy's groups throughout much of the 1980s.
During a 1990 tour of Europe with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, Sandoval was able to defect with his wife and teenage son and claim political asylum in the United States.
His family's harrowing passage to freedom was made into an HBO movie, For Love of Country: The Arturo Snadoval Story. Sandoval's score for the movie won an Emmy.
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Set List for Arturo Sandoval on Piano Jazz:Relax (Sandoval)
Autumn Leaves (Joseph, Mercer, Prevert)
I Remember Clifford (Golson, Hendricks)
I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues (Arlen, Kohler)
Body and Soul (Green, Heyman)
I Left this Space for You (Sandoval)
Marian and Arturo's Blues (McPartland, Sandoval)
While the Revolution of 1959 shielded Cuba from much of the U.S. sphere of influence, jazz records did seep into the country. Sandoval recalls the first time he heard an album with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker with a friend, and being completely captivated by the be-bop sound. He continued his classical studies throughout school, but also began learning to play jazz.
In the 1970s, Sandoval helped start the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, an outfit that eventually evolved into the influential Afro-cuban band, Irakere.
Along with pianist Chucho Valdes and wind-player Paquito D'Rivera, the group's mix of jazz, rock and traditional Cuban music became a sensation both inside and outside of Cuba, as evidenced by the group's 1978 Grammy win for Best Latin Album.
Sandoval first met his idol, Dizzy Gillespie, in 1977. The two became good friends, and Gillespie asked Sandoval to join his band for concerts around the world.
Gillespie also recruited Sandoval to join him in his United Nations Orchestra. The two remained good friends and Sandoval found himself touring with Dizzy's groups throughout much of the 1980s.
During a 1990 tour of Europe with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, Sandoval was able to defect with his wife and teenage son and claim political asylum in the United States.
His family's harrowing passage to freedom was made into an HBO movie, For Love of Country: The Arturo Snadoval Story. Sandoval's score for the movie won an Emmy.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for Arturo Sandoval on Piano Jazz: