Submitted by the Festival of Arts:
The amazing sounds of jazz legend Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band will light up the stage with an exciting and dynamic performance at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts on Saturday, July 27 from 1 - 3pm.
For more than three decades as both a leader and a sideman, conguero Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fiery stew of straight-ahead jazz, gritty soul music, and infectious melodies and rhythms from a variety of Latin American and South American sources. His influences are numerous, but among the more prominent figures that influenced his music are two of the primary architects of Latin jazz – conga drummer/composer Chano Pozo and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
If music were pictures, Grammy Award-winning percussionist Poncho Sanchez's music would be best described as a kaleidoscopic swirl of some of the hottest colors and brightest lights to emerge from either side of the border. At any given show, on any given record, fragments of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa and other infectious grooves collide and churn in a fiery swirl, with results that are no less than dazzling.
“Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band always bring an energy and excitement to their concerts,” said Susan Davis, director of special events for the Festival of Arts. “It’s a great experience to see them up close at the Festival’s intimate setting.”
Poncho Sanchez will perform on Saturday, July 27 from 1 - 3pm on stage at the Festival green. Jazz on the Green Concerts are free with Festival of Arts Admission. Limited seating available in reserved section for $25 per person per concert. Includes Festival admission. Call (800) 487-3378. The Jazz on the Green series is sponsored by the University of Redlands and KSBR.
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